Product
AVS-R
Verify any South African bank account in real time, before you collect or pay out. Eliminate fraud, reduce failures, and protect your cash flow from preventable losses.
AVS-R (Account Verification System, Real Time) is RealPay's real-time bank account verification service. It allows businesses to instantly confirm the existence, status, and ownership of a customer or beneficiary's bank account before initiating any debit collection or credit payout.
In seconds, AVS-R tells you whether the account is open and active, whether it accepts debits or credits, and whether the ID number or business registration number submitted matches what the bank has on file. This makes AVS-R a critical first step in any collections or payouts workflow, eliminating the cost and friction of failed transactions, fraudulent accounts, and identity mismatches before they become a problem.
Unlike older batch-based AVS services that return results hours later, AVS-R delivers confirmation in real time, making it compatible with live onboarding flows, API-driven workflows, and high-speed payment processing pipelines.
What's included
Real-Time Account Status Check
Instantly confirms whether a bank account is open, active, and configured to accept debits or credits. No waiting, no batch delays, results in seconds.
Account Holder Identity Verification
Cross-references the submitted ID number or Business Registration Number against the bank's own records, supporting KYC and KYB compliance without requiring additional third-party checks.
Fraud and Identity Theft Prevention
Flags accounts linked to stolen identities, incorrect details, or fraudulent submissions before any funds are moved, protecting your business and your customers.
Reduction of Failed Transaction Costs
Every failed debit or returned payout carries a cost. AVS-R eliminates failures caused by incorrect or closed account details, saving money on transaction fees before they are incurred.
Flexible Integration
Available via RESTful API for real-time, high-speed verification at the point of onboarding, or via secure batch file submission for bulk pre-validation workflows.
Who it’s for
AVS-R is relevant to any business that collects or disburses funds via bank account. It is particularly valuable for:
- Collections businesses that need to verify new customer bank details before submitting the first debit
- Payouts businesses (such as insurers, lenders, or payroll providers) that need to confirm beneficiary accounts before releasing funds
- Onboarding teams that need to validate customer banking details as part of a KYC or application process
- Any business looking to reduce the cost of failed EFT transactions at scale
- For anyone who needs secure payment solutions
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does AVS-R verify?
AVS-R confirms the account number, account status (open or closed), account type (cheque, savings, transmission), and whether the submitted ID number or Business Registration Number matches the bank's records.
Is AVS-R a payment method?
No. AVS-R does not move money. It is a pre-payment verification tool used to validate account details before a collection or payout is submitted.
How is AVS-R different from a standard AVS check?
Standard AVS checks are often batch-based, returning results hours after submission. AVS-R returns results in real time, making it suitable for live digital onboarding flows and API-driven payment pipelines.
Does AVS-R replace DebiCheck or EFT mandates?
No. AVS-R is a complementary service used before a debit or credit is submitted. It does not replace mandate authentication, it ensures the account details are correct before those processes begin.
How does AVS-R support compliance?
By confirming the account holder's identity against bank records, AVS-R supports Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) obligations without requiring additional identity verification infrastructure.
Available in
Suited for
Payment flow
Integration
Included features
Optional add-ons