Allow List (Whitelisting)

Screening software compares customer and payment names with sanctions lists and flags close matches. Many of these are false hits, such as a customer who shares a common name with a listed person. Once an analyst has checked and cleared one, the allow list records the decision, so the pair is not alerted again. This saves time, but it carries risk. If the sanctions list changes or the customer's details alter, the old clearance may be wrong. Controls therefore include a reason and evidence for each entry, approval by a second person, a review date, and automatic removal when relevant data changes. Auditors test samples. Allow lists are a screening tool and not a legal exemption. A stale or poorly approved entry can quietly let a true match go through unchecked.

A bank's screening system keeps alerting on a customer with a very common name, similar to a listed individual. An analyst confirms from date of birth and nationality that they are different people. The entry is added to the allow list with a reason, a second approver and a review date. When the sanctions list is updated six months later, the pair is rechecked.