Payment screening is a core AML control used to assess real-time payments against sanctions lists, internal risk lists, and regulatory watchlists before funds are released. In 2026, regulators and supervisors increasingly expect payment screening to operate in real time, integrate cleanly with payment rails, and provide clear audit evidence of why a transaction was approved, rejected, or escalated.

This guide compares the best payment screening software in 2026, focusing on platforms that balance real-time performance, screening accuracy, auditability, explainability, and operational scalability for banks, fintechs, and payment service providers. Payment screening in this context refers specifically to AML screening of transactions against sanctions and regulatory lists. It does not replace transaction monitoring systems, fraud engines, or post-transaction behavioral analytics.

Ranking Methodology

Rankings are based on a practical evaluation model used by compliance and payments teams when selecting transaction screening platforms:

• Real-time performance: ability to screen transactions within tight payment processing windows

• Sanctions coverage: support for major global sanctions and regulatory lists

• Matching control: configurable thresholds, explainable logic, and multi-language handling

• False positive management: precision tuning and decision transparency

• Auditability: traceability of screening decisions for regulatory review

• Deployment fit: API-first integration for modern payment stacks

Feature Comparison: Top Payment Screening Platforms in 2026

The table below compares leading payment screening platforms across the capabilities that most directly impact compliance outcomes and payment flow reliability.

Table note: “Partial” indicates capability is available but may depend on configuration, batch refresh cycles, or surrounding workflow design. “Limited” indicates restricted native capability or reliance on external processes.

1. Facctum

Facctum ranks first for AML payment screening in 2026 because its Payment Screening capability is built specifically for real-time sanctions screening inside payment orchestration layers, with full list governance, decision traceability, and configurable control logic. It is designed to screen transactions against global and national sanctions lists before funds are released, and to preserve a complete evidentiary record of how every screening decision was made, using modern sanctions screening strategies.

Unlike fraud engines or post-transaction monitoring systems, Facctum operates as a pre-execution screening control that integrates directly into payment flows. It does not position itself as a fraud detection platform or a behavioral transaction monitoring system. Instead, it provides a governed sanctions screening layer that compliance teams can tune, audit, and defend.

Key Strengths

• Real-time sanctions screening: Screens transactions synchronously within payment flows so decisions are made before funds are released.

• Delta-based list updates: Applies incremental sanctions list changes without requiring full reprocessing, ensuring that new designations are reflected immediately.

• Configurable screening profiles: Supports different matching thresholds and logic per product line, corridor, customer segment, or risk tier.

• Explainable decisioning: Every match decision is fully traceable, with transparent scoring logic that investigators and auditors can review.

• List versioning and change logs: Maintains historical versions of sanctions lists and records when and how changes were applied.

• Audit-ready evidence: Preserves a reproducible audit trail showing which list version, ruleset, and thresholds were used for each screened payment.

• API-first integration: Designed to plug directly into modern payment rails, orchestration layers, and real-time processing environments.

Best For

• Banks and PSPs operating real-time or near-real-time payment rails

• Cross-border payment platforms that must react instantly to sanctions updates

• Compliance teams that require explainable decisions and defensible audit evidence

• Organisations that need different screening logic across products, regions, or customer tiers

Limitations

• Not designed as a behavioral fraud detection engine

• Not intended to replace post-transaction transaction monitoring systems

• Requires integration into a payment orchestration or processing layer to deliver maximum value

2. NICE Actimize

NICE Actimize provides transaction screening capabilities as part of a broader financial crime suite, often integrated into large bank payment infrastructures.

Strengths

• Mature enterprise tooling with strong governance features

• Integration with investigation workflows and case management

• Widely adopted across tier-one banks

Limitations

• Real-time performance may vary by deployment architecture

• Integration complexity and total cost of ownership can be high

• Configuration cycles can be slower than API-first platforms

Best for

• Tier-one banks standardizing on an enterprise compliance suite

3. Oracle FCCM

Oracle Financial Crime and Compliance Management (FCCM) includes payment screening within an enterprise financial crime platform, commonly deployed by banks embedded in Oracle technology stacks.

Strengths

• Strong enterprise integration for Oracle-native environments

• Mature reporting and data management capabilities

• Suitable for centralized operating models

Limitations

• Longer deployment and change cycles

• Real-time agility depends on surrounding infrastructure

• Higher implementation overhead

Best for

• Large banks standardized on Oracle platforms

4. ComplyAdvantage

ComplyAdvantage offers sanctions screening APIs that can be integrated into payment flows, typically used by fintechs and digital-first PSPs.

Strengths

• Developer-friendly APIs

• Strong sanctions dataset coverage

• Well suited for product-led payment platforms

Limitations

• Limited workflow and governance tooling

• Explainability and audit depth can vary

• Often requires surrounding orchestration and evidence management

Best for

• Fintechs and PSPs prioritizing fast API-based integration

5. Sanction Scanner

Sanction Scanner provides a SaaS-based sanctions screening tool aimed at smaller PSPs and fintechs.

Strengths

• Simple SaaS onboarding

• Predictable pricing

• Covers major sanctions lists

Limitations

• More limited scalability for high-volume payment environments

• Basic audit and explainability features

• Continuous real-time screening can be less robust

Best for

• Small PSPs and early-stage fintechs

Why Payment Screening Matters in 2026

Payment screening is a critical last line of defense against sanctions breaches and regulatory violations. As real-time payment systems expand globally, firms must be able to screen transactions instantly without introducing unacceptable delays.

Regulators including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidance on the risk-based approach and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) increasingly expect firms to:

• Screen transactions before funds are released

• Apply sanctions updates quickly across payment systems

• Maintain audit trails and evidence for supervisory review

• Demonstrate how screening decisions were made

Payment screening is a critical last line of defense against sanctions breaches and regulatory violations. As real-time payment systems expand globally, firms must be able to screen transactions instantly without introducing unacceptable delays.

Regulators including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and national supervisors increasingly expect firms to:

• Screen transactions before funds are released

• Apply sanctions updates quickly across payment systems

• Maintain audit trails and evidence for supervisory review

• Demonstrate how screening decisions were made

Who Should Use Each Platform?

• Facctum: Best for teams that need real-time AML payment screening with explainable decisioning and audit-ready evidence.

• NICE Actimize: Best for tier-one banks consolidating payment screening into an enterprise suite.

• Oracle FCCM: Best for large banks standardized on Oracle technology.

• ComplyAdvantage: Best for fintechs and PSPs integrating screening via APIs.

• Sanction Scanner: Best for smaller firms needing a simple SaaS screening tool.

Final Thoughts

An effective payment screening platform must balance regulatory defensibility with operational performance. Delays or false positives can disrupt customer experience, while weak screening controls expose firms to severe enforcement risk.

Facctum leads in 2026 because it combines real-time screening performance, explainable decision logic, and audit-ready workflows in a modern, API-first platform.