Together we can end domestic abuse.
Confirmation of Payee
Confirmation of Payee is an account name checking service for UK based payments that helps you make sure your payment goes to the right place.
It does this by checking the name and account details all match when you send money to someone new. This reduces the risk of making a mistake and paying the wrong person or business, and can help to protect you from fraud.
To help keep your money safe, it’s important to make sure your personal details are up to date for when you receive payments. It’s also important when you are setting up a new recipient to have the full name of the person or business you want to pay.
If you want to see how we protect you from fraud and how to protect yourself, explore our Fraud Prevention Centre.
For more information on Confirmation of Payee, visit UK Finance(opens in a new tab).
When you add a new recipient to make a payment you’ll need to enter all the details below, then we’ll automatically check with their bank to make sure everything matches:
- The name on the account – the main difference here is you’ll now always need to use the correct full account name (like you would on a cheque). For individuals this is likely to be their first name and last name. For businesses you should ask for the registered account name, as this may not be the same as the trading name of the business.
- Account number
- Sort code
- Account type – to confirm if it’s a personal or business account
You will still be able to choose to use a display name if you want to, so if you use a nickname or another word to remember your recipient, you can use the display name for this.
An example of this would be if you are making a payment to your mum. You must input your mum’s full first name and surname into the Name on Account field to make sure everything matches, but you can input ‘Mum’ into the Display Name field too if you like. Mum will then show on your recipient list and bank statements.
Once the name has been checked you will see a message – see “What messages will I see when using the Confirmation of Payee and what do they mean?”
Confirmation of Payee is part of making a payment and you’ll see it when you set up a new recipient. It’s a name checking service to help you avoid paying the wrong account by accident. Make sure you ask the recipient the correct name on the account:
- If you're a paying a person - use their first or main name and last name
- If you're paying a business - use the business name registered to their account
- If you’re paying a joint account – you will only need to provide a single name registered to the account, however you may choose to provide both names.
The order that the names appear on the account will not affect the matching response. When you’re setting up a new recipient, if we tell you the account name and number don’t match but you decide to go ahead with the payment without checking the details, we might not be able to recover your money if it goes to the wrong account.
If someone is making a payment to you, and asks for your details, they will need the following information from you:
- The full name your account is in. For a personal account, this will be your first name and last name. For a business account, this will be your registered account name.
- Account number
- Sort code
- Account type – whether it’s a personal or business account
If any of your details change, please let us know straight away so we can update your account and avoid any problems with payments getting through to you.
|
"Example Name" matches the name held on that account. |
The account name, number and sort code all match, and the account type is right. You can go ahead with adding the new recipient. |
| This is a Personal Account not a Business account. Or This is a Business Account not a Personal account. |
The name and account details are right, but the account type you selected isn’t.
You can go ahead if you like, but it’s best to check first that the type of account you’re paying (personal or business) is what you expected. |
| “Example Name” doesn't quite match the name on that account. “Actual Name” is the name on the account. Please check you have the correct recipient details. |
We’ve found a close match to the name you put in, but there’s a small difference. You can go ahead if you like, but it’s best to check first and confirm the name of the account you’re paying. If you choose to continue without checking the details, you’re accepting the risk that if the payment goes to the wrong account we may not be able to get the money back. |
| “Example Name” doesn't quite match the name on that account and it's a Personal Account not a Business Account. “Actual Name” is the name on the account. Please check you have the correct recipient details. Or “Example Name” doesn't quite match the name on that account and it's a Business account not a Personal account. “Actual Name” is the name on the account. Please check you have the correct recipient details. |
We’ve found a close match to the name you put in but there’s a small difference, and the account type you entered is wrong. You can go ahead if you like, but it’s best to go back first and check both the account name and type are correct. If you choose to continue without checking the details, you’re accepting the risk that if the payment goes to the wrong account we may not be able to get the money back. |
| “Example Name” does not match the name on that account. Are you sure you have the correct details? Fraudsters often try to trick people to make payments into bogus accounts. Cancel the payment now if you think it is suspicious. |
The name you’ve entered is significantly different to the actual name on the account. You should contact your recipient to confirm the correct account name and details. e.g. by contacting the organisation using details on their public internet page. If you choose to continue without checking the details, you’re accepting the risk that if the payment goes to the wrong account we may not be able to get the money back.
This message could indicate you are paying someone different to the person you intend to pay. Cancel the payment if you think it is suspicious.
If you want to see how we protect you from fraud and how to protect yourself, explore our Fraud Prevention Centre. |
We weren't able to check the account details.
The details may be correct but please check with the recipient. If you're confident they're correct, then you may continue below. Or We weren't able to check the account details. Or
We weren't able to check the account details at this time. Please try again later or double-check you have the correct recipient details.
|
Your recipient’ account doesn’t let us confirm their details. This might happen if their bank isn’t set up for Confirmation of Payee account name checks, or it’s a type of account that can’t be checked at all. You can go ahead if you like, but it’s best to go back and check the details first to make sure.
Do all banks and building societies use Confirmation of Payee?
Would you expect the person you are paying to use Confirmation of Payee? If so, you should confirm the account details by another method e.g. by contacting the organisation using details on their public internet page. Fraudsters often try to trick people to make payments into bogus accounts. Cancel the payment now if you think it is suspicious.
If you want to see how we protect you from fraud and how to protect yourself, explore our Fraud Prevention Centre.
You might also get one of these messages if the Confirmation of Payee service is temporarily unavailable. |
We couldn't find an account with those details.
Please check you have the correct recipient details. |
None of account details match so we can’t confirm if the account exists. You won’t be able to go ahead so you’ll need to go back and check the correct account details. |
| That account has been switched. Please check you have the correct recipient details. | Your recipient’s account is no longer held by that bank. You can go ahead if you like, as we may be able to redirect the payment to the new bank account, but it’s best to go back and ask for new account details. |
Confirmation of Payee helps customers and businesses make payments safely by checking the name on an account before a new CHAPS, Faster Payment or Standing Order payee is set up. It can’t be used for International Payments or BACS payments, including Direct Debits, at the moment.
If you send us a paper form or letter, we will check the name and account details all match before a payee is set up. If the details are an exact match, we will set up your payment. If we receive a different response, then we will contact you to confirm how you want us to proceed. If we can’t get hold of you, we won’t make the payment and will get in touch with you to request a new instruction.
Not all banks and building societies are using the Confirmation of Payee service currently, so if you try to set up a new payment to an account with a bank or building society that doesn’t use Confirmation of Payee, we’ll let you know we can’t check the account name and you can then decide if you want to go ahead with the payment or not.
You can’t opt out of Confirmation of Payee when you’re making a payment to someone else. You can however request to opt out of your details being checked when other people try to pay you.
Confirmation of Payee is being introduced to improve payments between UK banks and reduce instances of fraud as well as payments going to the wrong account. To be effective, it’s essential that everyone can receive a Confirmation of Payee response when they make a payment. If you opt out of this service, when a person or business tries to pay you they’ll get a message that your details can’t be checked, and this may make them more reluctant to pay you, or they may contact you to check that they have the correct account details.
If you still want to opt out of the Confirmation of Payee, please contact us on 03459 758 758 (for Personal customers), 0345 835 3858 (for Business customers), or visit us in branch and we’ll consider your request.
If your request to opt out is successful, we’ll mark your accounts, including any joint accounts you hold (but not any accounts held by joint parties in their sole name).
If you switch your account away from TSB using the Current Account Switching Service (CASS), your opt out request will not be carried over. So, you will need to request to be opted out again with your new provider.
If you change your mind, and want to opt back in to Confirmation of Payee please contact us again on 03459 758 758 (for Personal customers), 0345 835 3858 (for Business customers), or visit us in branch.
Banks and other payment providers will use secure technology to safely exchange the information for Confirmation of Payee requests. To be able to use Confirmation of Payee, companies must undergo rigorous security checks and also be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
We want you to know that TSB takes the security of your information very seriously. Find out more on our Data Privacy pages.
