Equifax Ltd

Bank Account Verification

Equifax Bank Account Verifier (BAV) is a comprehensive and versatile web or API service that quickly verifies a customer’s identity and validates whether the bank account details provided are correct, valid and associated to the applicant. Equifax utilises data directly from the banks to input data to maximise accuracy.

Features

  • Extensive coverage of all types of UK bank accounts
  • Ability to match against current, basic and non-consented accounts
  • Checks are made against all previous and linked addresses
  • Provides a clear link between A/C, sort code and person
  • A further verification of the identity
  • Logical and user friendly navigation options
  • Fully compliant with all relevant legislation
  • Simple and intuitive to use
  • No need to re-architect any existing systems
  • Full helpdesk support, online and by phone

Benefits

  • Helps ensure that fraudulent individuals are identified
  • Ensures that only genuine direct debits are accepted for payment
  • Wider range of accounts improves match rates substantially
  • Can uncover linked addresses associated to fraud
  • Can match where individual has not informed bank of move
  • Reduces risk of fraudulent use of stolen bank details
  • Mitigate risk of impersonation fraud
  • Ensures genuine bank details for repayments due
  • Improves customer experience

Pricing

£0.75 a unit

  • Free trial available

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at oliver.abbott@equifax.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

5 2 3 7 6 3 8 2 4 8 2 8 3 4 3

Contact

Equifax Ltd Oliver Abbott
Telephone: +44 7825 313734
Email: oliver.abbott@equifax.com

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
No
Cloud deployment model
Private cloud
Service constraints
No
System requirements
  • Users require Citrix Receiver on their local machine
  • Users require a web browser to access the service
  • User requires email address or a mobile phone for 2fa

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Email responses are the same at weekends. User support is 24/7.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
No
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
24 hours, 7 days a week
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
The service will be accessed via a standard browser so minimal impact on current infrastructure. We would not anticipate requiring technical support however we would work with any organisation to overcome any potential issues.
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
Once users have been set up we will engage with the buyer to assess what the training needs are and how best they can be fulfilled. Training options include on site / webinar / train the trainer. Full user documentation can be provided and the system has an online help facility which users can refer to at any time.
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
PDF
End-of-contract data extraction
This is an online service which utilises the data provided only when requested by the user. There will not be any data held on Equifax's beyond what is legally mandated for audit and compliance purposes.
End-of-contract process
Once the contract period has ended the account will be deleted so no users can log on in the future. All costs would be clearly marked on the contract which would be agreed at the outset of the arrangement and no further costs will be incurred outside of that.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service
Reader View is available
Service interface
No
User support accessibility
None or don’t know
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
Equifax Gateway, our XML link, is the interface that allows clients to integrate Equifax into their systems in order to access and retrieve consumer data, characteristics, scores and other products they require from Equifax to make decisions about their customers. Equifax Gateway uses SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and WSDL (Web Services Description Language) to provide a flexible, modern interface that can be easily integrated with clients’ tooling and systems. SOAP is a standard mechanism for data interchange between computer systems. There are many commercial and open source tools and libraries that can be leveraged to create SOAP requests and interpret SOAP responses. Clients can use the WSDL to assist in the generation of their own service to integrate into their technology.
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
PDF
API sandbox or test environment
Yes
Customisation available
No

Scaling

Independence of resources
Equifax websites are widely used by a wide variety of organisations within the UK and as such have a scalability built in so there is always capacity to cope with additional demand.

Analytics

Service usage metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Equifax can provide usage information based on the actual volume of requests. These can show the volume of and type of reports requested and also details of the request such as the user who performed the request, time and date and details of what was input.
Reporting types
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Conforms to BS7858:2019
Government security clearance
Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations
No
Datacentre security standards
Managed by a third party
Penetration testing frequency
At least once a year
Penetration testing approach
In-house
Protecting data at rest
Physical access control, complying with another standard
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
Equipment disposal approach
A third-party destruction service

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
Results from the enquiry will be shown on screen and users can then print or create a .pdf of the results for reference. Should batch requests be submitted these will be provided in .csv format.
Data export formats
CSV
Data import formats
CSV

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
TLS (version 1.2 or above)
Data protection within supplier network
TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
Services typically run at around 99.5% availability. Buyers can liaise with Equifax at the outset of a contract to agree on SLA's and what refunds the buyer would be eligible for should the service run below the agreed SLA.
Approach to resilience
This information can be made available on request.
Outage reporting
A public dashboard (on the log on page) will provide information on any known upcoming changes to the products and services. In the case of outages we will communicate the issue and the progress (along with expected resolution times where available) to buyers via email.

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
2-factor authentication
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Confidential. We are happy to discuss in further detail with the Equifax Security team
Access restriction testing frequency
At least once a year
Management access authentication
2-factor authentication

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users receive audit information on a regular basis
How long user audit data is stored for
User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users receive audit information on a regular basis
How long supplier audit data is stored for
User-defined
How long system logs are stored for
User-defined

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
BSI
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
29/05/2020
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
N/a
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
Yes
Who accredited the PCI DSS certification
Coalfire Systems, Inc.
PCI DSS accreditation date
10/07/2020
What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover
N/a
Cyber essentials
Yes
Cyber essentials plus
Yes
Other security certifications
No

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes
We follow ISO 27001 best practice, which ensures we comply with various regulations regarding data protection, privacy and IT governance. All employees have to read, acknowledge and sign the information security policy when they join the company. All employees are vetted using previous employment references and internal credit checks as part of the application process. We operate a mandatory induction training programme for all new starters, which includes a detailed study of the company’s information security policy, standards, practices, and the employee’s obligations under that policy framework. All employees have to sign non-disclosure / confidentiality agreements and have clearly defined terms and conditions of employment. There is also a clearly defined and communicated disciplinary process in place. Any specific security requirements over and above the general company ones are included within job descriptions.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach
Confidential. We are happy to discuss in further detail with the Equifax Security team
Vulnerability management type
Undisclosed
Vulnerability management approach
Confidential. We are happy to discuss in further detail with the Equifax Security team
Protective monitoring type
Undisclosed
Protective monitoring approach
Confidential. We are happy to discuss in further detail with the Equifax Security team
Incident management type
Undisclosed
Incident management approach
Confidential. We are happy to discuss in further detail with the Equifax Security team

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality

ACTION: We will partner with leading charities such as Young Enterprise (YE)/Career Ready to deliver support in money management and careers skills to young people in more deprived areas.

ACTION: Experts from across the Equifax family of companies will produce an annual financial health report for the UK using data only we hold on people’s income, spending, credit and debt resolution in the private and public sectors. We will launch it every year at a new workshop for debt policy stakeholders.
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

ACTION 1: WE WILL DELIVER A LASTING MEASURED IMPROVEMENT IN THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF OUR WORKFORCE BY GIVING ALL STAFF ACCESS TO LIVESMART, A DIGITAL TOOL TO BUILD A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER WORKFORCE

ACTION 2: WE WILL OFFER VULNERABILITY AWARENESS TRAINING TO ALL STAFF TO IMPROVE THEIR RESILIENCE AND OUTCOMES FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE

ACTION 3: WE WILL IMPROVE WELLBEING BY DRIVING UP VOLUNTEERING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH HIGH IMPACT CHARITIES SUCH AS YOUNG ENTERPRISE (YE)/CAREER READY THAT EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE IN MORE DEPRIVED AREAS ON MONEY MANAGEMENT AND CAREERS SKILLS

Pricing

Price
£0.75 a unit
Discount for educational organisations
No
Free trial available
Yes
Description of free trial
For a limited time or an agreed volume of reports Equifax would be willing to provide a trial of the full service in order for an assessment to be made by the supplier of its suitability.

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at oliver.abbott@equifax.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.