Confirm the real account holder
Check that the name and ID on the account match the person or company that handed you the bank details.
Bank Account Verification
Make sure the bank account belongs to who you think it does
Before you release a salary, supplier payment, refund or loan disbursement, run a real-time check with the account holder's bank. Review mismatches linked to invoice-redirection, payroll-switch and refund fraud patterns in your dashboard.
Bank account verification
Release payments with confidence.
Check whether supplied South African bank details match the account holder before a payout, refund, payroll run or account change moves money.
- Account-holder match
- Account status checks
- Major SA banks
FICA-ready audit trail
Individuals & companies
Answer in seconds
Real-time
Bank-side confirmation
14
Major SA banks covered
No code
Run it from your dashboard
FICA
Audit record on every check
How it works
From bank details to a bank-side match result
You stay in the VerifyNow dashboard the whole time. We talk to the bank on your behalf and come back with a plain-English result.
Enter the details
Account number, branch, account type, and the name + ID (or company registration number) of the person or business the account should belong to.
We ask the bank
In real time, the account holder's own bank confirms whether the details you have match what they have on record.
Get a clear answer
Review the returned matches and mismatches, then apply your payment approval process. Each check is logged in VerifyNow.
Loading sample report
What you get
Built for the person releasing the payment
Operations, finance, HR and compliance teams across South Africa run these checks every day to stop the fraud that actually hits their business.
Review record for your controls
Each check leaves a result record that can support customer due diligence and internal review.
Answer in seconds
Real-time bank-side lookup. You don't leave the screen and neither does your customer.
Every major SA bank
Absa, Access, African Bank, Bidvest, Capitec, Discovery, FNB, Grindrod, GoTyme, Investec, Nedbank, Sasfin, Standard Bank and Bank Zero.
Surfaces common mismatch patterns
Matching fields can reveal bank-detail changes linked to invoice, payroll, refund and identity fraud patterns.
Run it yourself, no code
Straight from your VerifyNow dashboard. If your team later wants to automate, an API is available — but it's optional, not required.
Why businesses run this check
Fraud patterns a bank-account check helps you investigate
These common payment-fraud patterns can surface as mismatches during a pre-payment bank-account check.
Payment Redirection Fraud
Criminals intercept an invoice and change the bank details on it. The supplier name looks familiar. You pay — into the criminal’s account.
Verify that the bank account really belongs to the supplier before every payment.
Payroll Fraud
Fake employees added to payroll, or real employees' bank details quietly changed to an account the criminal controls.
Verify every employee's bank account before each payroll run.
Refund Fraud
A "customer" asks for a refund but to a different bank account from the one that paid you — and that account belongs to them, not the original buyer.
Confirm account ownership against the original buyer before you refund anyone.
Identity Theft & Account Takeover
A stolen ID used to open an account — or to claim ownership of someone else's account — so payouts get redirected.
Check the bank account against a verified ID number, not just a name.
Coverage
Every major bank in South Africa
Works for individuals and companies, across current, savings, transmission, bond and subscription-share accounts.
Absa Bank
Access Bank
African Bank
Bidvest Bank
Capitec Bank
Discovery Bank
First National Bank (FNB)
Grindrod Bank
GoTyme Bank
Investec Bank
Nedbank
Sasfin Bank
Standard Bank
Bank ZeroWho uses it
If your team releases money, you need this
Real-world scenarios where a 10-second check saves five- or six-figure losses.
Accounts Payable
Verify supplier bank details before every invoice run. Stops invoice-redirection fraud before the money leaves.
Payroll & HR
Confirm employee accounts on onboarding and again whenever an employee requests a change to their banking details.
Insurance Claims
Validate the claimant's account before the payout to stop refund redirection and fraudulent claimants.
Property & Conveyancing
Confirm trust-account and beneficiary details on every transfer — the payment size makes this one of the highest-risk categories.
Lending & Credit
Verify the borrower's account before disbursement, and again on any change to their banking setup.
Government & Municipal
Grants, refunds and vendor payments need the same ownership check that private sector AP teams already rely on.
Your result, in plain English
Seven questions, seven yes / no answers
Every check answers the same business questions. Your team uses those answers in its payment review.
Does the account actually exist?
If the account doesn't exist, everything else is moot.
Yes — the bank has it on record
Is the account currently open?
Closed or frozen accounts bounce your payment and delay settlement.
Yes — it can receive payments
Does the name match?
Catches spoofed invoices where criminals swap only the bank details.
Yes — the holder is who you were told
Does the ID or company registration number match?
Confirms you are paying the legal entity you intended to pay.
Yes — the person or company matches
Is it the right account type?
Wrong account type is a common data-entry error and a known fraud pattern.
Yes — current / savings / etc. as supplied
Can it receive your payment (accept credits)?
Some accounts are debit-only or restricted.
Yes — credits allowed
Can it process a debit order (if you need it to)?
Important for ongoing billing, insurance premiums, lease debits.
Yes — debits allowed
If an answer is "No", the result card flags the mismatch for review. Your team can confirm the details with the counterparty through a trusted channel before making a payment decision.
Where the answer comes from
Straight from the account holder's bank
The yes/no answer on every check comes from the bank that actually holds the account — verified against their own records. The result can support a documented fraud-prevention review under Regulation 18(4)(b) of the National Credit Act and Section 11(1)(f) of POPIA where those provisions apply to your processing. Accountable institutions can also use the record within their FICA customer due diligence. Your business remains responsible for its legal basis and payment decision.
FAQ
Questions from finance & ops teams
What does bank account verification actually do?
You type in the account number, branch, account type, and the name + ID number (or company registration number) of the person or business the account should belong to. VerifyNow asks that bank, in real time, whether those details match what the bank has on record. You get the returned matches and mismatches for your team to review before deciding whether to release the payment.
Which South African banks are supported?
The real-time AVS network covers Absa, Access Bank, African Bank, Bidvest Bank, Capitec Bank, Discovery Bank, First National Bank (FNB), Grindrod Bank, GoTyme Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, Sasfin Bank, Standard Bank and Bank Zero. Current, savings, transmission, bond and subscription-share accounts all work, for individuals and companies.
What will I actually see back after running a check?
A plain-English result card showing: whether the account exists, whether it's currently open, whether the name on the account matches the name you gave, whether the ID or company registration number matches the account holder, whether the account type you were told matches the bank's record, and whether the account can receive credits and debits. Your team owns the payment approval decision.
How long does a check take?
Usually a few seconds. The exact timing depends on how quickly the responding bank answers, but the flow is designed so you stay on the same screen and your customer, employee or supplier doesn't have to wait.
Is this FICA compliant?
Bank account verification can support customer due diligence and record keeping under FICA. Your institution remains responsible for its risk assessment, controls and compliance decisions.
Am I allowed to run this check on someone?
Run the check only when you have documented authority and a lawful processing purpose. Fraud detection and prevention can be relevant under Regulation 18(4)(b) of the National Credit Act and Section 11(1)(f) of POPIA. Your business remains responsible for its legal basis, notices, access controls and retention.
Can I check company bank accounts too, not just individuals?
Yes. Switch the holder to Company, enter the registered company name and its CIPC registration number (or trust number), and the rest of the flow is identical. Same yes/no result, same supported banks.
What should I do if the check comes back as a mismatch?
Treat any mismatch — wrong name, wrong ID number, wrong account type, or an account that isn't open — as a fraud signal. Pause the payment. Contact the counterparty through a trusted channel you already had (not a number or email from the invoice), confirm the correct details, then re-run the check before releasing funds. For what each check costs, see our bank account verification pricing.
Related checks
Related payment-risk checks
ID Verification South AfricaConfirm the person behind an account before onboarding or payment.Company VerificationCheck CIPC details before paying a supplier or business account.Consumer/Person TraceAdd fraud-prevention context for suspicious payment changes.Supplier BundleCombine company, selected-director, AML and bank checks in one dashboard report.
Stop paying into the wrong account
Open your VerifyNow dashboard, enter the bank details, get an answer in seconds.