Your wallet contains cards that took weeks or months to replace when lost — your driver's licence, health insurance card, gym membership, library card, employee ID. Keeping encrypted digital copies means that if your wallet is stolen or you are travelling without it, you can still access the information you need. Here is how to scan ID cards properly and store them safely.
Why You Need Digital Copies of Your ID Cards
There are several practical reasons to have digital copies of your ID cards readily accessible:
- Online applications: Job applications, rental applications, and membership sign-ups increasingly ask for a copy of photo ID. Having a scan ready saves time.
- Lost wallet: If your wallet is stolen, you can show a digital copy of your driver's licence to confirm your identity while you arrange replacements — and you will know exactly which cards were in the wallet.
- Age verification: Some services accept a digital copy of your driver's licence for age verification.
- Gym and club check-ins: Many gyms accept a membership card barcode displayed on your phone.
- Employer onboarding: Many employers now accept digital copies of identity documents for right-to-work checks during remote onboarding.
What to Scan
These cards are worth having digital copies of:
- Driver's licence — scan both the front and back; the back contains the barcode and machine-readable information.
- Health insurance card — the card number and group number are needed when visiting a new doctor or pharmacy.
- Employee or student ID — useful for remote work and online student discounts.
- Gym or club membership card — if your gym uses a barcode system, a scan on your phone is as good as the physical card.
- Library card — many libraries accept the card number from a photo for online borrowing.
- Professional certification or accreditation cards — useful for proving credentials when applying for roles.
- Loyalty and rewards cards — the barcode number is all you need for most loyalty programmes.
Do not scan: payment cards (debit or credit cards). Never photograph your card number, CVV, or expiry date — this information should never be stored digitally in any form outside a dedicated password manager.
Step-by-Step: Scan an ID Card with PrimeDocu
- Prepare the surface: Place the card on a flat surface with a contrasting background — a dark card on a white surface or a light card on a dark surface works best. Avoid placing it on a surface with busy patterns.
- Lighting: Use natural daylight or a well-lit room. Avoid direct flash, which creates glare on laminated cards and makes text unreadable. If your card has a hologram, angle slightly to reduce reflection.
- Open PrimeDocu and tap Scan: The camera view appears with automatic edge detection overlay.
- Align and capture: Hold the camera directly above the card. PrimeDocu detects the card edges automatically — when the overlay locks onto the card, tap to capture. Perspective correction is applied automatically, so the result is a flat, square image regardless of angle.
- Scan the reverse: Flip the card and scan the back side. You can combine both sides into a single two-page PDF — front as page one, back as page two.
- Name and file: Name the file clearly — for example DriversLicence_JohnSmith_Front.pdf and DriversLicence_JohnSmith_Back.pdf, or a combined DriversLicence_JohnSmith_BothSides.pdf. Save to the Identity folder in your PrimeDocu vault.
Privacy Tips for Sharing ID Scans
Sharing an ID scan creates a copy outside your control. Follow these principles:
- Share only what is required: If an organisation needs only your name and date of birth, do not send your full driver's licence — a cropped or redacted version is better.
- Never share via WhatsApp or regular email for sensitive applications — use a secure sharing method or the specific portal the organisation provides.
- Ask why the ID is needed and confirm you are dealing with a legitimate organisation before sharing any identity document scan.
- Know what you shared and to whom — keep a note of every organisation you have provided an ID scan to, so you can take action quickly if that organisation suffers a breach.
Accessing Your ID Copy Quickly When Needed
PrimeDocu's biometric unlock (Face ID, Touch ID, fingerprint) means you can access your encrypted vault in under two seconds. In an emergency — at a check-in desk, during a police stop, or for online form-filling — your scanned IDs are immediately accessible without having to remember passwords or navigate complex folder structures. The Identity folder is designed to be the first thing you see when you open the vault.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a photo of my driver's licence accepted as ID?
It depends on the context. A phone photo is not accepted at borders, airports, or for official government processes where the physical card is required. For many everyday purposes — online age verification, employer pre-screening, rental applications, and gym sign-ins — a clear, legible scan is widely accepted. Always verify the specific requirements before assuming a digital copy will suffice.
Is it safe to store ID card scans on my phone?
Storing ID scans in your regular photo gallery is not safe — anyone who accesses your phone or your cloud photo backup can view them. Storing them in PrimeDocu is safe: the app requires biometric authentication to open, and every document is encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a key held only in your device's secure hardware. The encrypted vault cannot be opened without your biometric or passphrase.
What cards should I keep digital copies of?
Good candidates include: driver's licence (both sides), health insurance card, employee or student ID, gym or club membership card, library card, and any professional certification cards. Do not scan payment cards — debit and credit card numbers, CVVs, and expiry dates should never be stored as document scans.