Trusted identity verification, built in Australia.
Since 2015, IDV Pacific has helped organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific confirm who people say they are, with world-class document validation, biometrics and local support.
Bringing world-class validation to the Pacific
Our mission is simple: make it easy for any organisation to confirm an identity quickly, accurately and with confidence.
In 2015, Peter Christie and Tony Merlo founded IDV Pacific after identifying a gap in the Australian identity-verification market. The sector was dominated by offshore providers whose technology did not consistently perform well when evaluating Australian identity documents, while customer support was also largely delivered from overseas. Peter and Tony saw an opportunity to establish an Australian company offering technology designed for local documents, supported by an Australian-based team with direct knowledge of the market.
A decade on, that idea has grown into a specialist identity-verification business. We combine document validation, biometrics and visa checking with the Thales hardware and local support to run it, so organisations can meet their compliance obligations, protect against fraud and safeguard their reputation.
The belief that started IDV Pacific has not changed: an identity check should be fast, affordable and something you can trust.
From a single idea to a full platform
A decade of bringing trusted identity verification to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
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2015
Founded in Sydney
Peter Christie and Tony Merlo founded IDV Pacific to establish an Australian presence in the identity-verification sector.
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Hardware
Authorised Thales partner
IDV Pacific is appointed a Thales Gold Value-Added Reseller, supplying professional document readers to organisations across Australia and the Pacific.
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2021
Built for enterprise
James Roberts joins to lead strategy and commercials, scaling the offering for enterprise and government customers.
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Software
One connected platform
FoxID AI OCR, the eNRoL onboarding builder and IDV Hub Manager join the product portfolio, alongside integrated biometric verification.
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Digital ID
Ready for the mobile licence
IDV Pacific adds ISO 18013-5 mobile driver licence verification as digital credentials roll out across Australia.
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2026
Recognised for RegTech
Finalist at the Finnies, the FinTech Australia awards, for Excellence in RegTech.
How we work
The principles behind every check we run and every product we ship.
Local expertise
An Australian company with local support. You talk to people who know the documents and the rules here.
Standards first
Built on recognised standards, ISO 18013-5 mDL, the Document Verification Service and VEVO, so checks stand up to scrutiny.
Built to scale
From a single counter to a national fleet, the same platform grows with you through SDKs, APIs and batch processing.
People you can reach
A responsive support desk with full onboarding, deployment and training, not just a licence key.
Everything to verify an identity
Confirm the document, confirm the person, confirm their status, and connect it to your systems.
Validate documents
Recognise 6,000+ document types across 190+ countries, passports, licences, visas and national IDs, and check them for tampering.
Verify people
Match a live face to the document with biometrics and liveness, so the person presenting an ID is really its owner.
Confirm work rights
Automated VEVO visa checks for work, study and residency status, individually or in batches.
Connect to your systems
SDKs, a cloud REST API and batch processing move clean, verified data straight into your workflow.
One platform, built from many parts
Software, hardware and services that work on their own or together.
Document scanners
Thales document readers with visible, infrared and ultraviolet imaging and chip reading.
FoxID
AI-powered OCR that reads identity documents accurately, without templates.
mDL verification
Verify ISO 18013-5 mobile driver licences straight from the phone wallet.
eNRoL
No-code identity onboarding workflows for fast, remote verification.
Hub Manager
Monitor and manage every reader across every site from one hosted portal.
Biometrics
Facial recognition and liveness matching through our iProov partnership.
VEVO visa checks
Confirm Australian work, study and residency status automatically.
The people behind IDV Pacific
A small, experienced team spanning financial services, enterprise technology and security.
Peter Christie
Founded IDV Pacific in 2015 after 32 years in financial markets, latterly as Managing Director of global fixed income at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Tony Merlo
Co-founder with 25 years in IT across EDS, IBM and Coles Myer, and former chief executive of Melbourne software company Human Edge Software.
James Roberts
Joined in 2021 after 25 years as a partner in Big Four consulting, running technology and financial-services practices, most recently on AI and blockchain in New York.
Hamid Mohammadian
Leads product and application development, with a Master's in Information Technology from Monash University.
Himanshu Satav
Leads IT security and support, with a Master of Information Technology specialising in system security from Swinburne University.
Backed by the best in the field
We build on trusted technology partners and recognised standards.
We also work with TrustID (UK), Acuant and Regula.
Australian-based, close to our customers
Get in touch, or arrange a meeting at one of our locations.
Sydney
Head officeSuite 4.06, Level 4, 165-167 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Melbourne
VictoriaA Victorian presence supporting customers across the south. Contact us to arrange a meeting.
Frequently asked questions
The essentials about IDV Pacific.
IDV Pacific is an Australian company headquartered in Sydney, at Suite 4.06, Level 4, 165-167 Phillip Street, with a presence in Melbourne. We support customers across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
IDV Pacific is a specialized identity-verification partner scaling across Asia Pacific. Co-founded in 2015 by Peter Christie and Tony Merlo, the company secures digital ecosystems by combining advanced document validation, cutting-edge biometrics, and automated KYC/AML compliance solutions to mitigate fraud risk.
We validate identity documents, match faces with biometrics, and confirm work rights, so organisations can meet their VOI, KYC and AML obligations. We provide the software, the Thales hardware and the support to run it.
We are a Thales Gold Value-Added Reseller for document readers, and we work with iProov for biometrics, along with GBG and the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Banking and finance, gaming and hospitality, recruitment, real estate and conveyancing, automotive, education, government and security, from single sites to national fleets.
Call +61 (02) 8591 9031, email contact@idvpacific.com.au, or send the enquiry form on this page. Our team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Let's talk about your identity checks
Tell us what you verify and where. We will point you to the right mix of software, hardware and support, and show it working.
- An Australian company with Australian-based support
- Software and hardware under one roof
- From a single check to a national fleet
IDV Pacific Pty Ltd, ACN 601 516 367. Figures on this page are indicative and subject to confirmation.