AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Dual authorisation means a payment one user creates cannot leave the account until a second authorised user approves it. For payments to Nigeria, set it up on every platform the money can leave from, UK and Nigerian, with the second approval required for all international payments and all new or changed payees, and with separate users rather than shared logins. It matters more for Nigeria because UK Confirmation of Payee and the APP scam reimbursement rules do not cover international payments.
Dual authorisation is the most direct way to stop a single mistake, or a single compromised login, sending money to the wrong account in Nigeria. It is simple in concept and easy to undermine in practice, usually through shared credentials or a rule that covers some payments but not others. This article covers how it works, how to set it up and the gaps to close.
Why it matters for payments to Nigeria
Pay.UK says Confirmation of Payee covers domestic UK payments by CHAPS, Faster Payments and Bacs; international payments are not in scope. Nationwide's summary of the UK APP scam reimbursement rules says they cover UK payments by Faster Payments or CHAPS and exclude international payments. A payment to a Nigerian account is outside both. A second person checking the payee, the amount and the reason before release is the control that remains.
How dual authorisation usually works
- The account holder (usually by board or partner authority) names the users and their roles: who can create payments, who can approve them, who can administer users.
- A creator sets up the payment; it sits pending.
- An approver, a different user, reviews and approves; only then does the bank process it.
- Rules may vary by amount, payment type or payee, for example a second approver above a threshold, or for all international payments.
Platforms differ on what they allow, so ask each bank. As one documented example, GTBank's GAPS for businesses in Nigeria lets a reviewer or approver decline a payment schedule and the approver cancel a pending batch, while processed batches cannot be cancelled; it requires a letter on letterhead (GAPS-Lite) or a board resolution (GAPS) for changes, and a security token for access.
Rules to set
| Payment | Second approval? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Any international payment, including to Nigeria | Always | Outside Confirmation of Payee and APP reimbursement |
| New payee or changed bank details | Always, after a call to a known number | The point where most invoice fraud succeeds |
| Payroll and bulk files | Always | One file can carry many errors |
| Domestic payments to known payees under your threshold | Optional | Confirmation of Payee applies; keep friction where risk is |
| Changes to users, roles or limits | Always, ideally by a director | Otherwise one user can remove the control |
Gaps that defeat the control
- Shared logins. If the creator knows the approver's password or holds their token, there is one person, not two. Each user needs their own credentials and device.
- Approving without looking. The approver should see the payee name, account, amount, currency and the invoice behind it, not just a total.
- Other exits. Dual authorisation on the UK account does little if a Lagos account, a card or a payment app can send the same money with one approval. Cover every route.
- Urgency. Requests to skip the second approval "just this once" are a classic fraud pressure. Make the rule that urgency is a reason to check more, not less.
- Absence. Name a deputy approver so holidays do not lead to rules being switched off.
Worked example
Example only. A UK company pays a Lagos logistics supplier about £6,000 a month. The supplier's 'accounts team' emails asking for the next payment to go to a new Nigerian account. The bookkeeper, who can create payments, updates the payee and sets up the transfer. Because the company's rule requires a second approval for changed bank details, the payment waits for the founder. The founder sees the change flag, calls the supplier's managing director on the number in the signed contract, and learns no change was requested. The payment is cancelled before release, the email is reported, and the payee record is restored. Without the rule, the money would have left on the bookkeeper's single approval, outside Confirmation of Payee and outside the UK reimbursement rules.
Steps
- List every account and app that can send money to Nigeria.
- For each, ask the provider what roles and approval rules it supports, and in what form it wants your authority (mandate form, letter, board resolution).
- Set the rules in the table above, with named creators, approvers and a deputy.
- Test with a small payment and confirm it cannot be released by the creator alone.
- Review users and rules every quarter and whenever someone leaves.
For who should hold which role in a small team, see segregation of duties in a small UK and Nigeria team; for invoice checks before approving, checking invoices from Nigerian suppliers are genuine.
Where Pryme fits
On a Pryme Business Account, the agents prepare payments and a person approves above a ceiling you set, with actions recorded. Access uses an authenticator app rather than SMS codes and a transaction PIN (security).
Questions people ask
What is dual authorisation on a business bank account?
A rule that a payment created by one user must be approved by a second authorised user before the bank sends it.
Should every payment to Nigeria need two approvers?
It is a sensible default, because international payments fall outside Confirmation of Payee and the UK APP reimbursement rules.
Can the same person hold two logins to approve their own payments?
They should not. Shared or duplicated credentials remove the control entirely.
How do I set up dual approval on a Nigerian business account?
Ask the bank; for example, GTBank's GAPS uses reviewer and approver roles and needs a letter or board resolution for changes.
Sources
- Pay.UK: Confirmation of Payee FAQs · accessed Oct 2026
- Nationwide: Payment Systems Regulator APP scam reimbursement rules · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: GAPS (Automated Payment Systems) for businesses · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.