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Real Time Sanctions Screening Before Money Moves
Real time sanctions screening checks a person, company or payment party against sanctions lists at the moment of the transaction, before an account opens or money leaves. With OfacScanner the API on Scale returns a scored result in under 300 ms.
One payment, four parties screened
ReviewNo candidate near threshold
Alias match on a listed company
No candidate near threshold
Common words, no listed name
Example data. The payment is held for review because one party scores above the threshold of 85.
What is real time sanctions screening
Real time sanctions screening means the check happens inside the transaction, not after it. Your system sends the details, waits a fraction of a second and decides what to do before the customer sees the next screen. A signup can be approved, a payout released or a payment held, all based on a fresh result.
The alternative is screening after the fact, in a nightly job or a weekly review. That works for slow processes. It does not work when money settles in seconds, because once funds reach a blocked party, getting them back is hard and the violation has already happened.
Three ways to screen and how fast each one is
Not every check needs to be instant. Pick the channel that fits each point in your process.
| Channel | Speed | Best for | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Console single check | Seconds, by hand | Manual onboarding, one-off vendor checks | Every plan |
| REST API | Under 300 ms | Signups, payouts, payments, checkouts | Scale and Enterprise |
| Batch and monitoring | Minutes, in the background | Existing customer files and re-screening after list updates | Growth and higher |
Live API keys allow up to 600 requests per minute each. Sandbox keys allow 120.
Where real time screening pays off
Real time checks matter most where a decision is automatic and money or goods move right away.
Account opening
Screen the applicant while the signup form submits. A Clear result lets the account open at once, and anything else goes to a reviewer.
Payouts and refunds
Marketplaces, gig platforms and insurers can screen the payee before each payout instead of trusting an onboarding check from months ago.
Cross-border payments
With payment screening on Scale you can check originator, beneficiary, bank, free text, vessel and crypto address fields before release.
Crypto withdrawals
Exchanges can screen the customer and the destination address before a withdrawal is signed. See sanctions screening for crypto exchanges.
How to add real time screening to your flow
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01
Pick the decision point
Find the exact step where a result must exist, such as the moment before an account opens or a payout is sent.
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02
Call the API
Send POST /api/v1/screen with the name, type and any date of birth or country. Use an Idempotency-Key so a retry never runs a second check.
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03
Map ratings to actions
Let Clear pass, hold Review and Likely match for a person, and stop Exact match.
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04
Handle holds with webhooks
Listen for case.created and monitoring.alert so your system knows when a reviewer or a list update changes the picture.
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05
Plan for a slow answer
Set a timeout and a safe default, usually hold for review, so a network problem never lets an unchecked payment through.
What makes fast screening safe to automate
Scores, not yes or no
A 0 to 100 score with a rating lets you hold close calls instead of guessing.
Tunable thresholds
Set Strict, Balanced or Broad per request, and keep an allow list for known good parties so they stop creating holds.
Signed webhooks
Events carry an OfacScanner-Signature header with an HMAC SHA-256 signature you verify before acting.
Fresh lists
Official files are checked every 30 minutes, so a real time result uses current data.
Evidence on every call
Each API result is saved with list versions, score breakdown and time, the same as a console check.
Fast results still need a human for close calls
Real time screening decides what to hold, not who is guilty. A held payment or signup goes to your team, who compare the details and make the final call, which may include a blocking or reject report to OFAC within 10 business days. OfacScanner supports that decision and is not affiliated with OFAC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Full request details are in the sanctions screening API guide and the API documentation.
Real time sanctions screening questions
Another question? Write to [email protected].
How fast is real time sanctions screening with OfacScanner?
Do I need the API for real time screening?
What if the screening call fails or times out?
Is real time screening enough on its own?
Can I screen crypto addresses in real time?
Keep exploring
Screen your first name in seconds
Type a person or company name, see the risk rating and top candidates from the current OFAC list, and keep the evidence when you sign up.
Results support your compliance decisions, and the final decision stays with your team. OfacScanner is not affiliated with OFAC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.