Onboarding a new B2B client: checks and client record
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In short: open the master record of a new B2B client only after five checks, carried out in this order: valid VAT number, data for electronic invoicing (recipient code or PEC), company extract (visura), beneficial owner with protests and procedures, estimated operating credit line. In the client record, record the date of the check, the source, the credit line assigned and the review deadline; repeat the check every year, when an order exceeds the threshold you have set and at the first late payment. For the clients that matter, a monitoring service such as Sentinella alerts you if something changes.
Why run the checks before opening the master record?
Because once the record is opened the client enters the flow: orders, deliveries, invoices. At that point the credit is in practice already granted, and withdrawing a credit line is harder than refusing one. If the checks are part of the opening procedure, no new client receives credit without having gone through them.
The benefit is also yours: when a client does not pay, you have in hand what you checked, when and from which source. You need it to decide whether to keep supplying (client that always pays late: is it worth continuing?) and to document your decisions.
Which checks do I run on a new B2B client, and in what order?
From the cheapest to the most in-depth: if an early check fails, you stop without spending on the following ones.
- Valid VAT number. For an Italian client use the "Verifica partita IVA" service of the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency); for a client from another EU country use VIES. According to the European Commission, VIES does not return the name and address linked to the number (it can only confirm whether a name and address you provide match) and recommends keeping a record of the validation. If you do not have the VAT number, start from how to find it from the name.
- Data for electronic invoicing. Ask the client for the recipient code or the PEC address to which the invoice should be sent, and record them: a wrong address delays the invoice, and therefore the payment. Check that the business name matches that of the VAT number.
- Company extract (visura). Confirm business name, registered office, legal form and activity. See company extract or solvency report: the differences.
- Beneficial owner, protests and insolvency procedures. Who controls the company and whether there are clear insolvency signals. See how to verify who really controls a company and what protests, prejudicial records and insolvency procedures are.
- Estimated operating credit line. The amount you can grant based on financial statements, history and sector. How it is calculated: how to calculate a client's trade credit line.
Who does what: sales or administration?
Divide the tasks by role, not by person: the person who brings in the client is not the one who grants the credit.
| Step | Who does it | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Data collection (business name, VAT number, registered office, contact person) | Sales | Request to open the record |
| VAT number and data for electronic invoicing | Administration | Correct and invoiceable record |
| Company extract, beneficial owner, protests and procedures | Administration | Outcome of the check with source and date |
| Operating credit line and payment terms | Administration, with the manager's approval | Credit line assigned and terms |
| Order above threshold or request for an exception | Sales proposes, manager decides | Written authorisation |
If you do not have a credit department, the procedure can take ten minutes: see how to decide the credit line of an SME client without a credit department.
Which fields do I record in the CRM or accounting system?
Few fields, always the same. This is a client record that you can recreate in any CRM or accounting system, even in a spreadsheet.
| Field | What you write | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Business name and VAT number | As they appear in the company extract | Avoids namesakes and invoices issued to the wrong party |
| Outcome of VAT number check | Valid or invalid, date, channel (Agenzia delle Entrate or VIES) | Proof of the check |
| Recipient code or PEC | The one provided by the client | Electronic invoice delivered |
| Date of the check | dd/mm/yyyy | Shows how old the information is |
| Source | Company extract, Veryfy report, foreign register | Shows where the data comes from |
| Beneficial owner | Name and source | You know who you are dealing with |
| Protests and insolvency procedures | Outcome and date | Clear insolvency signals |
| Operating credit line assigned | Amount, and who approved it | Limit for new orders |
| Payment terms | Days, method, any advance payment | Consistency with the credit line |
| Review deadline | Date by which you repeat the checks | The credit line does not stay the same forever |
| Notes and exceptions | What was granted outside the procedure | History of decisions |
An estimated credit line is an estimate: always note the date and the source next to the number. If you have not verified a piece of data, leave the field empty instead of filling it with a plausible value.
When do I repeat the checks on an existing client?
Set three rules and write them into the procedure.
- Annual renewal: repeat the checks at least once a year, and in any case when a new financial statement is filed.
- Order above threshold: if an order exceeds the credit line assigned or a threshold you have set, repeat the check before accepting it. See how to calculate the exposure of an order.
- First delay: at the first invoice paid late, review the credit line and terms. The signals to watch are in signs of a client's insolvency before non-payment.
The timings indicated here are your own choices, not legal obligations: write down the ones you can really comply with.
How do I monitor clients over time?
With the annual review you see what has happened, not what is happening. For the clients that weigh most on your turnover or on your credit, use monitoring: Sentinella costs 39€ per month for 5 companies and alerts you if something changes on a company you follow. When an alert arrives, repeat the check, update the record and decide whether to change the credit line or the terms. An example of managing a client during an order in progress is in how to monitor a client during production and delivery.
How do I build the checks into the opening procedure?
- Put the fields of the table into the master record and make them mandatory before the first order can be placed.
- Define the thresholds: the maximum credit line that administration approves on its own, the amount above which the manager is required.
- Write the review deadline when the record is opened, not afterwards.
- Attach or reference the check document: if your system does not allow it, write in the source field where you saved it.
- Make an exception only in writing, and record it in the notes.
If you want to extend the procedure to suppliers, for advance payments see how to check a supplier's solvency before paying a deposit.
For accountants. If you set up the client opening procedure, you can propose the client record in this guide and use Veryfy for the checks: without a subscription and without registration, you pay for the single check (the Verification at 19€ for a significant new client) and save the document with date and source in the file.
Sources
- Your Europe, Check a VAT number (VIES) (accessed 11/11/2026)
- Registro Imprese, Lists of companies (accessed 11/11/2026)
- ISTAT, Joint information note on the ATECO 2025 classification (accessed 11/11/2026)
Veryfy is not affiliated with the institutions cited. The client record and the review rules are an operating model of Veryfy, not a regulatory requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Which checks must I run before opening the master record of a new B2B client?
Five, in order: validity of the VAT number (Agenzia delle Entrate or VIES), recipient code or PEC for electronic invoicing, company extract (visura), beneficial owner with protests and insolvency procedures, estimated operating credit line. If an early check fails, you stop before spending on the following ones.
What does VIES return about a client from another EU country?
It tells you whether the VAT number is registered for intra-EU transactions. It does not return the name and address linked to the number: it can only confirm whether a name and address you provide match. The European Commission recommends keeping a record of the validation.
Which fields must I record in the client record?
Business name and VAT number, outcome of the VAT check, recipient code or PEC, date and source of the check, beneficial owner, outcome on protests and procedures, operating credit line assigned and who approved it, payment terms, review deadline and notes on exceptions.
How often should I repeat the checks on a client?
At least once a year, when a new financial statement is filed, when an order exceeds the credit line or the threshold you have set, and at the first invoice paid late. These are your own operating rules, not legal obligations: write down the ones you can actually comply with.
How can I monitor clients between one review and the next?
With Sentinella, which costs 39€ per month for 5 companies and alerts you if something changes on a company you follow. When the alert arrives, repeat the check, update the record and decide whether to change the credit line or the terms.
Want to check a specific company?
Credit limit, beneficial owner and warning signs, in minutes.
Monitor your clients with Sentinella