Find answers to common questions about our bank account validation services
eSortcode is the UK's longest-established sort code validation service, pioneering payment validation since 2006. We're a trading name of Etellect Ltd and provide enterprise-grade Modulus Checking, Confirmation of Payee & Payer (CoP), and EISCD data services at the best prices in the UK.
eSortcode offers the best value in the UK with prices from 2.5p per modulus check and 15p per CoP verification. We provide:
Getting started is simple:
Yes! New customers receive 50 free checks to test our services. No credit card required, and you can cancel anytime. This allows you to fully evaluate our Modulus Checking and CoP services before committing.
Modulus Checking is a mathematical validation method that verifies if a UK sort code and account number combination is valid. It uses BACS-approved algorithms to detect typos, transposition errors, and invalid account details before payment processing.
Modulus Checking catches approximately 95% of data entry errors. While it doesn't verify if the account actually exists or who owns it, it's highly effective at detecting typos and mathematically invalid combinations. For account ownership verification, use our Confirmation of Payee & Payer (CoP) service.
Modulus Checking: Validates if a sort code and account number is mathematically valid (catches typos and errors).
Confirmation of Payee & Payer (CoP): Verifies the actual account holder's name by checking with the receiving bank (prevents fraud and misdirected payments).
For best protection, use both: Modulus Checking first for instant validation, then CoP for name verification on larger payments.
Confirmation of Payee & Payer (CoP) is a name-checking service that verifies if the name provided matches the actual account holder's name. It queries the receiving bank in real-time to confirm the account owner, helping prevent Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud and misdirected payments.
Yes. Since 2024, UK Payment Service Providers (PSPs) must offer Confirmation of Payee & Payer checks for payments over £1,000 and other high-risk transactions. This regulation helps combat the £485 million lost to APP fraud in 2023.
CoP returns four possible results:
Confirmation of Payee: Verifies the recipient's details before you send a payment.
Confirmation of Payer: Verifies the sender's details when you receive a payment.
Both use the same technology and pricing. Choose based on whether you're sending (Payee) or receiving (Payer) payments.
EISCD (Extended Industry Sort Code Directory) is the complete UK banking directory containing all active sort codes, bank names, addresses, payment schemes, and modulus algorithms. It's the authoritative source for UK banking data used by financial institutions and payment processors.
EISCD data is updated regularly as UK banks add new sort codes or modify existing ones. We offer flexible download frequencies: weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual updates. Pricing starts from £49 per file for weekly updates (36 downloads/year) to £159 for annual updates.
We provide EISCD data in multiple formats to suit your integration needs:
Use EISCD Data Downloads if:
Use API Access if:
Our BACS Bureau service is the best value Automated BACS automation platform. It eliminates manual file creation and uploads by automating Direct Debit and Direct Credit processing end-to-end. You submit transactions via API, and we handle validation, KYC, file generation, BACS submission, report processing, and webhook notifications automatically.
If switching to our BACS submission service: Yes, you'll need to register your Service User Numbers (SUNs) to our bureau with BACS. We can guide you through this straightforward process.
If keeping your existing bureau: No SUN registration needed. You can use our automation layer to generate and submit files to your existing bureau via secure SFTP, then we process the BACS reports automatically.
Yes! You can keep your existing BACS-approved bureau and use our service purely for automation. We automate file generation and submission to your existing bureau using secure SFTP transfers, then automatically process BACS reports and update transaction statuses via webhooks or API. This gives you automation benefits without changing your bureau relationship.
BACS Bureau uses credit-based pricing with volume discounts:
Credits are purchased for 12 months in advance. Volume discounts apply automatically - the more credits you buy, the lower the price per credit (1p-2p).
Yes! Transactions submitted against active mandates are completely FREE - no transaction fees ever. You only pay for:
Once mandates are active, you can submit unlimited transactions at no additional cost. This makes high-volume transaction processing extremely cost-effective.
New and re-onboarding mandates include a complete BACS-compliant KYC workflow:
Available via branded customer-facing workflow or self-managed portal. All validation results stored and accessible via API.
The minimum is 1,000 active mandates in any given month. This ensures the service is suitable for businesses with meaningful BACS processing volumes who will benefit from automation. If you're below this threshold, traditional manual BACS processing may be more cost-effective.
Our RESTful API provides complete control over mandate and transaction lifecycle:
Complete API documentation, code samples, and onboarding support provided.
We automatically process all BACS Standard 18 reports including:
Reports are processed immediately when received from BACS, transaction statuses are updated automatically, and webhooks are triggered for your system to respond.
Getting started is straightforward:
Full setup assistance, API documentation, and ongoing support included.
Our pricing is simple and transparent:
No setup fees, no monthly minimums. Volume discounts apply automatically.
No! We don't charge setup fees or require monthly minimums. You only pay for what you use, with automatic volume discounts. Start with 50 free checks to test our services risk-free.
Volume discounts are applied automatically using logarithmic pricing:
Modulus Checking: 4p @ 500 checks → 3p @ 5,000 → 2.5p @ 100,000
Confirmation of Payee: 25p @ 100 checks → 20p @ 1,000 → 15p @ 10,000
The more you use, the less you pay per check. No need to negotiate or request discounts - they're built in.
We accept:
The Enterprise SLA provides a 100% uptime guarantee for mission-critical applications.
Pricing: £99+VAT per month or £990+VAT per year (save £198 annually with annual billing).
Coverage: Enterprise SLA applies to Modulus Checking, Confirmation of Payee (CoP), and BACS Bureau services. EISCD extracts are not covered. As part of the service we also provide assistance to support supplier onboarding for FCA-approved organisations.
Important for CoP: For CoP services, the Enterprise SLA covers eSortcode's infrastructure only. CoP relies on the Open Banking network and participating banks' systems (outside our control). The 100% uptime guarantee applies to our API availability, not the underlying Open Banking service resilience.
What's included:
Service Credit Example: If monthly uptime is 99.3% (triggering 25% credit) with £99 subscription + £500 usage, you receive: (25% × £99) + (25% × £500) = £24.75 + £125.00 = £149.75 credit on your next invoice.
You can add Enterprise SLA to any monthly modulus checking or CoP subscription. Learn more about Enterprise SLA.
Integration is straightforward:
We provide code examples in cURL, JavaScript, Python, PHP, and more. Full documentation is available in your portal.
Our average API response time is under 100ms, with a 99.9% uptime SLA. This ensures your payment forms remain fast and responsive, providing an excellent user experience.
Yes! Security is our priority:
Our RESTful API works with any programming language that can make HTTP requests. We provide example code and libraries for:
Yes! We provide a full sandbox environment for testing your integration. Use test credentials to validate your implementation without consuming your live credits. The 50 free checks on signup also allow real-world testing.
We provide comprehensive technical support:
eSortcode is trusted by 1000+ businesses across 25+ countries, including:
Yes! Etellect Ltd (trading as eSortcode) holds both ISO 27001 (Information Security Management) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management) certifications, accredited by BSI (British Standards Institution). We undergo regular audits to maintain these certifications.
Yes! There are no contracts or lock-in periods. You can cancel your account at any time with no penalties. Any unused credits remain available until your account closure.
Our team is here to help. Get in touch and we'll respond within 24 hours.