Bank account validation

UK Bank Account Validation

Two complementary checks for UK payments: technical account validation with Modulus Checking, and name verification with Confirmation of Payee (CoP). Pick the right level of assurance for each payment.

Modulus from 1.5p CoP from 15p <50ms responses Name matching CoP
Compare services Try modulus demo Try CoP demo
Two levels Structure + name checks
<50ms Real-time API responses
95%+ UK accounts validated
5 free credits On new signups
Overview

What is bank account validation?

Confirm payment details are accurate and belong to the intended recipient. In the UK, two complementary approaches support security, accuracy and fraud prevention.

Why validation matters: Payment fraud costs UK businesses millions annually. Confirmation of Payee is widely used across UK payments to verify account holder names. Proper account validation reduces fraud, prevents misdirected payments, and improves payment accuracy.

Choose your level

Two levels of validation

Start with technical checks for every entry, then add name verification where risk or regulation demands it.

Modulus Checking

Technical validation of account structure

  • Validates sort code & account number
  • Mathematical algorithm verification
  • Catches typos & format errors
  • Does not verify account holder name

From 1.5p per check (volume pricing)

Try demo Learn more

Confirmation of Payee

Name verification against the account holder

  • Validates sort code & account number
  • Verifies account holder name match
  • Prevents fraud & misdirected payments
  • Free modulus check included

From 15p per check

Try CoP demo Learn more

The key difference

Modulus Checking confirms "Is this a valid account?"  ·  Confirmation of Payee confirms "Is this the right person's account?"

Technical validation

Modulus Checking

Modulus checking uses mathematical algorithms defined by VocaLink (a Mastercard company) to verify that a UK sort code and account number combination is structurally valid.

What it does

  • Validates the sort code exists in the UK banking system
  • Applies modulus 10 or modulus 11 algorithms to the account number
  • Detects common data entry errors like transposed digits
  • Identifies accounts that don't accept electronic payments
  • Returns bank and branch details for valid accounts

Best use cases

  • Real-time validation during account detail entry
  • Batch validation of existing customer databases
  • Pre-submission checks in payment forms
  • High-volume, low-value transaction processing
  • First-line defence against data entry errors
Try demo Product page

What it doesn't do

  • Does not verify who owns the account
  • Does not check if the account name matches
  • Does not confirm the account is open or active
  • Does not prevent fraud from valid but wrong accounts
Name verification

Confirmation of Payee (CoP)

Confirmation of Payee is a name-checking service that verifies the name you provide matches the actual account holder's name on file with their bank.

What it does

  • Validates sort code and account number (includes modulus check)
  • Matches the payee name against the actual account holder
  • Returns MATCH, CLOSE_MATCH, or NO_MATCH results
  • Provides the actual account holder name for close matches
  • Prevents Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud
  • Reduces misdirected payment risk

Best use cases

  • New payee setup - verify recipients before first payment
  • High-value transactions - extra security for large payments
  • Business payments - prevent invoice fraud and redirection scams
  • Consumer protection - reduce misdirected payment complaints
  • Fraud prevention - extra assurance before releasing funds
Try CoP demo Product page

Match results explained

MATCH Name matches exactly - safe to proceed
CLOSE_MATCH Name is similar (e.g. "Selena Gome" vs "Selena Gomez") - confirm with the user
NO_MATCH Name doesn't match - potential fraud or error
Decision guide

Which service should you use?

Match the validation level to the risk and workflow. Many teams run both in a two-tier setup.

Form validation & data entry

Catch typos and errors as users enter bank details into your forms.

✓ Use Modulus Checking

Low cost, instant validation - ideal for real-time feedback during data entry.

New payee / first-time payment

A customer is adding a new payee or paying someone for the first time.

✓ Use Confirmation of Payee

Verify the account holder name matches to prevent fraud and misdirected payments.

High-value transactions

You're processing large payments where the cost of an error would be significant.

✓ Use Confirmation of Payee

From 15p is negligible next to the risk of a £10,000+ misdirected payment.

Two-tier approach (recommended)

Cost-effective validation with stronger checks on high-risk payments.

✓ Use both services

Step 1: Modulus Check on all entries (from 1.5p) to catch basic errors.
Step 2: CoP (from 15p) only on flagged or high-risk payments.

Bulk database validation

Validate thousands of existing customer bank accounts in your database.

✓ Use Modulus Checking

Cost-effective at volume - quickly finds invalid accounts that need updating.

Ready to validate UK bank accounts?

Try the free online demos to see both services in action. No registration required.

Modulus Checking demo

Test account structure validation with real-time results.

Try demo

Confirmation of Payee demo

Experience name verification with match results.

Try CoP demo
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about modulus checks, CoP, pricing and how to combine both services.

Modulus Checking validates the technical accuracy of a sort code and account number combination using mathematical algorithms. It confirms the account structure is valid but doesn't verify who owns the account.

Confirmation of Payee (CoP) goes further by checking that the name you provide matches the actual account holder's name on file with their bank. Use Modulus Checking for basic validation; use CoP when you need to verify the recipient's identity.

Use Modulus Checking (from 1.5p with volume pricing) for: validating account details during data entry, checking account format before storing in your system, reducing typos and basic errors, high-volume low-risk transactions.

Use Confirmation of Payee (from 15p) for: new payee setup, high-value payments, first-time payments to unfamiliar recipients, fraud prevention in payment workflows, and reducing misdirected payments.

Yes. Many customers use a two-tier approach: first run Modulus Checking to validate account structure and catch basic errors (low cost), then run Confirmation of Payee for name verification on flagged or high-risk payments. This optimises both cost and fraud prevention.

Confirmation of Payee is widely used by payment service providers to combat Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud. While requirements vary by business type, implementing CoP demonstrates due diligence and significantly reduces fraud risk.

A CLOSE_MATCH means the name is similar but not identical (e.g. "Selena Gome" vs "Selena Gomez"). Our API returns the actual account holder name so you can present it to your user for confirmation. This helps catch typos while still allowing legitimate payments to proceed with user approval.

Both services deliver real-time responses in under 50ms on average, making them suitable for synchronous validation in web forms, mobile apps, and payment workflows without impacting user experience.

Yes, we offer tiered pricing for high-volume customers. Contact our sales team to discuss enterprise pricing, SLA options, and dedicated support packages tailored to your validation needs.

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