Wayfair · KYB / KYC verification · 6 months

Compliance & fraud

20% fewer illegitimate applications in 90 days, without blocking real suppliers.

KYC identity verification with QR handoff · final design

Role: Product designer, KYB and KYC end to end
Timeline: 6 months, phased rollout
Partners: Compliance, fraud, operations, legal, engineering, vendors
Platform: Web, with mobile ID capture

−20%: illegitimate applications in 90 days
−5%: fraud incidents in 90 days
Adopted: Design Jam became an XD team practice

The problem

Fraud was getting through the front door.

Manual checks let fraudulent suppliers through, while real suppliers struggled with unclear requirements.

The approach

Two kinds of trust need two different checks.

I proposed a phased rollout: verify the business first (KYB), then the person behind it (KYC). I kicked off with a Design Jam so engineering shaped the solution from day one.

FigJam board from the KYB Design Jam with flows and sticky notes from the cross-functional kickoff — The KYB Design Jam board

Whiteboard mapping the business and identity verification flow — Mapping the flow with engineering, legal and vendors

The decision

Make every required check finishable.

Every extra step costs suppliers. Every skipped check costs trust.

I chose: Explaining why each check exists, and moving ID capture to the phone
I gave up: Fewer checks for a faster flow
Why: Verification only works if real suppliers finish it

Concept: Start selling on Wayfair with verification steps — Start selling on Wayfair

Concept: Complete your identity verification, with what to expect — Complete your identity verification

Concept: Not a Wayfair partner yet, with three onboarding steps — Not a Wayfair partner yet?

Concept: Verify your identity, with preparation tips — Verify your identity

What shipped

Region-specific forms, real-time feedback and a QR handoff to the phone.

Phase 1 verified the business. Phase 2 verified the person, with ID capture on the device suppliers already had.

KYB step 1 form asking for the registered business name and address, with a four-step progress bar — KYB step 1 · final design

KYB form with the business registration number field magnified — Region-specific business details

Supplier scanning a QR code on a laptop with their phone to verify their identity — QR handoff · ID capture moves to the phone

Reflection

Explain the why, and people finish.

Explaining why each check existed did more than any screen. Design Jam, the kickoff workshop I started on KYB, was adopted as an XD team practice.