For Professionals

Account Verification Costs: Why It's Charged and What Happens

6 min read

Everything sellers need to know about the 5-credit payout account verification charge.

Quick answer: Account verification costs 5 credits. The charge is immediate, non-refundable, and applies whether verification succeeds or fails. It covers Paystack's real-time bank account validation.

Key facts

Charged immediately upon confirmation, before the verification attempt runs
Non-refundable regardless of the outcome (pass or fail)
Cost per attempt: 5 credits
Required before you can receive payouts
Covers real-time bank account validation

Why does account verification cost credits?

Account verification through Paystack (our payment partner) requires real-time validation of your bank account with South African banking systems. That validation service costs us money, and it is reflected as a 5-credit charge on your account.


⚡ Charged immediately	Credits are deducted the moment you confirm, before verification even starts.
🔒 Non-refundable	Charged regardless of the verification outcome — pass or fail.
🎯 Per attempt	Each verification try costs 5 credits. You are only charged when you attempt verification.

What the 5 credits cover

Real-time account validation through Paystack
Account holder name verification
Credit acceptance confirmation (can the account receive deposits?)
Account status check (is the account active?)

Why Paystack charges for this

Paystack works directly with South African banks to provide real-time account validation. That service needs serious infrastructure:

Real-time access to bank systems
Compliance with banking regulations
24/7 system availability
Technical expertise for account validation
Security and fraud prevention

Those operational costs are passed on to businesses that use verification, and to the users who need the service.

When are credits charged?

Step 1 — Before you start. Not charged yet. You need at least 5 credits in your account. Click Verify Account on the payout form.

Step 2 — The confirmation window opens. Still not charged. You'll see your current balance, the 5-credit cost, the warning that you're charged regardless of outcome, and a required Paystack terms checkbox.

Step 3 — You click Confirm & Verify Account. This is the moment you are charged. 5 credits are deducted right away. Don't close or refresh the page.

Step 4 — Charge confirmed. The deduction is complete and cannot be reversed. Your new balance is shown, and the verification attempt starts.

Step 5 — Verification attempt. Your account details are checked with Paystack. Your credits are already spent at this point — the result does not change that.

Step 6 — Result.

Pass: "Account verified successfully" — your payout account is connected and your new balance is shown.
Fail: You'll see the reason, and a note that 5 credits were charged. Fix the details and retry (another 5 credits).

Frequently asked questions

What happens if verification fails? Do I get my credits back?

No. Credits are charged the moment you click Confirm & Verify, regardless of the outcome. Paystack charges us a fixed amount for validating your account details, and that cost is the same whether validation passes or fails. This is also stated in Paystack's Terms & Conditions, which you agree to when you tick the box during verification.

Why can't I get a refund if verification fails?

Three reasons:

Payment gateway cost — Paystack charges us a fixed fee to validate your account, pass or fail. We pay that fee either way.
Paystack Terms & Conditions — our service agreement states verification charges are non-refundable. This is standard for all users.
System integrity — non-refundable charges discourage careless attempts and keep the cost fair and equal for everyone. It also prevents abuse.

We recommend: before verifying, carefully check that every detail matches exactly what your bank has on file.

What should I do if verification fails?

Step 1: Review your details. Confirm each of these matches your bank exactly:

Account holder name (exact match — no nicknames or variations)
Account number (check your bank statement)
Bank selection (correct bank chosen)
Account type (personal vs business must match your real account)

Step 2: Try again. After correcting your details, verify again. This costs another 5 credits.

Step 3: Contact your bank. Ask them to confirm the account is active, accepts deposits, has complete details on file, and has no restrictions.

Step 4: Buy more credits if you've used yours and need to retry.

Step 5: Contact YeboWork support with a screenshot of the error, the exact message you received, and confirmation that you've checked the details with your bank.

How many credits do I need? Can I verify for free?

Verification costs 5 credits per attempt and is not free — the cost reflects Paystack's validation service fee. You need at least 5 credits in your account to attempt it. Before you verify you'll always see your current balance, the cost, the non-refundable warning, and a link to Paystack's terms. If you have fewer than 5 credits, the Verify Account button is disabled and you'll be prompted to buy credits first.

What exactly is included in the 5-credit cost?

A single validation pass through Paystack's system, which checks:

Account existence — does the account exist at the bank you selected?
Account holder name — does the name match what you provided?
Credit acceptance — can the account receive deposits?
Account status — is the account active, not frozen or dormant?

If any check fails, each retry is a separate validation pass and costs another 5 credits.

Why does Paystack charge for account verification?

Paystack maintains direct, real-time connections to South African banks, the technical systems to check several account attributes instantly, compliance and fraud-prevention controls, and 24/7 availability. Paystack runs this as a paid service, and those costs flow through to businesses like YeboWork and to the users who need verification.

Can I avoid the verification cost?

No. Verification is required before you can connect a payout account, receive payments, or withdraw earnings. There is no alternative path. Think of it like a bank transfer fee: moving money has a cost, and this check makes sure your account is legitimate and can safely receive it.

What if I don't have enough credits?

Open your account menu and go to Credits / Billing
Choose a credit package
Complete payment
Credits are added to your account immediately
Return to the payout form and verify

Until you have 5 or more credits the Verify Account button stays disabled and shows how many more you need. You are never charged unless you click Confirm & Verify.

Is this a one-time charge or does it repeat?

It is per attempt, not recurring. Example:

Attempt 1 (fails): −5 credits
Attempt 2 (fails): −5 credits
Attempt 3 (succeeds): −5 credits
Total: 15 credits

Once the account is verified there are no further charges for that account.

What if verification is taking a long time?

While it runs you'll see a processing message. Do not close the browser, refresh, or click elsewhere — just wait. It usually takes 30–60 seconds.

If it seems stuck for more than two minutes: take a screenshot, wait another minute, then close the window, check your credit balance to see whether you were charged, and contact support with the screenshot. Credits are only charged if the deduction completed, so an interrupted attempt may not have been charged.

Why did my verification fail?

"Account holder name does not match"

The name you entered doesn't match the name your bank has on file.

How to fix it: check your online banking or app for the exact registered name (including middle names and any title), enter it exactly as shown, and verify again.

Common mistakes: nicknames instead of legal names, missing middle names, adding or leaving out titles, spelling variations, maiden vs married surname. If your bank shows "John Michael Smith" and you enter "John Smith", it will fail.

"Account does not accept credits"

The account isn't set up to receive deposits or incoming transfers — common with some savings or investment accounts, restricted accounts, dormant accounts, or new accounts that still need activation.

How to fix it: call or visit your bank, explain you need to receive money by bank transfer, ask about restrictions, and request that deposits be enabled. Then verify again.

"Account is inactive or dormant"

The account is dormant, frozen, closed, or needs reactivation.

How to fix it: contact your bank, ask them to reactivate the account and remove any holds, and confirm it can receive transfers. If they can't help, use a different active account.

"Account could not be verified"

A general failure — Paystack couldn't confirm the account is valid. Causes include a wrong account number, the wrong bank selected, incomplete account information at the bank, a very new account (under 3 months), or a technical issue between Paystack and the bank.

How to fix it: check the account number against your statement, confirm the bank selection, ask your bank whether your details are complete, wait if the account is brand new, or try a different account. If nothing works, contact support with a screenshot, confirmation that the details are correct, and how old the account is.

Managing your credits

Check your balance: open your account menu, go to Credits, and look at your available balance. Your balance is also shown on the payout form and inside the verification confirmation window.

Buy credits: open your account menu, go to Credits and choose Buy credits, pick a package, and complete payment. Credits appear immediately, and you can return to the payout form to verify.

Paystack terms and conditions

Verification is processed through Paystack. When you verify your account you agree to Paystack's terms of service.

Non-refundable charges — verification charges are non-refundable under Paystack's standard terms
Per-attempt billing — you're billed per attempt, not per successful verification
Service availability — verification is provided as-is; success is not guaranteed for every account
Privacy — your account details are validated securely under Paystack's privacy policy

Still have questions?

Email: support@yebowork.co.za
In-app help: use the Help section in your account
Help Centre: browse the seller help pages for payouts and payments

When you contact us, please include a screenshot of any error message, what you've already tried, and when the issue happened. Never send your full bank account number or password.