OFAC screening for payment startups
Payment startups should screen before every payout, starting at $0.05 per check via x402.
TL;DR
TL;DR: Payment startups should screen every counterparty before a payout, starting on a free tier and scaling to $0.05 per check via x402 or a $19 monthly plan.
Screen before you pay
For a payment startup, the moment of payout is the point of maximum sanctions risk. Screening the destination before funds are released, using a single HTTP call under 100 ms, means a blocked counterparty is caught before value leaves. Because liability is strict and penalties start at $356,000 per violation, this check is not optional.
Pricing for startups
- Free: 5 checks per day, no signup, no key.
- Dev: $19 per month for 10,000 checks.
- Pro: $99 per month for 100,000 checks.
- Pay as you go: $0.05 per check via x402.
Integration
Payment startups can screen via x402 at payment time, through Base/USDC for stablecoin payouts, or via the MCP server (pip install sanctions-mcp) for agent-driven flows. The same tools (sanctions_check, risk_score, kya_verify, dispute_open) cover the decision, the risk view, counterparty documentation, and dispute review.