inDrive’s unique ride-hailing app optimizes user authentication with Twilio Verify
Time to read: 3 minutes
Challenge
inDrive wanted to implement scalable seamless user authentication.
Solution
inDrive uses Verify and Fraud Guard to increase OTP conversion rate with out-of-the-box user authentication API.
How did a social media group for exchanging rides in a remote town in Siberia start a revolution in mobility and grow to become the world’s second most downloaded ride-hailing app? Now in 749 cities in 46 countries, inDrive’s journey to success has been quite a ride. There may have been a few bumps along the road, but inDrive’s commitment to empowering both drivers and passengers has been a huge factor in their tremendous growth.
By focusing on transparency, fairness, and technological innovation, inDrive has created its own lane in an industry previously dominated by just a few key players. It didn’t stop there either. inDrive is quickly picking up pace in other segments of mobility and beyond: from courier delivery, to on-demand services, to lending with inDrive.Money, it’s quickly becoming the go-to app for everyday urban service needs around the world.
When it comes to ride-hailing, passengers enjoy the liberty of setting their own prices for rides, ensuring they reach their destinations at the most economical rates. Meanwhile, drivers appreciate the flexibility to accept or counter-offer passenger fares, and even examine the destination before accepting a transport, all without feeling pressured.
It’s a win-win for both but only if the passengers are real.
The ride-hailing industry has a fair share of fraud to deal with, specifically when it comes to fake user accounts. Recognizing the need for robust authentication solutions, inDrive sought out Twilio Verify to accelerate and strengthen its authentication process.
Building customer trust with comprehensive verification
For passenger authentication, inDrive began with a pragmatic approach, leveraging the ubiquity and reliability of phone numbers and SMS messages.
Lev Fedorov, Senior Project Specialist at inDrive, emphasizes the importance of leveraging reliable authentication methods to verify both passengers and new drivers swiftly and securely. With the company's focus on flexibility and transparency, Lev and his team strive to make the authentication process as frictionless as possible, minimizing clicks.
“For passengers, we try to make it as fast as possible. We use the phone number as the main authentication method because everyone has a phone number.”
How do you make verification frictionless? inDrive started taking their pragmatic approach to new places, and new channels, making the authentication journey easier than ever.
Going global with best-in-class authentication
After discovering Twilio through industry publications, inDrive was immediately drawn to Twilio’s reputation as a well-established global company. Looking to add a new global provider and introduce Whatsapp messaging, inDrive participated in a WhatsApp pilot project for OTP messaging that showcased Twilio's commitment to global innovation. This trial solidified Twilio as a trusted partner in inDrive's mission for enhanced authentication methods.
Twilios’s track record of delivering reliable service surpassed expectations, prompting inDrive to explore further by including Twilio Verify. Today, inDrive uses Twilio Verify for SMS OTP verification not only to streamline its authentication flow but also to fortify security and reliability across its global user base.
“We looked for the best provider in the industry and we found Twilio.”
Streamlining verification with reliable OTP messages
Verify’s reliability and deliverability prove invaluable, particularly in regions where stringent regulations require sender ID registration. According to Lev, sometimes there are issues when registering a sender ID in some countries. He says: “When registering the Sender ID takes some time, we can use Verify right away because Twilio sends from their own sender ID or from their own phone number.”
By using Verify, inDrive reduces concerns regarding message deliverability, allowing for uninterrupted delivery of OTP messages. The outcomes are compelling; inDrive achieves an impressive average success rate of 89%, with SMS and WhatsApp synergizing to deliver optimal deliverability at the most competitive cost for user authentication.
“Yes, Verify is very useful, it just does the job and we don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Verify Fraud Guard to the rescue
In the last few years, fraudsters have taken advantage of SMS OTP user flows with a new kind of fraud - SMS pumping fraud, also known as artificially inflated traffic (AIT). In 2023, inDrive began using Verify Fraud Guard as one of the tools to protect against SMS pumping fraud. With an overall successful blocking rate of 96%, inDrive avoided acquisition dollars spent sending OTPs to take users who would never convert.
Fraud Guard is a free feature included with Twilio Verify that proactively blocks suspicious SMS traffic. When it detects anomalies in SMS traffic , Fraud Guard automatically blocks the prefix of the destination of the suspected fraud, without needing to block an entire country.
This robust fraud detection and prevention feature, powered by Twilio’s SMS Pumping Fraud detection innovative solutions, reinforced inDrive's dedication to maintaining the integrity and security of its platform, ultimately establishing trust and confidence among its users.
“We were able to detect relatively big numbers of suspicious behavior related to SMS Pumping Fraud being blocked by Verify Fraud Guard”
Delivering innovative mobility solutions the whole world can trust
inDrive recently expanded into the US and the company’s growth is just starting to rev up. Lev states: “We're excited about expanding in the United States. Right now, we're operating in South Florida, and hope to expand to more cities in the near future.”
While SMS remains the most popular way to authenticate, inDrive continues to explore other channels like WhatsApp, and even Voice, to make verification more seamless.
The future of ride hailing is flexible, transparent, and fair for everyone. But you don’t have to wait. inDrive and Twilio will get you there today.
