Customer Identification Programs (CIP) verify that customers are who they say they are and are being truthful about the business they are engaged in. The CIP sets the minimum requirements for onboarding new clients, but depending on the size and location of an organization, each program will vary. For instance, the steps employed by a large bank with a range of products and services look different from a local community bank. No matter what differences exist, though, an effective CIP enables firms to form a reasonable belief about the true identity of each customer.