Verification Process

Velvet Haven is adults only. This page describes exactly how an applicant is checked before any member access is granted.

Current provider status

A live identity provider account is not connected to this environment yet. Until it is connected, the verification step runs in the provider's sandbox/test mode: it demonstrates the flow and the resulting states but performs no real identity or age verification and produces no real ID check. Sandbox outcomes are never presented to members or reviewers as genuine verification. When the live provider account is connected, the identical flow performs a real government-ID and selfie check with no change to these rules.

1. Verified email sign-in

Every applicant signs in with a one-time link sent to their email address. Only someone with access to that inbox can sign in, so the account email is confirmed before an application can begin.

2. 18+ confirmation — an initial gate only

Applicants confirm they are 18 or older at the start. This is a warning gate, nothing more. Ticking the box, or typing an age into a form, never counts as age verification and never unlocks any member access.

3. Private legal identity details

The application collects legal first, middle and last name, date of birth, and current residential address. These are private verification details used for identity checking, safety and fraud prevention. They are never shown on a member profile. Public profiles show age, never the exact date of birth.

4. Hosted government-ID and selfie check

Identity and age are checked by an independent verification provider inside the provider's own hosted flow, using a government-issued photo ID plus a selfie, liveness and face-match check where supported. The applicant-supplied name and date of birth are compared against the provider's result where the provider supports it. Velvet Haven never receives or stores the ID image, the selfie, the document number or biometric data.

5. Results come back to the backend only

The verification outcome is delivered to our backend directly by the provider. No browser, and no user, can set verification to passed. We store only the minimum result: a provider reference, status, whether the confirmed date of birth shows the person is at least 18, the verified age, whether the name matched, attempt counts, reason codes and timestamps.

6. Under 18 blocks the application immediately

If the provider's confirmed date of birth shows the person is under 18, the application is blocked on the spot. They cannot submit, cannot browse, cannot message, and cannot activate a paid membership. A safety record of the block is kept without retaining unnecessary identity material.

7. Failed attempts and the three-attempt pause

A failed check does not approve anyone. Each failure increments an attempt counter. After three failed attempts verification pauses automatically and the case goes to administrative review instead of allowing further retries.

8. Profile photo moderation is separate

Dating profile photos are reviewed separately from identity verification. A government ID image is never used as a profile photo. Photos must clearly show the applicant, must not be stolen or impersonating anyone, must not be sexual or exploitative, and must not place minors in inappropriate contexts. Photos may be rejected or removed.

9. Administrative review before activation

Staff review the completed application, verification result, profile answers, photos and any safety flags. Approval is not possible while verification has not passed, and is blocked outright when the result is under-18. Applications move through submitted, under review, then approved, waitlisted or declined.

10. Nothing unlocks until approval

Until an application is approved, browsing other members, messaging and activating the $25 per month membership all stay locked. If a verification state is unknown, or the provider is unavailable, access stays closed.

What we do not claim

Velvet Haven does not perform criminal-record or sex-offender background screening. Identity verification and criminal background screening are different things, and we do not claim to do the latter.