What does the ID Verified badge on Know a Pro actually mean?

When you see ID Verified on a Know a Pro profile, it tells you something specific:

The Pro completed Know a Pro's required identity-verification process.

That's useful information when you're looking at a profile, but the badge has a defined purpose.

It isn't a qualification badge, a professional-registration check, a police clearance or a guarantee about the service you'll receive.

Understanding that distinction helps you use the badge for what it actually tells you.

What the ID Verified badge means

South African Pros complete identity verification as part of signup before their profile goes live.

Once that process is completed, their profile can display the ID Verified badge.

In simple terms, the badge means:

This Pro completed Know a Pro's required identity-verification process.

The meaning is deliberately narrow. The badge doesn't make claims about character, competence or safety.

What Know a Pro is not claiming with the badge

ID Verified does not mean Know a Pro has confirmed that the Pro:

• is qualified for every service they offer;
• holds a particular professional registration;
• has a particular business registration;
• has a police clearance;
• has no criminal history;
• is trustworthy;
• is safe;
• will provide good workmanship;
• will arrive on time;
• will charge a particular price; or
• will provide a particular outcome.

Those are different questions and, where relevant, require different information or checks.

Identity and qualifications are different checks

A person's identity and their professional credentials are not the same thing.

For example, depending on the service, a customer may need to check a professional registration, licence, certificate or other credential separately.

If a credential matters for the work you're hiring for, use the appropriate official issuing body or regulator where applicable.

The ID Verified badge doesn't replace that.

ID Verified isn't a qualification badge

Know a Pro's ID Verified badge relates to identity verification. Qualifications and professional registrations are separate and should be checked separately where relevant.

ID Verified is not a background check

Identity verification and background screening are different things.

Don't treat the ID Verified badge as proof of:

• police clearance;
• criminal-record screening;
• safeguarding clearance; or
• a broader background investigation.

If a role calls for additional screening, consider the checks appropriate to that particular role.

This can be especially important for services involving children, vulnerable people, care responsibilities or ongoing access to private property.

There isn't one universal screening requirement that applies to every type of service.

ID Verified is not a business-verification badge

A person completing identity verification is also different from verifying the legal or registration status of a business.

The ID Verified badge doesn't confirm:

• CIPC registration;
• company ownership;
• tax status;
• financial standing;
• licences; or
• regulatory compliance.

Where business status matters, check the appropriate information separately.

What if a business sends someone else?

This distinction matters.

A Know a Pro profile may represent a person or business, and the profile holder may not personally perform every job.

Employees, assistants or subcontractors may sometimes attend.

Don't assume the ID Verified badge means every person associated with the business has individually completed Know a Pro's identity-verification process.

If it matters for the service, ask who you should expect before the appointment.

What about reviews?

Reviews and ID Verified provide different information.

ID Verified relates to completion of Know a Pro's identity-verification process.

Reviews describe submitted customer experiences.

Reviews don't turn identity verification into a broader trust or quality guarantee.

Likewise, ID Verified doesn't prove the statements in reviews or guarantee that you'll have the same experience.

Use each piece of information for what it actually tells you.

Does ID Verified mean someone is safe to hire?

No single badge can make that decision for you.

ID Verified isn't proof that someone is:

• safe;
• trustworthy;
• honest;
• competent; or
• suitable for a particular job.

The checks that matter depend on the service.

Depending on the work, you might also consider:

• relevant credentials;
• professional registration;
• written scope or quote;
• reviews;
• previous-work examples;
• payment arrangements;
• who will actually perform the work; and
• any role-specific checks.

Why keep the badge meaning narrow?

A badge is most useful when customers understand exactly what it represents.

ID Verified is designed to communicate one specific piece of information about the profile:

The Pro completed Know a Pro's required identity-verification process.

It shouldn't be stretched into claims about qualifications, character, safety or workmanship that the badge doesn't establish.

A quick way to read the badge

When you see ID Verified, think:

Yes: This Pro completed Know a Pro's required identity-verification process.

No: This badge alone doesn't tell me whether the Pro is qualified, professionally registered, police-cleared, trustworthy, safe or suitable for my particular job.

Next: I should make the additional checks relevant to the service I'm hiring for.

The bottom line

The ID Verified badge has a specific meaning on Know a Pro.

It confirms completion of the platform's required identity-verification process.

It isn't intended to replace reviews, qualifications, professional registrations, written agreements or any other checks relevant to a particular service.

Read the badge as one useful piece of profile information, not as a complete assessment of the person or business.

This article provides general consumer information and was reviewed in September 2026. ID Verified indicates completion of Know a Pro's required identity-verification process. It isn't a guarantee of qualifications, professional registration, safety, trustworthiness, workmanship or future service quality.