The bank owner check can only be used following a full identity check. The decision engine must perform an ID check before it can assess the ownership of a bank account.
An accept is a score of 35. A score below 35 returns a fail. 35 is the maximum score that is returned.
Bank standard
A score of 5 points is awarded if the account number is registered against the given sort code. The bank account theoretically exists, bu it does not mean that the bank account is open or belongs to the individual being checked.
Bank enhanced: Account digit matching
The second stage of the check is to validate ownership of the account against the individual who has been ID checked:
30 points are awarded if all 8 account digits match against the account details held on the TransUnion database.
25 points are awarded if 7 account digits match against the account details held on the TransUnion database.
20 points are awarded if all 6 account digits match against the account details held on the TransUnion database.
15 points are awarded if a bank account has been issued by a particular provider to the identified applicant. In other words the account exists, but fewer than 6 of the 8 account digits match.
Bank enhanced: Closure and recency warnings
If the bank account has been closed 30 points are deducted, indicating a potentially fraudulent application. If the bank account has been opened in the last six months 5 points are deducted.
Interpreting the scores
A score of 35 means that the bank account is owned by the individual who has passed the previous ID check. The sort code belongs to the correct bank and all 8 digits match. The account is currently open and has been for at least 6 months.
A score of 30 means that the bank account is owned by the individual who has passed the previous ID check. A reduction in the score is either because one of the 8 digits match or the account has been recently opened. If the failure is due to the 8 digit match it is recommended to take additional proof of bank account ownership, such as a bank statement. The recency warning may not be material, but if there are other concerns (such as an ID score under 30) a further assessment may be required.
A score of 25 means that the bank account is owned by the individual who has passed the previous ID check. A reduction in the score is either because one or two the 8 digits match or the account has been recently opened. If the failure is on the 8 digit match it is recommended to take additional proof of bank account ownership, such as a bank statement (as without a recency warning, a score of 30 means 2 account digits are incorrect. The recency warning may not be material, but if there are other concerns (such as an ID score under 30) a further assessment may be required.
A score under 25 indicates that there is insufficient matching of account digits to the individual and additional proof of ownership should be requested.
A score of 5 means that the account number belongs to the given sort code. However it has not been possible to match this against the TransUnion database. This might be interpreted as a fraudulent application. Additional supported documentation is recommended before issuing a loan.
A score under 0 means that the account has been recently closed. This might indicate a fraudulent application.
Previous: Identity checking and scoring