How Zinc Matches Candidate ID Document Names for a DBS Identity Check

When a candidate submits identity documents for a DBS check, Zinc checks the name on each document against the name they provided — and against each other. The rules differ depending on whether a document is the **primary** or **secondary** document. ## How It Works - **Primary document** (the first one presented like a passport): must be an **exact match** on name. If a candidate submits only one document, it's treated as the primary document and held to this standard. - **Secondary document** (any additional document like a driving licence): must pass Entrust's fuzzy matching **and** meet Zinc's own name rules. First and last name must be an exact match to what was submitted (only hyphens are ignored). Middle names have more flexibility — they can be omitted, partially shown, or reduced to an initial, but any that are shown must appear in the same order (hyphens and periods are ignored here too). | Discrepancy type | Primary document | Secondary document | |---|---|---| | Case differences | Accepted | Accepted | | Hyphens | Accepted | Accepted | | First or last name abbreviated | Not accepted | Not accepted | | Middle name abbreviated or shown as an initial | Not accepted | Accepted, if order is preserved | | Middle name(s) omitted | Not accepted | Accepted, if remaining names keep their order | | First or last name reordered | Not accepted | Not accepted | | Extra middle name | Not accepted | Not accepted | | Any undeclared name | Not accepted | Not accepted | ## What Happens When There's a Mismatch When there’s a mismatch between the name or date of birth submitted by the candidate, this will flag as an Action required status on Zinc (see [What Does 'Action Required' Mean on an Identity Check?](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/8f2d2a00-what-does-action-required-mean-on-an-identity-check)). 1. **First mismatch** — we reset the candidate's submission automatically. No action is needed from you. 2. **Second and third mismatch** — flagged as **Action required** on the report. You'll need to guide the candidate or click **Request resubmission** under **Your next step** on the ID check card. See [DBS/Criminal Check Statuses: "Action Required", "Blocked", and "Confirm Original Details of Your DBS Certificate"](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/96d06c69-dbscriminal-check-statuses-action-required-blocked-and-confirm-original-details-of-your-dbs-certificate) for how to action this. 3. **Fourth mismatch** — the request moves to manual review automatically. You will now need to make a time with your candidate to verify their documents manually. There's a limit of three resets per check. **If the primary document is clear but the secondary document doesn't match**: the check skips the stages above and goes straight to manual review for you to complete with the candidate. What's new here is the matching logic behind the flag: the primary document is held to an exact match, while the secondary document goes through Entrust's fuzzy matching and Zinc's name-position rules — so you'll see fewer flags caused by minor, legitimate variations on the secondary document, and can be more confident that a flagged mismatch is worth a closer look. --- This approach follows the [DBS identity checking guidelines](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines/dbs-digital-identity-verification-guidance) and the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. For the full document requirements under Entrust's Gamma-certified, H2B-standard process, see [Standard and Enhanced DBS Identity Verification: What's Changed and What ID You Need](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/46e20544-standard-and-enhanced-dbs-identity-verification-changes) or, for Basic DBS checks, [Basic DBS Identity Verification Changes](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/27f95ad6-basic-dbs-identity-verification-changes). If you have questions about this process, contact our Support Team at [contact@zincwork.com](contact@zincwork.com).