Validate an IBAN and VAT number before paying an invoice

Description and use

Adding IBAN and VAT validation via API prevents erroneous payments before they occur.

Problem

Mistyped IBANs or fake VAT numbers on supplier invoices can be caught cheaply before payment and avoided costly fixes afterward.

Outcome

Adding two HTTP calls to validate IBAN and EU VAT before payment reduces the risk of paying to incorrect accounts and ensures compliance with EU VIES registration.

Workflow

• Extract invoice data from email or PDF
• Send IBAN to Invoice & Payment ID Validator API via GET /v1/iban
• Send EU VAT to API via GET /v1/vat/eu?live=true
• Optionally batch multiple IDs with POST /v1/batch
• Apply pay/hold rules: hold if IBAN invalid or VIES unregistered, flag if name mismatch, retry if VIES error, otherwise approve
• Integrate into n8n workflow with HTTP Request and IF nodes

Evidence

A mistyped IBAN or a made-up VAT number on a supplier invoice is cheap to catch before payment and expensive to fix after.

Source

What it checks: the country's IBAN length, the ISO 13616 mod-97 checksum, and SEPA membership.

Source

With live=true, the API asks the EU's VIES service whether the number is registered.

Source

Up to 50 IDs per call (up to 10 of them live VIES checks).

Source