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Payments Risk Assessment

Identify risks in your payment processes and strengthen controls to reduce errors, delays and losses.

Discuss Your Payment Risks

    About Our Payments Risk Assessment Services

    When a payment is delayed, someone has to trace it. When the figures do not match, someone has to find the difference. The difficulty is knowing whether you are dealing with a one-off mistake or a weakness in the way payments are handled.

    Vertex Compliance helps you examine that question. We review the payment methods, systems and providers your business uses, along with the work your employees do at each stage.

    The assessment explains where errors, fraud or disruption could occur and how well your existing checks address them. You receive findings and recommendations to help decide what needs changing.

    What Our Payments Risk Assessment Service Covers

    The review follows payments through your business, including failed transactions and the work needed to resolve them.

    1. Payment Processing and Settlement

    We examine how payment instructions are received, checked and sent for processing. We then look at how your team confirms completion, follows up on delays and handles rejected transactions. Daily reconciliation is part of the review: who investigates a difference, how long it stays open and what evidence is kept when it is resolved. Depending on your operations, we also assess settlement funding and the risk of a bank or another party failing to pay when due.

    2. Systems, Permissions and Payment Controls

    Who can change a beneficiary’s details? Can the same employee enter and approve a payment? What stops a failed transaction from being submitted twice? We review these questions alongside access permissions, transaction limits and refund controls. We also consider how staff respond when a system is unavailable. Relevant AML, sanctions and payment-data controls can be included. Any need for detailed technical testing is identified separately, with the limits of our review made clear.

    3. Banks, Processors and Other Providers

    An outside provider may process the payment, but your employees still need enough information to track it and resolve problems. We review the arrangements with your banks, processors, acquirers and other payment partners. We look at settlement reports, incident contacts, service commitments and responsibilities for failed payments or disputes. We also ask how you would continue operating if a key provider became unavailable, and whether the proposed alternative could work in practice.

    Our Approach

    We ask your team to show us what happens to a payment, from the first instruction to the final entry in your records.

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    Understand Your Payment Routes

    We identify the payment methods, currencies, accounts and providers within scope. Your employees explain how each route works and where they regularly run into problems. We use this discussion to agree on the records and people needed for the assessment.

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    2. Look at Where Payments Get Stuck

    We consider failed transactions, late settlements, duplicate payments and balances that do not reconcile. We ask what causes these issues and how they are followed up. The review also considers less frequent events, such as a provider outage or a shortage of settlement funds.

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    3. Review the Supporting Records

    We examine an agreed sample of payment records, approvals, reconciliations and incident reports. These help us check whether the process described is being followed. If the evidence is missing or does not explain a decision, we record the gap and discuss it with your team.

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    4. Set Out the Findings

    We confirm the facts with the relevant employees before issuing the report. Findings explain the exposure, the controls reviewed and the action recommended. We discuss priorities so management can assign the work and follow up on completion.

    Who Are Our Payments Risk Assessment Services For?

    Banks and Exchange Houses
    Payment Service Providers
    Fintech and Digital Wallet Businesses
    Businesses Using Multiple Payment Providers

    Ideal for UAE businesses reviewing payment arrangements, preparing to launch a service or investigating recurring processing and settlement problems.

    Why Choose Vertex Compliance

    Full Payment Review

    We look at the connections between your employees, systems and providers, rather than reviewing each step in isolation.

    Failed Payment Checks

    Failed payments and unresolved balances receive attention because they can leave customers waiting and losses unnoticed.

    Clear Findings

    We explain the issue in terms of the payment process, with the supporting evidence and the reason for concern.

    Practical Recommendations

    Changes are proposed for the gaps found, whether they involve access, reconciliation, settlement or provider responsibilities.

    Meet the Experts

    Sarah Khan
    Vasantha Madan Mohan

    Managing Director

    Sarah Khan
    Sridhar Rajam

    Associate Partner

    Sarah Khan
    Arjun Mohan

    Director – Sales & Marketing

    Frequently Asked Questions

    We review how your business receives, processes and settles payments. The assessment considers what could go wrong, how serious the consequences could be and which controls are in place. The scope depends on your payment services and the areas you want examined.
    No. Fraud is one concern, but payment losses can also result from processing mistakes, delayed settlements or poor handling of exceptions. System outages, funding needs and dependence on outside providers may also need attention.
    Yes. We can review the planned process before launch, including the providers involved and how responsibilities will be divided. Controls that cannot be checked until the service is operating are identified for later review.
    We examine the parts your business remains responsible for and how they connect with the processor’s work. This may include checking settlement figures, dealing with complaints and escalating failed transactions. The provider’s role and the information available to your team are important parts of that review.
    No. Penetration testing requires a separate technical scope. This assessment can identify concerns about access or system arrangements, but it does not establish security through document review alone. We will explain where additional testing is needed.
    The report describes the risks identified, the controls examined and the weaknesses found. It includes recommendations, risk ratings and any limitations in the work. A risk register and action tracker can also be included if agreed at the start.