SwissPass

Photo Collect is an important gathering channel for SwissPass photos. The customer-oriented upload without login and app installation, the automatic quality check, the integrated manual validation and fully automatic image adjustments offer a way to reduce the effort and costs for both the end customer, the scan center and SBB and to ensure efficient processing.

Initial situation: Physical photos

Until 2016, the vast majority of photos for the SwissPass (or the predecessor products Half-Fare and GA) were submitted as analog photos. After purchasing the products, customers had to visit a photo machine and send in the photos printed out by the machine by mail. If the photos were insufficient, the customer was asked again by letter post to submit a new photo. The process was not only slow, but also expensive - both for the customer (photo booth) and for SBB (scanning, postage, multiple validation). Customers who did not have a printed passport photo on hand and were not near a photo booth had to allow travel time to take a photo.

Solution: Photo upload via SMS

With Photo Collect will bring the photo booth to the customer and uses the camera of his smartphone to create the photo. The sales app triggers an SMS with a personalized upload link via Photo Collect . The customer opens the link and, without installing an app, is directly on the upload portal, where he can create and upload a photo in less than a minute (median). The submitted photos are thus already digital and no longer need to be scanned. By sending an SMS, the upload link is exactly where the customer needs it: on his cell phone.

Automatic quality inspection

Already during upload, the photo can be automatically checked for the most common errors. The automatic quality check analyzes the photo and gives the customer real-time feedback on errors, such as incorrect head posture or wearing a hygiene mask. The quality check prevents the upload of photos that would most likely fail the manual validation.

Image optimization and validation

Automatic background removal from Photo Collect enables the use of photos that would otherwise be rejected during validation. In addition, distracting shadows in the background are eliminated, improving image quality and recognizability. Cropping, centering and rotating the face is fully automatic and is based on Passport standards. Before export, the photo is sharpened and provided in the required pixel size.

The photo is manually viewed and validated via the final photo validation. If the photo does not meet the requirements, a follow-up SMS can be triggered directly. The customer is informed about the reason for the rejection in their respective language and can start a new upload.

98% customer satisfaction

With a duration from SMS dispatch to upload of just eight minutes, customers respond exceptionally quickly to receipt of the SMS. The average time from opening the link to the completed upload is less than one minute. After uploading, customers are asked how they rate the upload process: 98% of customers rate the process positively . Capturing photos via smartphone is a win-win for both customers and SBB - financially, in terms of time spent, and in terms of customer satisfaction. The photo booth in your pocket, without a login and without an app - the simple upload process is well received and is an example of successful digitization.

Have we aroused your interest?

We would be happy to look at your individual case together - contact Co-Founder Nico Schefer for an initial discussion via nico.schefer@photocollect.io, phone +41 44 501 16 49 or book an appointment directly via Calendly.