Fewer copies lying around
ID scans stop collecting in inboxes, WhatsApp chats, desktop folders and printer trays where nobody remembers to delete them.
ID document copies
Ask for ID copies only when you need them, and delete them on schedule
Often you only need to see an ID, not keep a copy. When a copy really is necessary, Sunset Docs lets customers upload it through a link instead of email or chat. Your team checks a watermarked preview, and the copy is deleted on the date you set.
No card required. Up to 10 received files.
How it works
From request to deletion
- Decide whether you need a copy at allCheck the document in person or note the details you need. Ask for a copy only where a law or a clear purpose requires it, and tell the customer why.
- Let the customer prepare itPoint customers to the free watermark tool so they can add your name, the purpose and the date, and cover fields you do not need.
- Receive it through your upload linkNo account and no app. The copy goes into your workspace instead of a staff mailbox or a phone gallery. A short deletion date, such as 24 hours or 7 days, is set on arrival.
- Check the preview, then let it expireStaff see a watermarked page image, never the original file by default. Opens, prints and downloads are logged, and the copy is deleted on schedule.
A watermark on every view
Your team reviews page images with a visible watermark. It discourages reuse and makes a leaked screenshot traceable, although it cannot prevent one.
Deletion you do not have to remember
Each copy has a deletion date from the moment it arrives. The original, previews, keys, file name and sender details are removed.
Who it is for
Businesses that sometimes need a copy of a customer's identity document and do not want to keep it longer than the task: letting agents and landlords, gyms, car and van rental, hotels and holiday rentals, recruiters and staffing agencies, financial advisers and insurance brokers, and print shops that receive IDs to print forms.
The idea is simple. Ask less often, receive the copy in one place, look at it once, and let it go.
Showing is not the same as copying
The GDPR requires personal data to be "adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary" for the purpose. For an ID, that often means looking at the document and noting one or two details. Regulators across Europe say the same thing in their own way:
| Country | What the authority or law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Accommodation businesses may not ask guests for a copy of their ID or passport; collecting the required data does not authorise a copy | AEPD, June 2025 |
| Germany | An ID card may be copied only by the holder or with their consent, the copy must be clearly recognisable as a copy, and others may not pass it on | Section 20(2) PAuswG |
| Italy | Hotels must erase or destroy ID copies once guest details have been sent to the police | Garante, April 2026 |
| Netherlands | Only some organisations may ask for a copy; others, such as telecom providers, may copy an ID but must cover the photo and citizen service number | Rijksoverheid |
This table is a starting point, not legal advice. Your sector may have its own rules, and some, such as anti-money-laundering law, require a copy.
When you do need a copy
Ask the customer to watermark it first. A diagonal line such as "Copy for Acme Rentals, tenancy check, 10 October 2026" makes the copy less useful to anyone else. Our free ID watermark tool runs in the browser, so the image is not uploaded anywhere. Customers can also cover fields you do not need, such as the document number or the photo when it is not relevant.
Then send them your upload link rather than asking for email or WhatsApp. Customers upload from a phone without an account. The copy lands in your workspace with a deletion date, not in a personal mailbox, a chat backup or a shared phone.
How your team handles it
Staff open the submission and see a watermarked page image in the browser. The original file is not sent to the browser unless the workspace owner allows original download, and every download is logged. Printing is logged too, and the owner decides whether printed copies carry the watermark.
When the check is done, delete the submission. If nobody does, it is deleted on its date: 1, 8 or 24 hours, or 7, 30 or 90 days on every plan. Deletion removes the original, previews, temporary print files, keys, file name and sender details. Encrypted database backups expire within 30 days, not instantly.
What it does not do
- It does not verify identity or detect forged or altered documents.
- It does not make your process legal. You decide whether you may ask for a copy.
- It cannot delete the copy from the customer's phone or a file your team downloaded.
- A watermark discourages and traces reuse. It does not stop someone photographing a screen.
Checklist before you ask for an ID copy
- Write down the purpose and the rule that requires a copy, if any.
- If seeing the document is enough, do not ask for a copy.
- Tell the customer what to cover and what to write on the watermark.
- Send your upload link, not an email address or phone number.
- Set the shortest deletion date that fits the check.
- If you must keep the copy, file it where your procedures say before it expires.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to ask customers for a copy of their ID?
It depends on your country and your reason. Data protection law expects you to collect only what you need, and several regulators say that seeing the document is usually enough. Some laws, such as anti-money-laundering rules, do require a copy. Check the rule that applies to you before you ask.
Will Sunset Docs verify that the ID is genuine?
No. Sunset Docs does not verify identity or detect forged documents. It is a temporary inbox that shows your team a watermarked preview. Identity checks remain part of your own process.
What if we are legally required to keep the copy?
Keep it in the system your procedures name, not in Sunset Docs. The workspace owner can allow original download, which is logged, so a team member can file the copy before the deletion date.
Can customers send us a copy they already watermarked or redacted?
Yes. A copy with your name, the purpose and the date written across it is exactly what you want. Accept it unless the law you rely on requires an unaltered copy.
Can we collect ID copies of children?
Not by default. Children's data, health data, criminal records, full card numbers and passwords are outside what the service is designed for.
Is WhatsApp or email fine if the customer prefers it?
Both leave copies on the customer's phone, in chat backups and in your team's devices or mailboxes. The upload link keeps your side to one place with a deletion date. Sunset Docs also accepts email to your workspace address, but the customer's sent copy stays in their mailbox.
Set up your sensitive document inbox
Start with a document inbox that accepts files through an upload portal or dedicated email address, with automatic deletion for every new submission.
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