ID.me's preverified government-grade credentials

This points to a distribution advantage that most enterprise identity vendors do not have, a preverified user base. WorkOS and Stytch help apps plug into an employer’s existing login stack, but they usually start from whatever assurance the employer already has. ID.me starts with millions of people who have already cleared document, selfie, MFA, and sometimes human referee checks for government access, then lets that credential be reused across other relying parties.1 2 3 4 5

• ID.me’s wallet is built around one high assurance verification that can be reused later. By December 2025 it reported 157 million total users and 80 million verified to federal IAL2 standards, with use across 20 federal agencies and 45 states. That is much closer to a portable credential network than a normal enterprise SSO connector.1 2
• Typical enterprise SSO products solve app access, not identity proofing. WorkOS focuses on SAML, OIDC, directory sync, and admin tooling so a company can connect Okta or Microsoft Entra to its software. Stytch similarly helps apps add SSO, SCIM, passkeys, and fraud checks. Neither is built around a reusable government grade credential already held by the employee.3 4
• That makes HR and benefits workflows a natural wedge. ID.me already supports employment related attribute cards, employee status checks, and wallet reuse across organizations. In payroll changes, retirement access, and benefits enrollment, the valuable step is proving the person is really the employee, not just that they know a password or can answer knowledge based questions.1 2 5

The next step is for workforce identity to split into two layers. Incumbent SSO remains the pipe into apps, while higher assurance credential providers handle the moments where the company needs to know the human behind the login. If ID.me turns its government and healthcare footprint into a standard for employee and benefits verification, it moves from consumer access tool to trust layer for regulated work and money workflows.1 3 4 5