Uber Technologies Inc. will check passenger account information against third-party identity verification databases. This should make drivers feel more secure.

Starting Wednesday, U.S. riders whose identities have been verified — either automatically through partners like Prove or by manually uploading documents — will receive a blue badge that will be visible to drivers when deciding whether to accept a ride request, Uber said in an announcement. Unverified riders will still be able to request rides, and riders’ last names will remain hidden from drivers.