Internet firms ask for Aadhaar number to provide services

• Internet companies like Amazon, Zoomcar and other are now making Aadhaar mandatory for customers to avail of their services.
• Amazon has asked customers to upload their Aadhaar numbers to track lost packages.
• Amazon mentioned it was a necessary means of authenticating customer identity.

Aadhaar (the 12-digit unique identity number of an Indian citizen) is all set to made compulsory by internet companies for the customers to avail their services. Customers are being asked by Amazon to upload their Aadhaar number to track lost packages, while Zoomcar (Bengaluru-based car rental platform) has said it won’t take bookings from customers without Aadhaar as proof of identity.



As stated by a spokesperson from Amazon, “it was a necessary means for authenticating customer identity”. “We ask customers to submit a government- certified ID. Since, Aadhaar is the most widely held so we made the document a mandatory one to avail services said by an Amazon India spokesperson mentioned.

Whereas Zoomcar, is making no exceptions and has made Aadhaar a mandatory document to avail services, without which users in north India and Vijayawada cannot proceed with vehicle booking. It started insisting on Aadhaar in June and will extend it to users pan India in a month.



“Aadhaar has the best API integration, the latest documents are getting linked with bank accounts. If you have an Aadhaar card, you have the KYC (know your customer) sorted,” said a Zoomcar representative. The company, founded in 2013, operates in 27 cities as of now.

Mobile wallet Paytm has also requested users to link their Aadhaar details with their Paytm account. Cab aggregators Uber and Ola are also looking at ways to integrate the very important Aadhaar into their platforms. Currently, Aadhaar is compulsory for consumers to get government subsidies, operate a bank account, and get a SIM or phone connection. As per the new government rule, all the people are required to link their Aadhaar number to existing bank accounts by the end of this year.