Asking for Id

Sorry, ID as in identification? I’m not sure why I’d ask for that from my photographer before paying them. Or ID with a different meaning?

It could make sense to ask for ID or some confirmation of the business or person doing photography when making a downpayment to someone you don't know. When paying money for future services, there is a risk involved.

What particular reason do you have for needing their ID?

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Yes, Any confirmation because when we are paying down payment

View Quoted Comment Those payments are usually made online. Are you asking for them to email a picture of their ID?

I don’t really see a reason to ask for ID. You are entering into a contract with a business, not necessarily a person (even if the business is only made up of that one person). And if I were a vendor, I would likely be wary of showing my ID, which shows my personal home address (as opposed to a business address) to a bunch of strangers. As a previous poster said, most payments are made online. Otherwise, if they are made with a paper check, you should still get a receipt, as well as have the contract stating what is owed when, so if there are concerns, there is an established paper trail. I’m not quite sure what seeing the person’s drivers license or whatever would do for the one securing these services.

View Quoted Comment Confirmation of what? If you’re concerned whether the business is legitimate, I wouldn’t be signing a contract with them. I don’t think seeing a driver’s license is going to confirm anything relevant.

Your vendors should have insurance and are bonded. Your contract should say who you are dealing with and thus, an ID is unnecessary. I would only give my ID to security pros as part of entry into a federal building, or with my own job's HR for tax purposes.

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Yes, Exactly!

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I want to verify the authenticity of this person since some individuals tend to scam their clients after receiving a downpayment.

View Quoted Comment Seeing their ID isn’t going to help with that. You care about the authenticity of the company, not the person.

I would think you’d be better off looking for a reputable vendor with recommendations and references in the first place.

View Quoted Comment If you don't trust the vendor, why book them? Read their reviews on Google, Yelp, and social media, meet with them before signing or paying anything, and use your gut feeling as your best judgement on whether to book them. How would seeing their ID help you? It's not common, but people can fake IDs. The biggest thing to make sure of is to always, always, always sign a legal contract with them before giving them any amount of money. The contract would be your biggest form of defense in case they try to scam you.