How to turn off BVN validation for your customers’ added accounts

By default, when a customer adds a bank account on your Lendsqr-powered platform, the system runs a bank verification number check to confirm that the account belongs to the person registered on your app. This is a fraud prevention measure that ensures borrowers cannot add accounts tied to other people’s identities.

However, there are legitimate scenarios where you may need to turn this check off. For example, if your platform caters to business owners who want to add company accounts that are not tied to their personal bank verification number, or if you are onboarding users in a testing or pilot environment, the default validation can become a blocker. The bank verification number override setting in your system configurations gives you the flexibility to handle these cases.

This guide walks you through exactly how to locate and enable this setting.

When to use this setting

Turning off bank verification number validation should be a deliberate decision, not a default one. Consider using this setting when:

• Your lending product is designed for businesses where the repayment account belongs to a company, not an individual
• You are running a pilot or internal test and need to add accounts without going through identity verification
• A specific user group on your platform legitimately holds accounts that are not tied to their personal bank verification number
• You have alternative account verification methods in place and do not need the built-in check. If none of these scenarios apply to your platform, it is advisable to leave the default validation in place to protect against fraudulent account additions.

If none of these scenarios apply to your platform, it is advisable to leave the default validation in place to protect against fraudulent account additions.

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How to turn off bank verification number validation

Step 1: Log in to the admin console

Go to app.lendsqr.com and log in with your administrator credentials. Click the settings (gear) icon at the top of the page.

Step 2: Open System Configuration and search for the setting

Under “Platform” in the settings sidebar, select “System Configuration“, then choose the “System” category. Use its search box to find the setting by typing “bank verification” rather than scrolling or paging through the full list. The real setting is named “Allow BVN Verification Override“.

Step 3: Turn on the override

Click the toggle next to “Allow BVN Verification Override” to switch it on. The change applies immediately; there is no separate Save step.

How to re-enable bank verification number validation

If you need to turn the check back on at any point, follow the same steps and click the Allow BVN Verification Override toggle again to switch it off. The validation will immediately resume for all subsequent account additions.

Best practices

• Only enable this override when there is a clear business reason to do so leaving bank verification number validation off indefinitely increases your exposure to fraudulent account additions
• If you enable the override for a specific use case such as a business lending pilot, consider disabling it again once that phase is complete
• Document internally when this setting was changed and why, so that future administrators understand the context
• Combine this setting with other risk controls such as know-your-customer document requirements and tier-based access to maintain a sufficient level of security even without bank verification number validation
• Periodically review the accounts added during periods when the override was active to confirm there are no irregularities

Read also: Why is the image of my user’s BVN empty?