Trust and Safety: Cards, Identity Verification, and Borrowing Limits

myTurn provides options to help your organization secure the return of items, verify users' identities, and manage how much inventory a user can borrow. You can use these options together and set different requirements by Membership Type.

This article gives admins an overview of the available options. Online identity verification and Reputation are currently available in closed beta.

Require a card on file

A card on file gives your organization a payment method to charge for items that are not returned or for other costs covered by your policies. Requiring a saved card can help secure the return of items. A saved card does not guarantee that a future charge will succeed.

Card requirements use myTurn's Stripe payment integration. You can set an organization default to require users to save a payment method when purchasing a membership. You can override that default for individual Membership Types at Settings > Customers > Membership Types.

You can also require a card on file for reservations and self-checkout through their respective settings. Review these requirements together so they match how users borrow from your organization.

For payment setup, see Accept Credit/Debit Cards and Online Payments with Stripe.

Choose card security options

Go to Settings > Financial > Card Security to configure additional card checks. These options require a connected Stripe account.

Block prepaid cards for securing items

Enable Block Prepaid Cards for Securing Items if you require a credit or debit card to secure item access. When enabled, prepaid cards and cards with an unknown card type cannot be saved as the payment method on file for this purpose. An existing card of either type does not satisfy the card-on-file requirement.

Use temporary card holds

The Place a temporary hold on the card at checkout option checks whether the card can cover the required amount before checkout or payment proceeds. A temporary hold is also called a pre-authorization.

You can base the hold on Usage cost or Item replacement value. The settings also let you set minimum and maximum amounts, a value for items without a replacement value, and what to do when the calculated amount is zero. You can customize the messages users and admins see.

A hold is temporary. Any amount actually owed is collected from the hold, and the unused amount is released. The hold is not kept for the full loan. Enabling holds also verifies cards when users save or replace them.

Verify users' identities

Identity verification records that a user has met your organization's identity requirement. You can require verification before borrowing at Settings > Customers > Identity Verification. Individual Membership Types can use the organization default or override it.

Manual verification

Admins can check a user's ID in person and record the result in myTurn. After completing the check, select Manually Verify Identity in the user's Identity Verification section. Admins can also verify identity during checkout.

Manual verification records that the check was completed. It does not store a copy of the user's ID in myTurn. You can use manual verification without an online provider.

Online verification (closed beta)

Online verification lets users complete an identity check through a configured third-party provider. The current integration is Didit.me. Depending on the workflow, you set up the check can include a government ID and a matching selfie.

Your organization configures the provider on the Identity Verification settings page. Identity document images and selfies remain with the provider. myTurn records the verification result and related status information.

If verification is required, an unverified member must normally complete it before borrowing. Authorized admins can make an explicit checkout override. The override is recorded and does not mark the user's identity as verified.

See Manage user access: suspension, deactivation, identity verification, and reputation.

Limit the number and value of items users can borrow

Membership Types let you set borrowing limits for different groups of users. Go to Settings > Customers > Membership Types and edit the relevant type.

Use Maximum Number of Items Checked Out to set how many items a user can have out at one time. Use Limit Total Value of Checked Out Items to set a value limit. Admin checkout warns when limits are exceeded and allows an override.

For value limits, first choose the item value fields at Settings > Loans & Reservations > Loans. You can use Replacement Cost, Historical Cost, or Custom Value. If you enable more than one field, myTurn uses the first field with a value in your configured order. Items without a value in any enabled field count as zero.

Member reservation carts prevent submission when the reservation exceeds the user's value limit. Each reservation is checked separately. Its value check does not combine the reservation with existing loans or other reservations.

See Limit Total Value of Items Checked Out by Membership Type.

Use borrowing history to adjust value limits with Reputation (closed beta)

Reputation lets your organization offer different borrowing value limits as users build a history of returns.

The standard reputation levels are:

Member: The starting level.
Trusted: A level users can earn through positive borrowing history.
Rebuilding Trust: A level for users rebuilding their history after a demotion from Trusted or an admin adjustment.

Your organization can customize the displayed level names. On-time and late returns can affect reputation according to your settings. Admins can review a user's reputation history and make adjustments.

When Reputation is enabled, you can set a different value limit for each reputation level within a Membership Type. For example, you can give new users a lower limit and allow Trusted users to borrow higher-value items. If a level has no separate limit, the Membership Type's default value limit applies.

Reputation changes borrowing value limits. It does not suspend a user or prevent login. Admin borrowing workflows still display value-limit warnings that admins can override.

For details and information about joining the beta, see Reputation: Closed Beta — Accepting New Organizations.

Restrict borrowing when an issue needs attention

If a user must stop borrowing until an issue is resolved, use Suspend User. Suspension prevents new borrowing and reservations while preserving login and return access. Identity verification and reputation do not replace suspension.

Record identifying information for your inventory

Record the manufacturer's Serial Number in the item record whenever the item has one. A make and model describe a type of item. The serial number helps identify your specific copy among many identical items.

Record the serial number separately from the item ID you use for inventory and checkout. Keep the serial number with the record for that specific copy, even when interchangeable copies belong to the same Grouping.

Keep useful supporting information, including:

The manufacturer and model.
Photos of the item, its serial number, and any distinctive markings.
Date Purchased.
Provider, which you can use to record where the item was purchased.
Purchase cost and replacement value, when known.

If an item is lost or stolen, include its serial number and other identifying information in the police report and any insurance claim. These details can help police identify a recovered item. They can also support an insurance claim by documenting which item your organization owned and its value.