Choose a credential type

The first decision when issuing is which credential format to use. MATTR VII issues two, and the choice shapes the flows and features available to you later.

mDocs (recommended)

mDocs are the format MATTR leads with. They align with ISO/IEC 18013-5, the international standard behind the mobile driver's license (mDL) and a growing range of government and high-assurance credentials. mDocs are subject-bound, meaning the credential is cryptographically bound to the holder and their device. Here we use "subject" to mean the holder the credential is issued to and held by, so subject binding ties the credential to that specific holder's device. This makes them well suited to identity credentials, where it matters that the credential belongs to a specific person.

Choose mDocs when you want:

• Alignment with ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ecosystem direction such as the EUDI Wallet framework.
• Subject binding for identity credentials, where the credential is tied to a specific holder.
• Selective disclosure, so holders share only the claims a verifier needs.
• Support for both the Pre-authorized Code and Authorization Code issuance flows.

CWT

CWT credentials are CBOR Web Tokens. Unlike mDocs, a CWT is information assurance that is not bound to a subject, so it is not tied to a specific holder. This is why CWT suits digital-pass and printable use cases rather than identity credentials.

Choose CWT when your use case is:

• Adding a credential to a digital wallet pass (Apple or Google).
• Producing a PDF representation of a credential.
• Conveying assured information that does not need to be bound to a specific holder.

CWT credentials are issued through the Authorization Code flow, so choosing CWT means you will use that flow in the next step.

Next

Once you have chosen a credential type, choose your issuance flow.