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What is Transaction Screening?

Transaction screening is the process of checking the parties involved in a transaction (the sender and receiver) against global watchlists and intelligence databases. It runs automatically as part of transaction submission, so you can catch high-risk counterparties at the point of transaction rather than retrospectively. Screening checks the names you provide against:
  • Sanctions lists: OFAC, UN, EU, HM Treasury, EFCC/CBN, and other global programmes
  • PEP databases: global politically exposed persons and their associates
  • Adverse media: news and intelligence sources for negative coverage
A screening hit does not automatically block the transaction. It returns a match result with a confidence score that your team uses to decide the appropriate action.

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How to Enable Screening

Screening is triggered by including a screeningData object in your transaction submission. You only need to provide the names of the sender and receiver: 
{
  "transaction_id": "txn-001",
  "amount": "50000.00",
  "type": "debit",
  "screeningData": {
    "senderName": "John Doe",
    "receiverName": "Acme Ventures Ltd"
  }
}
Both senderName and receiverName are optional. Include whichever names you want screened. If only the receiver carries risk in your use case, you can send just receiverName.

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Understanding Screening Results

Screening results are returned as part of the transaction response. Each screened name gets a result with: matched: whether a match was found (true or false) confidence: how closely the name matches the record in the database:
ScoreWhat it means
100Exact match. Treat as a confirmed hit.
70 to 99Strong match. Investigate before proceeding.
Below 70Partial match. Likely a false positive, but review if the transaction is high value.
matchType: the category of the match: SANCTIONS, PEP, or ADVERSE_MEDIA dataset: the specific list or source the match came from (e.g. “OFAC SDN List”, “UN Consolidated List”)

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What to Do with a Screening Hit

The appropriate response depends on the match type:
Match typeRecommended action
SanctionsDo not process the transaction. A confirmed sanctions match carries a legal obligation to block. Document the hit and file an STR with NFIU if required.
PEPFlag for enhanced due diligence. A PEP match is not a block; it means the relationship needs closer scrutiny. Review the confidence score and verify the match refers to your customer.
Adverse MediaFlag for review. Treat as a risk signal, not a verdict. Investigate the relevance and severity before deciding.
Screening at the transaction level complements your CDD screening. CDD screens customers during onboarding and periodic reviews. Transaction screening catches cases where a previously clean counterparty appears on a watchlist for the first time.

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Standalone AML Checks

If you need to screen names outside of a transaction flow, for example during onboarding or a one-off investigation, use the dedicated AML endpoints directly.
See Anti-Money Laundering (PEP, Sanctions, Adverse Media)