Understand real-time check results
Find out what your real-time check results mean.
After you run a real-time check, you will see the results displayed immediately in the Results section of the page.
Account Administrators and users with access can also view and download the results for the last three months from the History page.
Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Death Master File (DMF) matching
The first result shows if the TIN and Name combination matches the records of the IRS database.
If there's a Death Master File match, it means the provided TIN belongs to someone whose SSN (Social Security Number) is on the SSA Death Master File list. It doesn't automatically mean that the payee is deceased.
Click the arrow icon to expand the result for more details.
Keep in mind that the information retrieved from the Death Master File is only valid for SSN and it can match a recycled TIN. There are a few numbers that are issued as both an EIN and SSN, for example, when a person dies, their SSN gets reissued as a company's EIN. While not common, it can happen that the EIN will come back as an accurate match for a company but it will also show up on the Death Master File as a person's SSN.
USPS address validation
Address validation ensures that the address you are validating is an existing and accurate mail delivery address according to the USPS Address Validation and Normalization Database. It does not guarantee, however, that it's the payee's actual address.
Global watchlists
There are several lists to check if a person or business is involved in any illegal activities, for example, the Designated Foreign Terrorist List or the FBI Wanted lists. For a full list, read the article on watchlists and other verification sources.
If a match is found in any of the global watchlists, it will be displayed in red and at the top. The list of results can be shorter or longer depending on your validation preferences.
Expand the results by clicking the arrow icon to check if it is a complete or partial match.
List matching is based on the match threshold, which can be modified in your settings. Read more about how to adjust your match threshold for real-time checks and how to set the match threshold for bulk checks.