Sanctions screening
RailFi checks payout addresses against the U.S. Treasury OFAC SDN list and blocks on a hit, or if the list is out of date.
In beta
Automatic sanctions screening runs on RailFi payment links, which are in beta for invited contractors.
What RailFi screens
RailFi screens payout wallet addresses against the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, using the digital currency addresses OFAC publishes in it. RailFi downloads the list from OFAC's Sanctions List Service once a day. EVM addresses are compared without regard to upper or lower case.
When it runs
- When an invoice is created, before any payment link exists
- Every time the payment page opens, in case the list changed since the invoice was created
On a match
The invoice is blocked and no payment instructions are shown. The message is neutral: "We can't create payment instructions for this address. Contact us." RailFi doesn't say which list entry matched, and the RailFi team is alerted.
If the list is out of date
If RailFi's copy of the list is more than 72 hours old, or the check can't run, RailFi blocks rather than lets the invoice through, and no payment instructions are shown: "We can't check this address right now, so we've paused it. Try again in an hour. Nothing has been sent."
What it is not
OFAC says its list of digital currency addresses is not likely to be exhaustive. A clear result means the address wasn't on the SDN list on the date checked, nothing more.
- It is a list check on the payout address, not a risk score or transaction monitoring.
- It is not an anti-money-laundering programme. Identity checks and anti-money-laundering checks are done by your provider.
- It doesn't screen the payer's wallet or trace where funds came from.
Think your address was blocked by mistake? Contact us.
Last updated 30 September 2026. Something unclear or wrong? Tell us.