What is Tilia?

Tilia is a subsidiary of Linden Lab that offers certain financial services to the Second Life community and helps Second Life comply with U.S. laws and regulations. As of August 1, 2019, Tilia assumes management of your account's U.S. dollar balance in the form of your Tilia account. Tilia also handles process credit requests and payments made from your Tilia account. A Tilia account associated with your Second Life account is created automatically, and you do not need a separate username or password to access your Tilia account.

Processing credit with Tilia

In order to stay in compliance with regulatory requirements, if you wish to  credit a portion of your U.S. Dollar balance to your PayPal or Skrill account  (known as processing a credit)  then you must provide certain personal information to verify your identity, including your:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Social security number (or government-issued identification if you are not a U.S. Citizen).

You may also be required to provide additional information to complete the transaction. Tilia securely stores this information so that you should only need to provide it once.

Identity verification questions

Why am I required to provide personal information to Tilia and what will you do with it?

As registered money services businesses, Linden Lab and Tilia are required to comply with applicable U.S. laws and regulations. As part of our ongoing risk management process, we must obtain, verify, and record information about our customers for whom we offer financial-related services. We take your privacy and security seriously, so your personal information will continue to remain protected and will only be used for purposes that are outlined in Linden Lab’s and Tilia’s Privacy Policies.

What types of IDs are acceptable?

Acceptable forms of photo ID include:

• Driver's license
• Passport
• Any other form of government-issued photo ID

If you do not have any of these forms of identification, please contact our customer support team for additional guidance.

I have already submitted my photo ID. Why do I have to do it again?

The financial-related services that are offered by Linden Lab are now managed by Linden Lab's wholly-owned subsidiary, Tilia Inc. Tilia is required to comply with applicable U.S. laws and regulations. As part of our ongoing risk management process, we obtain, verify, and record information about our customers for whom we offer financial-related services. Your personal information will remain protected and will only be used for purposes that are outlined in our Privacy Policy, which can be accessed on our website.

Most Residents will not need to resubmit information if it has been previously provided. However, there may be some instances where Tilia may need to collect and verify the documentation again. However, there may be some instances where Tilia may need to collect and verify the documentation again, like for issuing tax documentation.

My bank, credit card company, or PayPal has already verified my identity. Why do I need to verify again with Tilia?

As a money services business, Tilia is required to comply with the various state and federal laws regarding money transmission, which require us to collect and verify this information regardless of whether you have provided this information to other financial institutions, such as your credit card company or PayPal.

I do not have a Social Security Number. How do I proceed?

If you are not a U.S. Citizen, you can provide a passport and a utility bill to verify your identity. If you are a U.S. Citizen and do not have a Social Security number, please contact customer service.

What if I do not want to submit Social Security information?

We will not be able to process your transaction without your Social Security information; the law states that we must collect and verify this information.

Why wasn't this information asked for during registration?

The requirements for collecting information only apply to certain financial transactions, such as using funds in your stored value wallet to process credit to US dollars. There are no such regulatory requirements for registering to use Second Life. 

When will I be asked for an ID?

You are asked for ID when you initiate a process-credit request and send US dollars to your payment method on file.

Can I voluntarily submit my ID for verification before making a process credit request?

Yes. You can voluntarily submit your ID for verification without making a process credit request. This will ensure that you do not experience a delay when attempting to process credit for the first time with Tilia.

Please visit your Billing Information page on the Second Life website. You can access the submission form by clicking We may need some additional information in order to process credit from your Tilia account. Once your identity has been verified, the message changes to read, "We have all the information we require to process credit from your Tilia account. Thank you!"

For more information about this process, please see this blog post: Voluntary Regulatory Information Submission.

How long does this process take?

Requests are usually processed within one to three days, but in some cases the process may take up to 30 days.

What happens to my US dollar balance if I don't comply?

Your stored U.S. dollar balance remains on your account. We will not accept any process-credit requests until we have received and reviewed the requested documents. You may continue to use your U.S. Dollar balance to pay for Second Life services and Linden dollars.

What is an acceptable proof of address?

Acceptable documents are listed below, and must be dated within the last 3 months:

• Current utility bill
• Bank, credit card, or financial statement
• Cell phone bill
• Rental agreement or lease
• Tax form
• Voter registration
• Insurance statement

Photos of these documents must be clear and in-focus, cover the full document, and must clearly show the required information.

If I change my legal name, what kind of documents do I need to provide?

If you change your name, you must submit updated information. Acceptable documents include:

• Name change certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Certificate of Divorce
• Certificate of commitment

How do I update my email on file to make sure I can receive communications from Tilia?

If you would like to update your email account to a more current one, you may do so by clicking this link: https://accounts.secondlife.com/change_email/. We encourage you to verify your email address and make sure it remains current.

What kinds of transactions do not normally require ID verification?

ID verification applies to process credit requests, which are requests to credit some or all of your U.S. Dollar balance to a PayPal or Skrill account. Therefore, the following types of transactions do not normally require you to send your personal information:

• Buying Linden dollars with any payment method
• Using a credit card, PayPal, or Skrill to pay for Second Life services such as Premium membership or land use fees
• Spending Linden dollars
• Selling Linden dollars on the LindeX

Tilia usage questions

Can I access my Tilia account separately from my Second Life account?

This is currently not possible. Your Tilia account is integrated with your Second Life account, and is accessed through the Second Life website with your Second Life login credentials. Services that are provided by Tilia will be clearly marked.

Can Tilia credit U.S. dollars directly to my bank account?

Tilia cannot process credit directly to bank accounts at this time, but can credit your U.S. Dollar balance to a PayPal or Skrill account.

Do I need to use Tilia to buy Linden dollars?

No. Tilia is not involved in the Linden dollar purchase process. You can continue to use your payment method on file to buy Linden dollars and do not need to provide any additional personal information.

How can I avoid the inactivity fee?

If your Tilia account is inactive for a period of 12 months, you are charged a small, monthly inactivity fee of no more than $3.00 to offset the engineering, support, accounting, and compliance costs of maintaining your account. This inactivity fee cannot reduce your U.S. Dollar balance below zero, and will never result in a new credit card charge. The inactivity fee does not affect your Linden dollar balance.

To avoid this inactivity fee, you need only to log into your account on the Second Life website at least once every 12 months. Additionally, Residents with a Premium membership will not incur an inactivity fee for as long as their Premium membership is current.

Why can't I process credit?

If we have not yet been able to verify your personal information documents, we will not be able to accept any process-credit requests.

What happens if I don't accept Tilia's Terms of Service?

If you maintain a U.S. Dollar balance (such as through the sale of Linden dollars on the LindeX), it is important that you review and accept the Tilia Terms of Service. You will be prompted to do so when you log into Secondlife.com. If you have a U.S. Dollar balance on August 1, 2019 and do not accept the Terms of Service, you will have until October 31, 2019 to do so or you will no longer be able to use your U.S. Dollar balance.  If you do not accept the Terms of Service, you will still be able to log into Second Life and use your payment method on file (such as a credit card) to pay for items and services, but you will no longer have the ability to request a process credit transaction, or make payments for Second Life services from your U.S. Dollar balance.

Technical and legal questions

Is my information stored securely?

We understand your concerns. Your information is protected as outlined in our Privacy Policy. If you do not feel comfortable providing the information through the internet, please contact customer support for additional methods.

For more information about how we protect your data, check out our blog post: Information about Privacy and Security in Tilia.

Is Tilia compliant with GDPR?

Tilia is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. If you have specific questions about your individual account and situation, please contact our customer support team.

Does Tilia share my personal information with the government?

Tilia will not provide your information to any government unless compelled to do so through a legal process, such as a subpoena or search warrant.

Will my data be used for data mining purposes?

Tilia is not associated with data mining in any way, and your data will not be used for this purpose or sold to third parties. Tilia is a subsidiary of Linden Lab, and exists to strengthen our processes and better protect your data while allowing Second Life’s commercial backbone to thrive. 

Will my U.S. Dollar balance escheat to the state?

Yes. Tilia will comply with unclaimed property laws in every state.

What happens if a Second Life Resident dies with a U.S. Dollar balance still on their Tilia account?

To see our current policy, visit our wiki article on this topic: Linden Lab Official:Death and other worries outside Second Life.