Introduction to VOP
Comply with VOP using Mambu Payments (formerly Numeral)
Verification of Payee (VOP) is a name-matching check that confirms whether a payee's name matches their account details before a payment is made. It is mandated by the EU Instant Payments Regulation (EU 2024/886) and governed by the European Payments Council (EPC).
Disclaimer: This guide supplements – but does not replace – the EPC VOP Scheme Rulebook. Refer to the latest EPC Rulebook version for definitive requirements.
How it works
When an end user initiates a payment, their PSP (the requesting PSP) sends a VOP request to the PSP holding the payee's account (the responding PSP). The responding PSP compares the payee's name in the request against its records and returns a result.
Verification can be based on:
- Name and IBAN – for natural and legal persons
- Identification code and IBAN – for legal persons only
The responding PSP returns one of four results:
| Result | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Match | match | The payee's name matches the account records |
| No match | no_match | The payee's name does not match |
| Close match | close_match | The payee's name is similar but not identical |
| Impossible to match | impossible_to_match | The responding PSP could not perform the comparison |
Key concepts
Requesting PSP. The payment service provider that sends the VOP request on behalf of its end user (the payer).
Responding PSP. The payment service provider that holds the payee's account and performs the name comparison.
Reachable Verification of Payee Mechanism (RVM). The endpoint registered in the EPC Directory Service that other PSPs call to submit VOP requests.
QWAC PSD2 certificate. A qualified website authentication certificate used for mutual TLS authentication between PSPs during VOP requests.
Onboarding
Mambu Payments supports you through VOP scheme onboarding and solution setup. The process includes five steps:
- Register with the EPC on the VOP scheme (if not already registered).
- Store your QWAC PSD2 certificate for PSP mutual authentication.
- Configure your RVM URI and supported LEIs. Mambu Payments communicates these to the EPC Directory Service.
- Integrate with Mambu Payments using your preferred integration method.
- Run penny tests to validate the integration and confirm VOP compliance.
Once onboarding is complete, you can send and receive VOP requests.
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Updated 11 days ago