What Information Goes on an ESA Profile?

Two Layers of Information

When you register an ESA on ESA Support, your information is split into two clearly separated layers. This is intentional - it allows third parties to verify your registration without ever accessing your personal or sensitive data.

The first layer is your public verification profile: a live web page linked to your QR code that anyone can view. The second layer is your private member dashboard: your account area where you manage your registration, download documents, and store details that never leave the platform.

Understanding this distinction is important, because it helps you decide what to share with whom. You might hand your physical ID card to a landlord, who scans the QR code and sees the public profile. Your home address does not appear. Your diagnosis does not appear. They see what they need - confirmation of the registration - and nothing else.

Your Public Verification Profile

The public profile is what makes ESA Support a verification platform rather than just a document provider. It is a live page - not a static PDF - which means it always reflects the current state of your registration. If you update your animal's photo, the profile updates. If your registration becomes inactive, the status updates.

Here is exactly what appears on your public verification page:

Animal Name

The name you registered your animal under. This is displayed prominently at the top of the profile page. It is the name printed on your digital ID card.

Animal Photo

The photo you uploaded during registration. For Physical and Lifetime plan holders, this same photo is printed on your ID card. A clear, recent photo works best - ideally showing your animal's face clearly on a plain background.

Species and Type

For example: "Dog - Labrador Retriever" or "Cat - Domestic Shorthair". This helps third parties understand what type of animal they are verifying and reduces questions.

Registration ID Number

A unique alphanumeric code assigned to your registration. This is the same number printed on your digital ID card. Third parties can use this number to manually search the registry if they prefer not to use the QR code.

Registration Date

The date your registration was processed. This is useful for third parties who want to see how long the registration has been active.

Current Status

Shown as a clearly labelled badge: "Active" in green, or "Inactive" in grey. You control this status from your dashboard. An active status indicates the registration is current and in good standing.

What Stays Private

Several categories of information are never shown on the public profile - and some are never collected at all.

Your home address is collected during checkout for physical card delivery purposes only. It does not appear anywhere on the public profile, and it is not stored in any publicly accessible location.

Your full surname does not appear on the public profile. If you choose to show your name at all, only your first name is shown - and even that is optional.

Medical or clinical information is never collected by ESA Support. We do not ask for your diagnosis, your GP's contact details, or any clinical assessment. There is nothing to expose because we do not hold it.

Payment information is processed by Stripe and is never stored on our servers. We hold a record of your plan type and order date, but no card numbers or financial details.

Your email address is your login credential and is used for account communications only. It never appears on the public profile.

What Landlords and Employers See

In both cases, the profile communicates three things clearly: this is a registered animal, the registration is active, and the registration is held with a documented platform that can be independently verified. That is the core purpose of the public profile - not to disclose private information, but to confirm that a real registration exists.

The QR Code Scan Experience

When someone scans the QR code printed on your digital ID card, here is exactly what happens:

1. Their phone camera reads the QR code and opens their default browser automatically - no app required.
2. They land on your animal's public profile page at a URL in the format: esasupport.co.uk/verify/[registration-id]
3. The page loads with your animal's name, photo, and active status visible immediately at the top.
4. Scrolling down, they see the registration date, species, and registration ID number.
5. The ESA Support registry verification mark appears at the bottom of the page.

The entire experience is designed to complete in under five seconds, even on a slow mobile connection. The profile page is lightweight - no heavy scripts, no tracking pixels, no pop-ups. The goal is for the third party to get a clear, confident answer to their question as quickly as possible.

Updating Your Profile

Your public profile reflects your member dashboard in real time. Any change you make in your dashboard is reflected on the public profile within a few seconds.

You can update the following at any time without charge:

• Your animal's photo
• Your animal's name (useful if you ever rename a pet)
• The support category field
• Whether your first name is displayed on the public profile
• Registration status (active or inactive)

Changes to core registration details - species, registration date - are processed by our team after a brief review to maintain registry integrity. Contact us at /contact if you need to correct a core detail.

If you want to update the photo printed on a physical ID card, you will need to order a replacement card. The digital profile and QR code update immediately regardless.

Privacy and Data Protection

ESA Support is committed to GDPR compliance. We collect only the information we need to provide the service, we store it securely on UK-based servers, and we never sell it to third parties.

Your rights under GDPR include:

• Right of access - you can request a copy of all data we hold on you at any time.
• Right to erasure - you can request deletion of your account and associated data. Note that if you request erasure, your public profile will also be removed and your QR code will no longer resolve.
• Right to rectification - you can correct inaccurate data held about you.
• Right to portability - you can request your data in a machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at /contact. We will respond within 30 days as required by law.

For full details of what we collect, how long we retain it, and who we share it with, see our Privacy Policy at /privacy-policy.

Glossary

Public Verification Profile

The live web page linked to your QR code that any third party can view. Contains only non-sensitive information about your animal's registration.

Member Dashboard

Your private account area containing all registration details, documents, account settings, and order history. Accessible only with your login credentials.

Registration ID

A unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to each animal registration. Appears on digital ID cards and the public profile. Can be used to manually search the registry.

Support Category

An optional field on the public profile that describes the general area of support your animal provides - for example, anxiety support, emotional regulation, or companionship.

Active Status

A green badge on the public profile indicating that the registration is current, the subscription (if applicable) is in good standing, and the registration has not been marked inactive by the owner.

GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation - UK and EU law governing how organisations collect, store, and use personal data. ESA Support is compliant with UK GDPR as administered by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Privacy by Design

An approach to system design that builds privacy protections in from the start, rather than adding them as an afterthought. ESA Support's public/private profile split is an example of this approach.

Sources and Further Reading