To create seamless, future-proof experiences, the most effective strategy is to embed your services into systems and tools people already know and rely on.
Expecting users to download new apps, change devices, or abandon familiar workflows is not only unrealistic - it's a guaranteed way to lose adoption. Instead, the onus is on innovators, integrators, and developers to bring new capabilities into existing channels. For digital credentials, that means supporting multiple channels for presentation and verification.
Imagine walking into a shop that only lets you 'tap and pay' if you're using a certain type of phone. Or a website that only accepts one kind of payment card. You'd probably walk away—and rightly so, because the interaction is broken before it even begins. These limitations seem absurd in the world of payments. We expect inclusive, flexible experiences that work with whatever tool we already have in hand. Identity systems should be no different. If a digital credential can't be used in everyday workflows, its value and reach are immediately diminished.
The business value is clear: the more accessible your credential is, the more likely it is to be adopted and used. A single-channel approach (for example, only accepting a credential from a proprietary mobile app) immediately limits your reach. But when you offer multiple pathways that align with users' existing habits and devices, you significantly increase the likelihood of uptake. This improves not only the return on investment in digital credentialing infrastructure, but also the overall user experience, trust, and long-term success of your services.
What it takes to support multi-channel delivery and use
Delivering on multi-channel support means more than building good user interfaces. It requires a foundation of interoperable standards and an awareness of how wallet technologies are evolving across platforms.
To present, verify and accept digital credentials across various channels, issuers and solution providers must consider:
- Credential formats: Support ISO/IEC 18013-5 mobile driving licences (mDLs), and ISO/IEC 23220 mDocs and W3C Verifiable Credentials (VCs).
- Wallet compatibility: OEM wallets (e.g. Apple, Google and Samsung wallets), jurisdictional wallets (e.g. European Digital Identity Wallet), and purpose-built apps.
- Presentation protocols: Remote presentation standards such as ISO/IEC 18013-7 and W3C's Digital Credentials API, as well as proximity engagement protocols.
To reach the widest audience, relying parties must ensure that they can verify and accept credentials from many different wallet types and across various verification contexts. These include remote and in-person scenarios, as well as supervised and unsupervised settings. Crucially, verification should work in a consistent way regardless of which wallet or channel the credential was presented from, without needing separate integrations or workflows which increase friction and are expected to reduce conversions.
Making credentials work everywhere: The role of verification channels
The real value of digital credentials is unlocked when people can use their credentials easily and securely across a wide range of contexts. This is where verification channels become essential:
- App-to-app verification: Seamless same-device credential presentation between two native apps.
Example: A teenager tries to sign up for a social media app that requires proof of age to comply with online safety regulations. The app prompts the user to share a verified age credential stored in their mobile wallet. The wallet app and the social media app securely communicate on the same device, allowing the credential to be presented and verified instantly.
- App-to-web verification: Present a credential from a mobile wallet in response to a request on a desktop or mobile browser.
Example: A citizen wants to apply for unemployment benefits via a government website. On their desktop browser, they’re prompted to verify their identity. They scan a QR code using their mobile wallet, which presents a government-issued digital ID credential—securely linking their mobile identity to the web-based service.
- In-person verification: On-the-spot credential presentation from a mobile device to a separate reader or device.
Example: An employee enters a secure office building. At the entrance kiosk, they tap their phone on an NFC reader to verify their employee credential. The system confirms their access rights in real-time.
- Cross-wallet compatibility: Accept credentials from a variety of wallet types—OEM, regional, and open source.
Example: A traveller arrives at a car rental kiosk and is asked to present a mobile driver’s license (mDL) for identity and eligibility verification. The rental company’s system accepts mDLs from a wide range of digital wallets—including OEM wallets, regional government apps, and open-source wallet providers—so the customer can use whichever wallet they’ve chosen. This flexibility speeds up the check-in process and removes the need for physical documents.
- Support for the Digital Credentials API: This emerging W3C standard allows browsers to interact directly with mobile wallets, mitigating several UX and security issues.
Example: A user opens a bank account online. The banking website uses the Digital Credentials API to directly request a proof-of-age credential from the user’s mobile wallet. The browser communicates with the wallet natively, enabling a seamless verification flow with fewer redirects, improving UX and security.
To unlock the full potential of digital credentials, it’s essential to support verification across multiple channels. Limiting credentials to a single method, whether in-person only or tied to a specific wallet, can restrict reach and usability. By enabling a range of verification flows, you create more flexible, inclusive, and user-friendly experiences that meet people where they are.
Current landscape: What's possible now and what’s coming
At MATTR, we design our solutions to work across this complex and evolving landscape. Our platform supports:
Remote verification via the web:
Remote verification via native apps:
In-person verification (proximity):
Whether you're launching a credential in a single region or scaling globally, MATTR helps you verify and accept credentials wherever your users are - without locking you into one channel or platform.
Conclusion: build for flexibility, not friction
Multi-channel support isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s foundational for meaningful adoption. Supporting the wallets, devices and channels people already use removes friction, lowers barriers, and dramatically increases your reach. By enabling credential verification across diverse environments, you turn potential into real-world utility.
If you're planning a digital credential rollout, make multi-channel capability a core part of your strategy. It's how you deliver value - not just to your users, but to the entire ecosystem.
