Tag-Matching (tags, banned lists, etc)

Tags allow you to alert your staff when an individual requires special attention.

You may tag someone because they are a VIP customer, because they should not be allowed in your establishment (banned), because they are dangerous (call 911), because they should not be served alcohol (no alcohol), or any other reason, depending on your business.

What is Tag Matching?

Tags are linked to an individual based on information provided by the document scanned when the tag was first added. Now, this happens based on different details, depending on how the tag was added:

Added After a Scan:

The system records the ID number and the state, so it automatically recognizes the ID when it is scanned in the future and alerts staff.
If a device is connected to Sync, the tag is automatically added to the tag list for all devices connected to your Sync account. In this case, tag-matching becomes more versatile and follows the behavior listed under "Added Manually: CSV Import or Sync."

Added Manually: CSV Import or Sync

Manual entries and imports do not carry the state over, for which the system has to use other combination of data, which is categorized with two types of match:

Confirmed Match — the scanned person is highly likely to be the tagged person. Treat it as a real hit.
Possible Match — the scan could be the tagged person, but might not be. It's an alert to double-check, not a confirmation.

The Matching Rules

A match fires when the tag record and the scanned ID agree on one of these field combinations. The system checks all enabled rules; the strongest result wins (a Confirmed Match takes priority over a Possible Match).

Fields that match between tag and scan	Result	Why
First Name + Last Name + Date of Birth	Confirmed	Three identifiers align — very unlikely to be a different person.
ID Number + Last Name	Confirmed	ID number is unique to the person; last name corroborates it.
First Name + Last Name	Possible	Common names collide; no birth date or ID confirms identity.
Last Name + Date of Birth	Possible	Strong signal, but the first name isn't confirmed.
ID Number	Possible	ID matches but last name doesn't — possible re-issue, typo, or mismatch.

In short: a match is Confirmed when a birth date or ID number pins identity alongside the name. Everything else is Possible.

Adjusting Match Sensitivity

Each rule can be turned on or off in the portal under Edit Tag-Matching. Confirmed and Possible rules are toggled independently, so you can tune how aggressively the scanner alerts.
Note this type of tag-matching is not automatic, you must go to Settings >> Configuration >> Advanced >> Edit Tag Matching (most devices). Once there, you must select the combination of data you want the system to check for when an ID is scanned.

Note that combinations work as "either or," not as "and." This means that if you have "First Name & Last Name & Date of Birth" and "ID Number & Last Name" checked, the system will check for either one and if any of the two groups is a match, it will offer an alert. But if, for example, you want it to ONLY alert you when "ID Number & Las Name" are a match, you must only select that group.

The more groups selected, the more individuals may get matched with a tag.

This table could be useful to determine what to do:

Match rule (checkbox)	Category	When to turn it off
First Name & Last Name	Possible	The common-name fix. Turn off when you get false hits on names like Hernandez or Gonzalez — provided your records carry a DOB or ID (see prerequisite below).
Last Name & Date of Birth	Possible	Rarely needed. Only if two tracked people share a last name and birthday.
ID Number	Possible	Rarely needed. Only if re-issued IDs are causing noise.
First Name & Last Name & Date of Birth	Confirmed	Leave on. This is your most reliable rule.
ID Number & Last Name	Confirmed	Leave on.

Most common adjustment: false hits on common names

High-frequency last names trigger false alerts through the First Name & Last Name possible-match rule. Unchecking that rule stops two different people who share a name from alerting, while the DOB and ID rules keep catching genuine tags.

Prerequisite — read before changing it: this only keeps catching real tags if the records carry a DOB or ID. A ban added by name only, with no DOB, will stop matching once First+Last is off. Review the tag list and add a DOB (or ID) to name-only records — especially common-name entries — before or as you flip the setting.

Example
MARCO HERNANDEZ (DOB 07/15/1999) scans at the door and is flagged against a banned MARCO HERNANDEZ (DOB 03/01/1996) — two different people, same name. The alert fires on the First Name & Last Name rule, because the names match even though the DOBs differ. With that rule unchecked, this scan no longer alerts: First+Last+DOB doesn't match (different DOB), Last+DOB doesn't match, and the IDs differ. The genuinely banned Marco is still caught — his record's DOB or ID triggers a Confirmed Match when he scans.

What To Do With Each Result

Confirmed Match

Treat as a genuine hit. Follow your venue's policy for the tag's status (deny entry for a ban, VIP handling for a VIP, etc.).
A three-field or ID-plus-name overlap makes a false positive unlikely, but staff should still use normal judgment.

Possible Match

Don't assume it's the tagged person. Verify before acting.
Compare the ID in hand against the tag details — especially the field that didn't match (a different first name or birth date).
Clear it at the door when you can. Putting the tagged person's DOB and a distinguishing note in the tag note makes it visible on the alert, so staff can rule out a look-alike without leaving the door.

How Customer Tagging Works

Tagging flags any person you want to track and notifies you the moment their ID is scanned. Common tag types include Banned, VIP, Staff, Owes Money (with an amount in the note), Self-Excluded, Owner's Guest, and High Roller.

Tags can be added on an individual scanner or in the portal. With IDVisor Sync, a tag added on any scanner populates across every scanner on your network — ban someone at one door and every other device knows instantly.

Method	How it works	Good to know
Tag from a scan	Find an existing scan record and tag that person. Add a note with the reason, e.g. “Banned for fighting – 3/12/26.”	Links to their full scan history for review.
Tag by name only	Add someone who hasn't been scanned yet, using their name.	Add a DOB to avoid false hits on common names — optional but recommended.
Import a CSV list	Upload an existing banned list in bulk.	Not every field is required, but the file must have all 6 comma columns.
Edit or remove a tag	Update a note, change an expiration date, or remove the tag entirely.	Tags can auto-expire so they clear without manual removal.
Instant alerts	Set a text or email alert on any tag; staff are notified the moment it's scanned.	Alerts apply to the tag. Works across all doors and locations with Sync.
Matched tag report	Run a report of every flagged scan in any date range; filter by tag type, date, or location.	Useful for incident reviews, audits, and tracking repeat attempts.

Data Quality: Getting Matches Right
Matching can only use the fields actually present on a record. The tag list supports five fields:

Field	Notes
First Name	Used in confirmed and possible matching.
Last Name	The anchor field — appears in four of the five match rules.
Date of Birth (DOB)	Only drives matches if present on the record. Optional when tagging by name, but strongly recommended — it's what separates two people who share a name.
ID / Driver's License Number	Only drives matches if present on the record.
Status / Tag Type	The tag category (Banned, VIP, Staff, etc.). Determines the message and alert, not whether a match is made.

Key point: if DOB- or ID-based matching seems to be missing people, check whether those fields are populated. A rule can't match on a field that isn't there. Records created from a scan already carry this data; name-only and imported records may not — backfilling DOB/ID is the single highest-impact thing you can do for match accuracy.

Is it the Same for All Devices?

Though all devices are the same for Tags Added After Scan, some work slightly different for Tags Added Through CSV Imports.

IdentiFake:

You cannot edit tag-matching locally.
You can edit tag-matching in on the Sync portal (if subscribed to Sync).
You can import tags (instructions)

Agevisor Touch, POS, Contactless, Mini, AV2

You cannot edit tag-matching locally.
You can edit tag-matching in on the Sync portal (if subscribed to Sync).
You can import tags (instructions)

All Other Devices:

You can edit tag-matching locally. Just go to Settings >> Configuration >> Advanced >> Edit Tag Matching.
You can import tags. Instructions vary by device type:

Sync

You can import tags. Your tag list will affect all your connected devices (instructions)
You can edit tag-matching. Go to the top menu >> Settings >> Global Settings and scroll down to Advanced Settings >> Edit tag-matching and check the groups you want the system to match tags by