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
UK banks hold large payments to Nigeria because money laundering rules require them to understand the purpose of a transaction and, where needed, the source of the funds, and because a big, unusual payment fits fraud patterns. Contact the bank on the number on your card, explain the purpose, and send the documents it asks for: the faster you show where the money came from and why it is going, the sooner it is usually released.
You are paying a builder in Abuja, settling a land purchase, or moving savings to a family member, and the amount is larger than anything you have sent before. The app shows the payment as pending, or a message asks you to call. The money has not been lost. It is sitting with your bank while it decides whether it is comfortable letting it go.
Why big payments get held
Two sets of rules sit behind most holds. The first is anti-money laundering law. Regulation 28 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 requires firms to assess, and where appropriate obtain information on, "the purpose and intended nature" of a business relationship or occasional transaction, and to keep monitoring it, including the source of funds where necessary. A payment that is much larger than your usual pattern is the kind of transaction that prompts those questions.
The second is fraud. The Financial Ombudsman Service says that when a firm blocks a payment to check for fraud or criminal activity, "we will usually consider this reasonable". Large first-time payments abroad are a common feature of investment, romance and property scams, and money sent overseas is harder to recover. Banks therefore stop and ask, even when the customer is entirely legitimate.
What the bank is likely to ask
| Question | Evidence that usually answers it |
|---|---|
| What is the payment for? | Invoice, sale agreement, contract of sale, school fee letter, builder's quotation |
| Who is the recipient and how do you know them? | Relationship, how long you have known them, previous payments to them |
| Where did the money come from? | Payslips, a completion statement from a UK house sale, an inheritance letter, savings history |
| Did anyone tell you to send it or what to say? | A straight answer; this is a scam check |
| Is the recipient account in their own name? | Account name as shown by the receiving bank or transfer firm |
Our guide on source of funds questions from remittance providers goes further on what counts as good evidence.
Steps to get the payment released
- Call the bank on the number on your card or through the app. Do not respond to a caller who rings you first; hang up and ring back, or use 159.
- Ask exactly what is needed and how to send it (secure message, upload, branch visit).
- Send clear copies that match the payment: same amount, same recipient name, same purpose.
- Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to and any reference number.
- Ask what happens next and when you should hear back.
How long holds last, and when to complain
No rule we found sets a maximum length for a fraud or compliance hold, and the Ombudsman page for firms does not give one either. In practice the length depends on how quickly the bank gets satisfactory answers. If you think a hold is unreasonable or the bank is not communicating, complain to the bank in writing. The Ombudsman says firms have 15 days to answer complaints about payment services, fraud and scams, rather than the usual eight weeks, and you can refer the complaint to it within six months of the final response. It considers whether the bank acted proportionately, communicated with you, and caused you financial harm.
Sometimes a bank will not explain every reason for a decision. Where it suspects financial crime it may have legal limits on what it can say, and it may also close an account. See what to do if your UK account is frozen after a Nigeria transfer.
Splitting a large payment
It can be tempting to break a large sum into smaller payments to avoid a hold. Do not. Structuring payments to avoid checks can itself look like money laundering and is more likely to lead to an account review. If the amount is large, send it once, with documents ready, and tell the bank in advance if it offers a way to do that. Keep the paperwork afterwards, including the bank's reference for the hold, so you can point to it if a later payment to the same person is questioned; our note on keeping records of remittances explains why.
Where Pryme fits
If you hold pounds in a Pryme account, you can convert to naira with Swap and pay a Nigerian account from the app; the rate and the fee are shown before you approve. Large payments are also subject to checks, because Pryme's partners abroad and the licensed Nigerian microfinance bank that holds naira deposits work under the same kind of rules. Having invoices and source-of-funds papers to hand helps there too. How Pryme works sets out the structure.
Questions people ask
Why is my bank holding my transfer to Nigeria?
Usually because a large or unusual payment triggers fraud and anti-money laundering checks. The bank needs to understand the purpose and, if needed, where the money came from before it releases the payment.
How long can a UK bank hold a payment?
There is no fixed public maximum. It depends on how fast the bank gets the information it needs. If it drags without explanation, complain; the bank has 15 days to respond to a payment services complaint.
What documents prove source of funds?
Payslips, savings statements, a house sale completion statement, an inheritance or gift letter, or a loan agreement, matched to the amount you are sending.
Can I send the money in smaller amounts instead?
Splitting a payment to avoid checks is a bad idea: it can look like structuring and lead to an account review. Send once with documents ready.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: Money Laundering Regulations 2017, regulation 28 · accessed Oct 2026
- Financial Ombudsman Service: Frozen accounts and blocked payments · accessed Oct 2026
- Financial Ombudsman Service: How to complain · accessed Oct 2026
- Stop Scams UK: 159 (last modified 14 Oct 2026) · 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.