What's New in v1.0.33: In-Browser Video Verification for Mandate Setup

Released: 2025-07-14

With v1.0.33 we've shipped Step 5 of the mandate form: video verification. Tenants now record a short webcam video — directly in the browser, no plugins required — as part of setting up their Direct Debit mandate.

Why video verification?

A Direct Debit mandate authorises recurring debits from a tenant's bank account. That's a significant financial commitment, and the evidence trail around it needs to be robust. Signed terms and identity documents are important, but a live video statement adds a layer of proof that is difficult to dispute: the tenant, on camera, stating the amount, the property, and their name.

This protects both the letting agent (who can demonstrate informed consent in any dispute) and the tenant (whose explicit authorisation is recorded and time-stamped).

What happens during the step

When a tenant reaches Step 5 of the mandate form, they are asked to record a video of up to 60 seconds using their device's webcam. They state:

Their full name
The monthly Direct Debit amount
The property address

Before moving on, they get to review the recording and re-record if they're not happy with it. Only once they accept the recording does it get submitted.

How the upload works

The browser uploads the video directly to Tigris (our S3-compatible object store) using a presigned URL. The video never passes through the service API — this keeps the upload fast and keeps our infrastructure lean.

Once the upload completes, the mandate record is updated with the storage key and timestamp, so the evidence is permanently linked to the mandate.

Viewing recordings in the admin dashboard

Agents can view a tenant's video recording from the mandate detail view in the admin dashboard. It sits alongside the rest of the mandate evidence — payment details, bank details, and ID verification — giving a complete picture of the authorisation.

What's coming next

With Step 5 in place, the next steps in the mandate form are:

Step 6 — ID Verification: integration with a third-party identity verification provider
Step 7 — Right to Rent: applicable to property mandates
Step 8 — Confirmation: final review and submission

Stay tuned for further releases completing the end-to-end mandate flow.

Read the full technical details in the Video Verification feature docs or the Changelog.