IDnotify Review 2024: Identity and Privacy Protection for a Price

IDnotify does everything it advertises, but we don't feel it's the best identity theft protection, especially considering the price. We felt it lacked features like bank and home title monitoring. While it does provide you with financial alerts connected to your social security number (SSN), you can't link a specific bank or credit card account.

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 pros and cons

Review at a glance

Price	$9.99–$25.99/mo
Number of people covered	Up to 2 adults and 10 children
Types of identity monitoring	SSN, credit, account takeover, address change
Identity theft insurance	Up to $1 million
Credit monitoring	Yes
Credit reports	Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Credit score	Yes
Identity restoration services	Yes
Extras	Dark web & social media monitoring
24/7 support	Yes

Our experience

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 do with 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.

Overall, this service is hands-off and doesn't offer as much as other ID theft services we've tested. If IDnotify was less expensive, we'd recommend it for anyone looking for a service without all the frills, but it charges close to or more than competitors for fewer features.

Who is it best for?

• 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 want 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. If you're looking for a service with a lot of bells and whistles, IDnotify is not it. Whatever you decide, there are plenty of options available.

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.

What does it 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

Identity monitoring

You'll find a lot of basic monitoring features in the identity monitoring dashboard. Standard areas like SSN, credit, court records, account takeover, and other basic features are all offered. While this is comprehensive, it's also the bare minimum you should accept from an ID theft protection service.

If you use IDnotify, your identity will be monitored, but you may not get as much out of it as you would with other services. Since the offerings are so basic, we're surprised at the price tag. A few years ago, when we reviewed ID theft protection services, IDnotify was reasonably priced. The competitors have since caught up. IDnotify is now behind regarding features and is priced higher than it should be for what it offers.

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 alias.

Identity restoration services

IDnotify isn't as forthcoming about its restoration services as its competitors. Within your portal, there are a handful of items it tells you may count, but then it tells customers to contact the support line as soon as possible. When you contact the support line, there's a recorded voice telling you that you may not be a victim of identity theft. After you navigate the limited but frustrating automatic recording, you'll wait for a live agent. We tried this and hung up after 20 minutes of being on hold. Not the best option.

Bonus features

The most you'll get in the realm of bonus features are dark web and social media monitoring. There's no additional security products like antivirus, a VPN, or a password manager. Considering most competitors are offering some additional features and fun extras, this makes IDnotify less valuable in our opionion.

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.

The Apple app is actually worse, with a rating of 1.3 stars. We suggest staying away from the apps as neither seems to be very good.

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 email, 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 aren't any online guides or forums. Usually, chatbots and FAQs are standard support options. Sometimes, it’s easier to follow instructions when you can read through them. Unfortunately, your only support options will take a while. When we called support, we spent awhile trying to get through the automated system before spending 20 minutes on hold without ever actually talking to someone. The customer service number is available 24/7/365, but it might take you awhile to get through.

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 price tag. The Select Plan 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 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.

IDnotify plans comparison

Plan	IDnotify Essential	IDnotify Select	IDnotify Premier
Who’s covered	1 adult	1 adult	1 adult
Credit lock
Identity restoration services
Social media account alerts
Identity theft insurance		Up to $1 million	Up to $1 million
Credit monitoring
Credit reports		Yes — Experian	Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Social Security Number monitoring
USPS address change alerts
Financial activity alerts
VantageScore
Dark web alerts
Home title monitoring

Top alternatives

IDnotify FAQs

Bottom line: Is IDnotify good?

IDnotify is good at delivering on its promises, but we don't feel it promises a lot. 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. 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.