Student Beans vs UNiDAYS vs ID.me vs SheerID: Which Do You Need?
Short answer: you don’t choose. Each brand picks one verification service, and you sign up with that one when you claim its offer. Here is how they differ.
The four services side by side
| Student Beans | UNiDAYS | ID.me | SheerID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Discount app and site with its own student ID | Discount app and site | Digital ID wallet used by many US brands | Verification step built into a brand’s own sign-up |
| Account needed | Yes, free | Yes, free | Yes, free ID.me wallet | No separate account |
| Who it accepts | Full-time students incl. high school 16+, college, university, apprentices | Students (app rated 13+); built around college emails | US and Canadian college students 18+ (no high school) | Depends on the brand’s rules |
| Main proof | Institution email, or a student ID | College email, or documents | National enrollment database, or a document | School records, school sign-in, or documents |
| How long it lasts | 12 months, then re-verify | Re-verify regularly | Not stated by ID.me | Set by each brand (often yearly) |
| Brands we cover that use it | Sephora UK, Samsung | Apple, HBO Max, Samsung | Samsung | Spotify, Hulu, Nike, ChatGPT |
From each service’s own help pages and app listing at our last check.
Student Beans
Student Beans is a free discount platform. It accepts students in full-time education, including high school students over 16, sixth formers, college and university students and apprentices. You verify with a personal school email or a card-style student ID; if your school’s email domain is known, approval is instant. Each re-verification gives you another 12 months, and the app warns you before your Student Beans iD expires. Online you copy a code; in stores you show the Student Beans iD in the app.
UNiDAYS
UNiDAYS is also free and runs as an app and website for students and graduates. Its app listing says a college email address is all you need to start; when that does not work, it asks for documents. Recent reviews describe documents being rejected when they lacked the current academic year, so use a document that shows this year’s dates. Since May 2026, Apple has used UNiDAYS for US education purchases.
ID.me
ID.me is a digital wallet that many US brands use for groups such as students, teachers and the military. For students it is strict: you must be 18 or older and enrolled at an accredited, degree- or certificate-granting college or university in the US or Canada, including community, vocational and technical colleges. High school students and US citizens studying abroad do not qualify. ID.me first checks a national enrollment database, and you do not need a school email; a document is only needed if it cannot find you.
SheerID
SheerID works differently: there is no account to create. When a brand like Spotify, Hulu or Nike uses it, a short form appears inside the brand’s sign-up and checks your school and enrollment, sometimes through your school’s single sign-on. If that fails, it asks for a document. Each brand decides how often you re-verify.
Which proof works best
- A school email is the fastest route on Student Beans, UNiDAYS, Notion and GitHub.
- A document with your name, your school and the current term works almost everywhere when email fails: student ID, enrollment letter, class schedule or transcript.
- For ID.me you can also use an acceptance letter, a class schedule for a future semester, Form I-20 or an F-1 visa.
- Expired IDs and documents without a date are the most common reason for rejection.
Students also ask
Is Student Beans or UNiDAYS better?
Neither is better in general. Each brand works with one of them, so you need whichever your brand uses. Both are free; many students have both.
Do I have to pay for UNiDAYS, Student Beans or ID.me?
No. All three are free for students. Brands pay them.
Can high school students use these services?
Student Beans accepts full-time students over 16. ID.me does not accept high school students. SheerID depends on the brand: Nike, for example, accepts high school students 16+.
Is it safe to give my student details to these services?
They are the official partners of the brands that send you there. Only start verification from the brand’s own website or app, never from a link in an unexpected message.
I have no .edu email. What now?
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