VOP - New recipient verification in SEPA payment transactions: Portolan provides you with optimum support

The new VOP check will come into force on October 9, 2025. VOP stands for “Verification of Payee” – i.e. checking whether the account holder’s name matches an IBAN. The aim is to increase security in payment transactions and avoid incorrect transfers.

What does this mean for your company?

Reduce the risk of incorrect transfers and fraud by activating the recipient name check in your banking software for SEPA collective transfers.

Activation takes place via the “OPT in” option – the requirements are only met if all payments in the data carrier provide an exact match (“MATCH”).

-> The bank only checks the payee for “OPT in”. If there is a match and there is still an incorrect transfer, the bank is liable. In all other cases, you are liable as the payer.

-> If “OPT out” is selected, the check is omitted. The responsibility then lies entirely with your company.

The procedure:

• Your banking software checks the recipient’s name with the payee’s bank in real time.
• The results appear in the VOP status report with the possible

          Feedback:

• • • Match – Name and IBAN match
  • • Close Match – slight deviation
  • • No Match – no match
  • • Not possible/applicable – Check not possible

OPT in – important points

• In the case of collective payments, the entire data carrier can only be executed in full or canceled completely.
• If you always want to be on the safe side, “OPT in” is always recommended – the process should be canceled in the event of deviations.
• The transfer can also be executed with a status other than “MATCH”, but then no longer falls under “OPT in”.
• Individual transfers are currently subject to “OPT in” – there is no option here

OPT out – was ist anders?

• If you select “OPT out” when reading in the data carrier, no check takes place.
• A collector must contain at least two payments. If it is submitted with ‘OPT out’ and contains only one payment, it will be rejected

Important note on collective payments

In the case of collective payments, the file can only be executed in full or canceled in full – partial execution is not possible.