Setting up customer portal

[ArchiveMe]

Hi,

I need to set up a customer portal on out website and need some advice as to how to let customers sign themselves up.

We have over 600 customers so I need them to be able to do it themselves online.

Does anybody have any best practice ideas as to how to ensure the validity of the customer?

They will have invoices and use any details of them to identity themselves but I don't think that's enough (somebody else could have got hold of it...)
This could be combined with a code from a mail-shot?

I would welcome any thoughts.

Thanks

 

[ecenica]

One common method is to verify the user using their email address.

They sign up using an email address. You match the email address to the one on your list, and then send a verification email to the address asking them to confirm details.

Failing this you could, as you say, post out a security code after they've signed up. They would then go back to your portal and enter the code.

This is similar to how the banks handle their online systems.

Rich

 

[Oakley7]

Something like this will do what you want:

How to implement email verification for new members

 

[mit74]

emails are too easy to setup. You can do a SMS message to their phone and they enter a number to confirm the number.

 

[ArchiveMe]

Hadn't though of emails - obvious really (we don't have mobile numbers so couldn't do it that way) but think thats the best way to go.
Thanks for the help all - I'll get right on it!

 

[ecenica]

Hadn't though of emails - obvious really (we don't have mobile numbers so couldn't do it that way) but think thats the best way to go.
Thanks for the help all - I'll get right on it!

No worries. Pleased to help. No system is ever 100% secure, but emails are as good as any and a cost effective method to implement. By design they're unique and sufficiently secure to validate the user. Eg username and password.

Let us know how you get on.

Rich