Less than half of UK consumers are comfortable with the idea of using digital ID cards and wallets, despite a concerted effort by the UK Government to introduce more digital ID measures in the near future.

Fintech firm Checkout.com’s latest report, Trust in the Digital Economy 2025, has revealed that only 42% of UK respondents are comfortable with the idea of an internationally recognised digital ID wallet, lower than in countries like Spain (43%), New Zealand (46%), China (52%), Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (both 71%).

Added to that, fewer than half of UK respondents (49%) believe digital IDs will become a foundation for future payment methods, with just 45% of Brits saying they would trust online transactions more with ID verification.

Trust in government is also particularly low among UK consumers, with just 44% comfortable with the idea of authorities storing extra biometric data, while nearly one in four (23%) fear that the widespread adoption of digital IDs could even make the internet a more dangerous place.

Checkout.com’s data backs up that of other studies, including that from Juniper Research, which recently found that only 53% of British voters supported the introduction of digital IDs.

Combined, these findings undermine the UK Government’s push to put more digital ID measures in place, beginning with the long-awaited GOV.UK Wallet, an app which will allow for the storing of official documents on a smartphone that can be used for identity verification.

The Wallet could be used to access services and documents like digital passports, veterans cards and driver’s licences, promised for later this year, making use of security features built into smartphones, including facial recognition checks to make these digital documents more secure.

Earlier this year, the UK’s technology secretary, Peter Kyle, touted the benefits of digital IDs for the UK public, claiming that those using the Wallet would find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits, check their age when buying alcohol, and make interacting with public services much easier.

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However, the technology that underpins the government’s Wallet project, and by extension impacts the debate surrounding the introduction of digital IDs in the UK, has recently come under increased scrutiny.

Last month, Computer Weekly revealed that the Government Digital Service had been warned by both the Cabinet Office and the National Cyber Security Centre that the One Login digital identity system – the backbone of the UK’s digital ID infrastructure – suffers from ‘serious data protection failings’, potentially heightening the risk of data breaches and identity theft.

Meanwhile, the Open Rights Group has also warned that another of the government’s digital ID schemes, the e-Visa initiative, could lead to a digital Windrush scandal where people who have the right to be in the UK are unable to prove it, with potentially life-changing consequences.