OFAC compliance for small business
OFAC screening sounds enterprise-grade, but a small business can meet it with one API call per payment.
TL;DR
TL;DR: Small businesses processing payments need OFAC screening, and it is simpler and cheaper than most assume. A single API check before each payment is often enough.
Why it applies to you
OFAC obligations apply to US persons and businesses generally, not only to banks. There is no small-business exemption, and strict liability means intent is not required. A single payment to a blocked party can trigger civil penalties starting at $356,000 per violation.
What it costs
- Free tier: 5 checks per day, no signup, no key.
- Dev plan: $19 per month for 10,000 checks.
- MIT-licensed and self-hostable if you prefer to run it yourself.
How to do it
Screen each counterparty before payment. If the result is flagged, BLOCK the payment. Keep a record of each clean screen. sanctionsai.dev's checks run in under 100 ms, so screening adds no noticeable delay to a checkout.