Source of Wealth (payments context)

Evidence of how a customer accumulated their overall wealth, used in AML checks to judge whether their spending is plausible and legitimate.

Definition

Source of wealth (SoW) is the origin of a customer's total assets, such as salary, business ownership, inheritance, property, or investments, and it is a distinct concept from source of funds, which is the origin of the specific money used in a given transaction. In a payments and AML context, operators establish SoW when activity is high-value or higher-risk to check that a customer's deposits are consistent with their means and lawfully obtained. Evidence can include payslips, tax records, company accounts, or documentation of a sale or inheritance. Robust SoW review protects against money laundering and is also a responsible-gambling checkpoint, since spend that outstrips plausible wealth can signal both crime and harm.

Worked example

After a customer's deposits rise sharply, the operator requests source-of-wealth evidence and reviews salary and investment records before allowing continued high-value play.

Why it matters

For learners, SoW clarifies the difference between where overall wealth comes from and where a single payment comes from. For professionals, sound SoW checks are core AML controls and a signal for both financial crime and gambling harm.

Related

Note: Thresholds and required evidence for SoW checks are set by licence conditions and AML regulations that differ by jurisdiction.