IDnotify is a good service that does everything it advertises. We were happy with the features included in our subscription but underwhelmed when we found extra charges for a credit report and child-monitoring services.

If you’re in the market for a product that monitors and alerts you to changes regarding your identity and credit, IDnotify may be the service for you. We aren’t sure the price tag is worth it, though, and this may not be a great choice for everyone.

IDnotify review at a glance

IDnotify is a service that tracks and monitors your credit and identity. There are three plans, ranging from basic to family. The most basic service includes internet surveillance and a credit freeze as well as a few other basic features. The fully comprehensive protection plan covers everything from credit monitoring to a registered offenders list within your neighborhood. There are even family plans that include another adult and up to 10 children.

Once you really take a look at what the different IDnotify plans offer, you’ll see that the two cheaper plans don’t offer much. People looking for credit and identity monitoring are going to want the Premium Plan. Unfortunately, this comes with a $25.99/month price tag. It’s a little hefty for individuals or those who live paycheck to paycheck. We aren’t 100% sure this ID threat protection is worth it for many people.

People in high-profile positions, individuals whose sensitive data was recently involved in a leak, or people who need their personal information on the internet monitored closely, will likely benefit the most from this service. If you’re looking to use only one or two of IDnotify’s features, a quick internet search should help you find credit monitoring or data removal services at a low or no cost. Whatever you decide, there are plenty of options available.

IDnotify pros and cons

What does IDnotify protect against?

IDnotify is an ID monitoring and credit theft prevention guide. In addition to identity and credit monitoring, IDnotify offers a variety of features. They include but are not limited to:

• Internet surveillance to keep your identity from being used fraudulently
• Social Security number tracing
• Social network monitoring
• Alternative loan monitoring services for personal or payday loans
• Financial account takeover
• Court records and booking monitoring
• Lost wallet services such as canceling a card or flagging your bank account
• Change of address monitoring
• Identity theft monitoring and identity restoration
• Credit fraud
• Annual credit report from the three credit bureaus
• Children’s identity theft protection services
• Insurance to protect against identity theft losses

IDnotify features

IDnotify’s features are pretty standard for identity monitoring and credit services. Nothing really stands out as innovative or out of the box, but each of the features appears to work exactly as intended. If you want to monitor a minor to prevent child identity theft, you may be disappointed at the extra charge.

Additionally, there was an extra charge for an Experian credit report, even though we paid for the Premium service. We were also surprised to find there is no dark web monitoring offered. Otherwise, IDnotify is a service that does exactly what it says it does.

Credit monitoring

In the credit monitoring dashboard, you’ll see notifications about anything you may need to handle. Underneath are your credit scores from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. There are helpful facts on the sidebar where you can find answers to your questions.

If you click the “Report Ready” button on the right side, you’ll navigate to a page where you can order your report. Careful though — it does cost extra. We found that to be a little upsetting, considering we’d already paid for the service.

Credit reports and credit scores

Good credit can save you money, whether you’re looking to buy a new car or finance a vacation on credit cards. Your credit score can affect your interest rates, determine your ability to get new loans, and be the deciding factor in landing that perfect apartment. Keeping an eye on your credit will let you know if there’s a negative report or an opened account in your name, as well as other issues that can arise.

You’ll also be alerted to any fraudulent attempts to use your credit. Catching a delinquent account or a missed payment sooner rather than later will keep you in good standing. When credit issues are caught and corrected quickly, they won’t have time to impact your score.

Alerts

Each individual section of your dashboard will have alerts based on what that particular service offers. Below is the home screen of the dashboard with alerts for a few different services. When we checked them out, there wasn’t any suspicious activity in our portal. 

You can opt into different alerts all across the site which makes it customizable. For example, we asked IDnotify to monitor our Social Security number, which alerts us if anyone says that our SSN belongs with their name, address, or an alias.

Our experience with IDnotify

Installation and start-up were very easy. We paid, filled in our SSN and personal information, and then were immediately redirected to a scan. After the scan was completed, we were taken to the home screen of the dashboard. From there we were able to look around.

We found the service does exactly what it said it does. However, the language isn’t user-friendly, especially if you aren’t familiar with reading credit and identity monitoring documents, and it didn’t explain what we were looking at for each alert. We ended up dismissing most of them because we didn’t know what we were supposed to be looking at in each line item.

We did find the registered offenders section to be straightforward and helpful. There was a breakdown of each offender’s name, address, offense, and descriptions of what they look like. We went down a rabbit hole reading the reports on this section. Also, as a side note, we’re changing our workout route.

Does IDnotify keep your data safe?

You know we love a good privacy policy, and this is probably one of the best. It’s straightforward and uses plain language, and doesn’t violate your privacy. If IDnotify is going to share your information, it states in the privacy policy that you’ll be notified first. So all you need is a cookie or ad blocker to filter out the pixel tags and you’re safe.

To summarize, IDnotify collects the following information using these tools:

• Device information: IDnotify collects data about your devices, web browser, operating systems, preferences, settings, IP address, and geolocation. If you access the site using your cellphone, the company also collects data on your device ID, which mobile network you use, and your geolocation. IDnotify says this info is used to verify identities, track your movements on the site, and gather demographic information.
• Server logs: IDnotify uses logs to record your device info and how you interact with its site. These logs also help IDnotify's tech support to help you if you encounter a problem with the site.
• Cookies: IDnotify uses persistent and session cookies to recognize your device and store information about your account and site preferences. It also uses cookies to track analytics data.
• Pixel tags: Also known as web beacons or just pixels, these collect info about your activity over time and across different websites. IDnotify uses pixels to track what you do on its site, what links you click, and which pages you view. This data helps companies like IDnotify customize content, services, and products as well as prevent fraud.
• Software Development Kits (SDKs): IDnotify uses these to collect cellphone device info and geolocation. These also track your online movements and interactions and are used to verify your identity.

IDnotify compatibility

There is one IDnotify app in the Google Play store. It has 69 reviews with an average 2-star rating. Not the kind of app you’d want to download. Most reviews say it simply doesn’t work.

In the App store, there are two separate apps with the IDnotify logo; one is a virtual private network (VPN) app and the other is a safe browser. The VPN has 1 rating with 1 star and the browser has no ratings. Both apps are over 4 years old. Neither of these work with the online service. Overall, it seems like the IDnotify apps are sketchy at best. Downloading on either platform is likely not worth your time.

We didn’t find any information on browser compatibility.

IDnotify customer support

We didn’t need to contact customer support, but we did check it out. The support tab in the dashboard is for identity remediation or wallet services, not for your IDnotify account. If you need support with IDnotify itself, you can call the customer service phone number at (888) 883-1852 or send them an actual letter at:

IDnotify
1501 S. Mopac Expy, Suite 200
Austin TX, 78746

It’s odd that there’s no email support or online guides or forums. Usually, chatbots and emails are standard support options. Sometimes it’s easier to follow instructions when you can read through them. Unfortunately, your only support options are a call or a snail mail letter to support. The customer service number is available 24/7/365.

IDnotify prices and subscriptions

IDnotify offers three subscription options: the Essential Plan, Select Plan, and Premier Plan. 

The Essential Plan is the most basic of the three and comes with very little for the $9.99-per-month price tag. The Select Plan for $17.99 a month comes with a little more, but still lacks services we find essential, such as a monthly credit snapshot. 

The Premier Plan is the most expensive at $25.99 per month and includes all of IDnotify’s features for one person. If you want to add an additional adult or monitor your kids, that costs extra. Overall, IDnotify seems pricey for what you get, no matter which plan you choose.

If you don’t want to shell out this much for IDnotify, there are other identity monitoring services available, such as PrivacyGuard, which include kids at no additional cost. You also have the ability to set up many of these types of alerts through free services such as Credit Karma or the individual websites of the reporting bureaus — TransUnion or Equifax. 

Credit freezes and card replacements are available through your financial institutions and can be easy with a little pre-planning. However, if you’re looking for ID theft insurance you may need to purchase a subscription such as IDnotify.

IDnotify plans comparison

IDnotify FAQs

Bottom line: Is IDnotify good?

IDnotify is good at delivering on its promises. It’s also good at giving you a picture of your online presence and financial web. We did wish it outlined alerts and items in a clearer, more concise way. For the price tag, we should be able to understand what we’re looking at in every section.

We do think it’s a little pricey for one person. Additional charges for family and child protection, as well as credit reports, can add up quickly. The very least it could do would be to include the credit reports in the service you’ve already purchased. We will, however, give IDnotify credit for a pretty tight privacy policy.

Overall, if this is a service you’re specifically seeking out, IDnotify could be a good choice. We suggest shopping around and looking at paid services, such as PrivacyGuard or even utilizing Credit Karma’s free services. There are also other identity theft protection services that keep your private information safe and also provide recovery assistance. In the end, it’s up to you what service works best for your needs.

3.9

Learn More

On IDnotify's website

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IDnotify

• In-depth credit and identity monitoring
• Solid privacy policy
• Pricey — child protection plan costs extra

Author Details

Mary James

About the Author

Mary lives in Los Angeles and has been a cybersecurity writer for over five years. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, her career in online security began in sales and content creation for a private cybersecurity firm.