Identity and review

How does a bank verify a power of attorney request?

By Passage Authority · Published September 4, 2026 · 5 minute read

Short answer: A bank does not rely on one checkbox or one identity result. It checks who the principal and agent are, reviews the power of attorney and any required supporting material, compares the requested actions with the document and its policy, and records whether it will accept, limit, or decline the request.

Identity and authority are two different questions

Identity asks whether the person completing a step is who they claim to be. Authority asks whether the legal document gives that person the power they are requesting. A strong process answers both questions separately.

Passage is designed to collect the institution's chosen identity evidence and keep it beside the request. Passage does not declare that a person is legally authorized; the institution keeps that decision.

What the institution can check

The exact checklist varies by institution, account, document, and applicable law. A typical review may include:

Identity information for the account holder and the proposed representative
The power of attorney document, signatures, acknowledgments, and dates
Whether the document appears current or has been revoked or replaced
The accounts and actions the representative is asking to use
An agent certification, legal opinion, or other material when the institution is permitted to request it

What Passage contributes

Passage gives the account holder, representative, and reviewer separate secure steps. The institution defines what evidence is required. Passage shows what is missing, records what was reviewed, and preserves the institution's final decision and its limits.

That makes the process easier to explain without pretending that software replaced the bank's legal, fraud, or compliance review.

Common questions

Does Passage perform identity verification itself?

Passage coordinates the verification steps selected by the institution and stores their results. The institution decides which checks are required and whether the evidence is sufficient.

Does an identity match prove a power of attorney is valid?

No. Identity is one part of the review. The institution must still review the document, scope, status, and any other applicable requirements.

Who makes the final decision?

An authorized person at the financial institution records the acceptance, limited acceptance, request for more information, or rejection.

Sources and further reading

This article explains Passage Authority and general financial power of attorney operations. It is not legal advice, and requirements vary by institution and jurisdiction.