Business
R1 490 a month
R1.49 per check
For lenders, dealer groups and screening firms checking every file.
- 1 000 checks a month
- API access, set up with our team
- Full report + PDF export
- Priority support
Check income documents before you grant credit
Affordability decisions rest on the payslips and bank statements the applicant sends you. Check each PDF for signs of editing the eye cannot see, before it reaches a credit decision.
Credit volumes leave little time per file
South African credit providers handle millions of applications every quarter, and most of the income evidence arrives as PDFs uploaded by the applicant. A credit officer has minutes per file. Reading the salary line and the running balance does not reveal whether the document was changed after the bank or payroll system produced it.
A declined application is not evidence of fraud, and most applicants are honest. The purpose of a file check is narrower: to flag the few documents that show signs of editing, so your team spends its attention where it is needed and approves the rest with more confidence.
One loan application, two ways
Approved on the documents as read
An applicant for a personal loan uploads three months of statements and two payslips. The income supports the instalment, the bureau record is thin but clean, and the loan is approved. The first debit order fails. When collections look back at the file, the salary deposits match nothing the employer ever paid.
Checked as the documents arrive
Each PDF is checked on upload, by hand in the browser or through an API set up with our team. The payslips come back with no signs of editing found; one statement shows signs of editing. The application moves to your manual review queue, the applicant is asked for a statement downloaded directly from the bank, and the report is saved to the loan file.
What each check gives your credit team
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A verdict per document
A plain result for every PDF: signs of editing found, no signs of editing found, or could not be assessed. It sits beside your affordability calculation, not in place of it.
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An integrity score for digital files
Statements and payslips generated as PDFs get a score your team can use in routing rules. Scanned or photographed documents are checked as images and get a report without a score.
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A PDF report for the loan file
Export the report and store it with the application. It records which document was checked and the outcome, which helps when a file is reviewed later.
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Clear limits
For an unsigned file the best result is “no signs of editing found”. That does not confirm the issuer, so a clean report supports your assessment rather than replacing income confirmation.
Regulation 23A: affordability and authentic documents
Under the National Credit Regulations, a registered credit provider must take practicable steps to assess an applicant’s discretionary income before granting credit: gross income less tax, UIF, maintenance, necessary expenses and existing debt (Regulation 23A(3)). The applicant, in turn, must disclose their financial obligations and provide authentic documentation (Regulation 23A(6) and (7)).
That is why lenders collect recent payslips or bank statements. A file check does not satisfy the regulation for you. It supports your affordability file by recording that the income documents were checked for signs of editing before you relied on them. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Recommended plan for lenders
Lenders who check every application need volume and an integration. The Business plan covers 1 000 checks a month, with API access set up with our team. Smaller credit providers can start with the Team plan, and those with thousands of files a month can compare Scale. See every plan on the pricing page.
Also relevant
Questions lenders ask
Can the check run inside our loan management system?
On the Business plan, API access is set up with our team, so each document can be checked as it is uploaded. Name your system in the request form and we will work out the connection with you.
How is this different from bank statement retrieval services?
Tools that fetch statements directly from the bank solve a different problem: the applicant has to connect their account. A file check works on the PDFs applicants already send, including those who will not share banking access.
Does a flagged document mean the applicant committed fraud?
No. A flag means the file shows signs of editing and deserves a closer look. Ask for a fresh document downloaded directly from the bank or payroll system, and decide on the whole file.
Which documents can we check?
Any PDF up to 10 MB: bank statements, payslips, employer letters and proofs of payment. Screenshots cannot be uploaded, so ask the applicant for the PDF.
Where is applicant data processed, and for how long?
Files are processed outside South Africa and deleted automatically within 30 days. When you send us applicants’ documents you remain the responsible party under POPIA and we act as your operator. See our privacy policy.
Is there a person reviewing our applicants’ files at Atomara?
No. The check is fully automated. The report appears on screen as soon as it finishes, and you can export it as a PDF.
Free download
Send the form below and the download link appears straight away. We email it to you as well.
Talk to us about your application volume
Share your monthly volume and the system you use. We reply within one business day.