Confirmation of Payee
What is Confirmation of Payee?
Confirmation of Payee is a name checking service that checks the name of the account holder you intend to pay against the details held for that account by the payee’s bank, giving you greater confidence you’re paying the right person.
How does it work?
When you set up a new payment or amend an existing payment, the name of the person or business you are paying along with the account type are checked against the details held by the payee's bank.
The check will return one of the following responses:
- It's a match
You will receive an on screen confirmation that all of the details match - It’s a close match
The name on the account doesn’t exactly match what you have provided. You can contact the recipient to confirm the details before making the payment or update the details to those provided by the payee bank. - It’s not a match
Contact the person or business you are trying to pay to confirm the correct details - Unavailable
There may be occasions where the Confirmation of Payee service is unavailable. In this instance, it’s important you contact the payee to confirm the details are correct before continuing. - This account can't be checked
There will be occasions where the payee can't be checked if the account holder’s bank doesn’t support the service. In this instance, it’s important you contact the payee to confirm the details are correct before continuing.
Things to remember
Payments made to you
- It’s important you give whoever is making a payment into your account, your business or trading name that’s registered on your account
- If your account name changes then don’t forget to let people know
Payments you make
- If in doubt, contact the person or business you’re making the payment to and check the name on their account
- If you’re paying a person, use their first and last name
- If you’re paying a business, use the business or trading name registered to their account
- When prompted to do so, please make sure you select the correct type of account for the person or business you are paying
Avoid scams and help reduce fraud
A Confirmation of Payee check can help you avoid making payments to the wrong account, as well as supporting the fight against fraud and scams.
When checking the payment details, it’s important to contact the person or business on a number you trust.
- Never use the phone number from an email or text exchange which can be faked by the criminal to trick you into believing it’s genuine
- Never be pressurised into continuing with the payment when the details don’t fully match or where the account can’t be checked
For more tips on staying secure, visit our Fraud & Security section.