As Southeast Asia’s developer and startup ecosystem grows, many teams are looking to deploy apps and infrastructure on cloud platforms that offer strong connectivity into China. Naturally, Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud become top choices.
But there’s a catch — identity verification, especially for developers and businesses outside mainland China, is often confusing, inconsistent, and in some cases, entirely blocked.
In this post, we’ll break down the common reasons identity verification fails on major Chinese cloud platforms, share technical and real-world tips, and suggest ways to deploy with fewer headaches.
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🧱 Understanding Identity Verification (实名认证) Basics
Chinese cloud platforms require users — especially those accessing higher-tier resources — to go through real-name verification. This often includes:
• Personal ID or passport upload
• Business license upload (for enterprise accounts)
• Mobile phone number binding (typically mainland China numbers)
• Video call interview (Tencent Cloud)
• Bank card linking (Alibaba Cloud)
But here’s where things break for SEA developers.
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❌ Top 5 Reasons Verification Fails for SEA Users
- Foreign Bank Cards Get Rejected
On Alibaba Cloud, even when using an international Visa or MasterCard, some non-Chinese cards fail at the real-name verification step, especially for credit pre-authorization.
Tip: Virtual cards or Fintech platforms often get blocked.
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- Business Licenses Not Recognized
Malaysian, Singaporean, or Indonesian licenses may not be properly formatted for the OCR parsing system. Even English-only documents can lead to rejection.
Tip: If possible, attach both English and Chinese versions (if available), and convert to PDF with proper orientation.
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- No China Mobile Number
Some platforms send SMS to +86 numbers only, which SEA developers don’t have. While not always mandatory, it can halt access to sensitive services.
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- Video Verification Scheduling Issues
Tencent Cloud often asks for a video call with their team during Chinese business hours — which for Malaysia or Singapore teams could mean 9pm–11pm local time.
Tip: Some teams miss the call window and need to reschedule multiple times.
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- “Individual” Accounts Get Flagged
Even if you don’t plan to host production apps, individual accounts may get throttled or flagged when using compute, OSS, or networking services.
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🧭 Real-World Workarounds (That Actually Work)
Based on our deployment experience across multiple SEA-based teams, here are some practices that worked:
• Use a verified agent (like LamboCloud) to register accounts on your behalf
• Top up with RMB / MYR / USD via invoice, not card
• Get CN2 / BGP optimized access via enterprise channel
• Use regional accounts (e.g., Alibaba SG / Tencent Global) to bypass China-specific flows
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🧩 What If You Still Want to DIY?
If you want to go solo, here’s a checklist:
✅ Prepare translated documents
✅ Ensure high-res PDF uploads
✅ Use government-registered emails
✅ Try verification during weekday business hours (Beijing Time)
✅ Use Firefox or Edge (some portals fail on Chrome)
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🚀 Final Thoughts
Cloud access should be borderless. But in reality, regulatory and verification systems can be hard to navigate — especially when you’re not based in China.
The good news is: With the right planning (or support from a regional provider), you can still get access to powerful infrastructure — without getting stuck in endless KYC loops.
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Have you experienced ID verification issues on cloud platforms?
Drop your story below or let’s connect.
This article is based on first-hand experience deploying Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and AWS in Southeast Asia, with support from LamboCloud, a certified agent helping regional businesses onboard faster.
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