Perpetual KYC (Know Your Customer) is a proactive approach to customer identification and risk assessment in the financial services sector. It involves constantly verifying and updating customer information, as well as monitoring their transactions to identify potential red flags. This ongoing process is designed to ensure regulatory compliance, reduce the risk of fraud, and enhance customer experience.

In traditional KYC processes, customer due diligence is often conducted only during onboarding or at specific intervals. However, as financial services become more complex and regulations stricter, it is essential for organisations to have a more agile and continuous KYC process. By adopting Perpetual KYC, financial institutions can better adapt to changes in customer behaviour, identify potential risks, and respond effectively to suspicious activities.

The implementation of Perpetual KYC typically involves leveraging digital technology and automation. This includes the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to efficiently gather, process, and analyse customer data. These advanced technologies not only streamline the KYC process but also enable financial institutions to identify trends, anticipate risks, and make informed decisions.

Adopting a Perpetual KYC approach offers numerous benefits to financial services organisations. In addition to ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations, it allows for a more efficient allocation of resources and a reduction in manual tasks. Furthermore, it fosters a better customer experience by minimising the need for repetitive information requests and enabling a more personalised service.