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REGULATION

VOP: The new obligation that changes everything

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  • 5 min •

From January 2026, Verification of Payment Transactions (VOP) will become mandatory for all European financial institutions. This directive requires verification that the beneficiary's name matches the IBAN before each transfer. The objective is to reduce transfer fraud, which represents billions of euros in losses each year.

Why now?

Wire transfer fraud is exploding: identity theft, fake wire transfer orders (FOVI), phishing… Criminals are exploiting the fact that SEPA transfers currently only verify the IBAN, not the account holder's name. VOP addresses this vulnerability.

The sectors impacted

Banks and neobanks

Mandatory verification for all outgoing transfers

Fintech and PSP

Adaptation of payment systems and APIs

B2B companies

Securing supplier payments and salaries

E-commerce

Protection against fraudulent refunds

Real estate and notaries

Verification of large fund transfers

Public administrations

Securing payments and subsidies

The limitations of VOP

1
Outdated identity data
The VOP relies on databases that may be outdated or incomplete. A name change (marriage, divorce) or an administrative error can block a legitimate transfer.
2
Undetected name variants
Jean Dupont, J. Dupont, Jean-Pierre Dupont… The VOP can reject legitimate transfers because of minor variations in the spelling of the name.
3
Incompatibility with joint accounts
For joint accounts or company accounts with multiple signatories, verification can be complex and a source of errors.

Beyond VOP: a comprehensive approach

Voice overlay (VOP) is a first step, but it's not enough. Fraudsters adapt quickly and find new vulnerabilities. A comprehensive approach to fraud prevention must combine multiple layers of security.

How does Meelo complement the VOP?

Behavioral analysis
Fraud pattern detection beyond simple IBAN/name verification
Real-time verification
Access to up-to-date banking data via Open Banking
Dynamic risk score
Real-time fraud risk assessment for each transaction

Meelo supports you in your VOP compliance

Meelo integrates IBAN verification from the beginning of the process and covers all banking institutions via Open Banking, for complete and unblocked compliance.
Contact us →

or by telephone: 03 20 83 12 56

Sources

¹ European Directive 2024/XX on VOP
² European Banking Authority (EBA), 2025 Report
³ Bank of France, Payment Security Observatory