Documentation / Mobile / Document scanner Settings

NFC Reader

Reads the chip embedded in modern passports and ID cards. Fastest and most accurate option when the document supports it.

Turn it on

Chip reading is a setting. In Settings, turn on Read document chip with NFC. From then on every scan reads the chip, whether it starts from Scan Document or from a room in Bookings.

The switch is greyed out on phones without NFC. If NFC is off in the phone's own settings, the app asks you to turn it on when you start a scan.

How to scan

  1. From the home screen, tap Scan Document.
  2. Point the camera at the MRZ so the app can read the digits that unlock the chip. Hold the phone in landscape for faster, more reliable reads, see why.
Phone held sideways with the camera open, an ID card filling the frame and the MRZ at the bottom clearly readable
  1. When the digits are recognised, the Ready to scan overlay appears. Place the document flat against the back of the phone and hold it steady.
Overlay reading "Ready to scan... Place document" with an illustration of a phone and a card on its back. Caption: "Place the document on the back of the phone and keep it steady"
  1. Once the phone finds the chip, a progress bar shows the read. Don't move the document until it's done, it takes a few seconds.
Overlay reading "Reading document... Please keep it still" with a spinner and a progress bar most of the way through. Caption: "Reading in progress... Please wait without moving"

Result

Once the chip is read, the extracted data appears on screen. Send it to your integration with Send, or start over with New scan.

Scan result screen with the fields read from the chip (document type, country, number, support number, dates, name, nationality, address) and two buttons: Send and New scan

Tips

  • The NFC antenna isn't always centred. If the chip isn't reading, slide the document slowly around the back of the phone until you find the spot.
  • Remove thick cases or wallets, they can block NFC.
  • If the camera step doesn't pick up the unlock digits, improve the lighting and hold the phone parallel to the document.

Where the chip is

Document Chip location
Passport Front cover, marked with the NFC symbol
ID card Centre of the card, on either side

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