Payment checks
Helping you make safer payments
When you send money to a UK account you’ve not paid before, we carry out a Confirmation of Payee (CoP) check:
- We check the details you give us to make sure the payment goes to the right place.
- These checks help stop payments going to the wrong account by spotting possible mistakes and adding extra security steps to prevent fraud.
- Make payments with confidence that it's going to who you expect it to.
Steps to take
We'll guide you through it.
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When you add a new payee 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 – you always need to use the correct full account name, so you can't use nicknames or other words.
- Account number.
- Sort code.
- Account type – to confirm if it’s a personal or business account.
- Reference – some accounts need a reference to identify who the account belongs to. You will be asked to give this if it's needed.
If something doesn’t match, we’ll tell you straight away and explain what to do next.
Getting started online
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You can call us if you're not registered for online banking. If you prefer to bank in person, there’s a range of services in your local area.
Let’s look at the details
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In the mobile app or online banking, when you’ve put in all the account information we’ll tell you if the account name and number match or not. Depending on the situation, you’ll immediately see one of these messages:
What you’ll see when setting up a new payee online Message
What this means
Message
Account name and details match
What this means
The account name, number and sort code all match, and the account type is right. So you can go ahead with adding the new payee.
Message
Payee name and account number match but this is a personal/business account
What this means
The name and account details are right, but the account type you selected isn’t. You can go ahead anyway if you wish, but it’s best to check first to make sure the type of account you’re paying (personal or business) is what you expected.
Message
This account belongs to 'Example Name'
What this means
We’ve found a close match to the name you put in, but there’s a small difference. You can go ahead, but if you’re not quite sure just go back and confirm the name is right.
Message
Payee name and account number partially match and this is a personal/business account
What this means
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 anyway if you want to, but it’s best to go back and check both the account name and type are correct.
Message
That name doesn’t match that account number
What this means
The name you’ve entered is significantly different to the actual name on the account. You can go ahead anyway if you want to, but it’s best to contact your payee to confirm the correct account name and details.
Message
We can’t check these details
What this means
Your payee’s account doesn’t let us confirm their details. This might happen if their bank isn’t set up for CoP account name checks, or it’s a type of account that can’t be checked at all. You can go ahead anyway if you want to, but it’s best to go back and check to make sure.
Message
This account/sort code doesn’t exist
What this means
None of the account details match, so we can’t check if the account exists. You won’t be able to go ahead so you’ll need to go back and confirm the correct account details.
Message
Reference not found
What this means
The reference you’ve entered has not been found. You can go ahead anyway if you want to, but it’s best to contact your payee to confirm the correct reference for the payment.
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