Verification of Payee
What is Verification of Payee?
We're introducing a new security check for SEPA Credit Transfers and SEPA Instant Credit Transfers called 'Verification of Payee’ (VoP). This added security measure lets you check the name on the account you are paying before making a payment.
Using Verification of Payee
When making a SEPA Credit Transfer or SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, the VoP check will be completed before you make a payment.
Before making a payment:
• Use the exact account name provided by the payee.
• Check that you are using the correct IBAN provided by the payee.
• When checking account details, contact the person or business on a phone number you trust.
- Avoid using phone numbers from an email or a text, as these can be faked.
- Always verify phone numbers independently.
- Never be pressured to continue with a payment.
Once the VoP check is complete, you will receive one of the four below possible responses immediately.
| VoP Category | Match | Close Match | Details do not match | Match not possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoP Result | The name on the account matches the name you gave us | We’ve checked the name you’ve entered and it’s a close match to the name on the account. When you get a ‘Close match’ result we’ll display the name you entered and the name that’s actually on the payee’s account. For example: You entered ‘John Smith’, the result will show ‘Jonathan Smith’ as the name on the payee’s account. If you are happy that this is who you want to pay, you might want to update that name on Manage My beneficiaries page. If you’re not sure please contact them. If you end up sending money to someone else’s account, we may not be able to get it back for you.
|
We’ve checked the name you’ve entered and it doesn’t match the name on the account. If you are happy that this is who you want to pay, you can continue. If you are not sure, please contact the payee. If you end up sending money to someone else’s account, we may not be able to get it back for you. |
We've tried to check the name you've entered but we weren't able to. Reasons for a ‘Match not possible’ result include: 1. The account is closed. If you are happy that this is who you want to pay, you can continue. If you are not sure, please contact the payee. If you end up sending money to someone else’s account, we may not be able to get it back for you. |
— FAQ —
Got some questions?
When you need to know, you need to know. Here are some useful answers to big questions.
It's a new check being introduced to help you protect your money.
With VoP we will check with the receiving bank the name of who you’re sending a SEPA payment to before you send it. We'll ask you to confirm if you want to continue. This helps you make sure your money is going to the right person or business.
VoP will be live from 6 October 2025.
VoP will apply to all SEPA payments.
VoP will not apply to payments made by post or any other payments where you are not present at the time when a payment is being made.
Before you make a SEPA payment or save a payee, we'll check if the payee name you provide matches the name associated with the IBAN held by the receiving bank.
You will receive one of four results:
- Match
- Details do not match
- Close match
- Match not possible
You must review the results of the check carefully before deciding if you want to continue making the payment or saving/amending the payee.
For incoming payments to your account, we must similarly help the payer verify your name, and may share information on your account name with them and their bank for that purpose.
The name of the person or business you want to pay fully matches the name that their bank holds for that IBAN.
We've checked the name you've entered and it doesn’t match the name on the account.
If you're happy that this is who you want to pay, please continue. If you're not sure, please contact them.
If you send money to someone else's account, we may not be able to get it back for you.
We've checked the name you've entered and it's a close match to the name on the account.
If you're happy that this is who you want to pay, you might want to update the name.
If you're not sure please, please contact them.
We've tried to check the name you've entered but we weren't able to.
If you're happy that this is who you want to pay, please continue. If you're not sure, please contact them.
If you send money to someone else's account, we may not be able to get it back for you.
No, while VoP will be an additional step in certain payments, it won't affect the time taken to send a payment once you have approved it.
VoP does not apply to debit card payments. VoP only applies to SEPA Standard and SEPA instant payments.
VoP will not stop a payment. You can decide whether to proceed with the payment once you have reviewed the VoP response.
If you are making a payment to a joint account, enter one of the account holders name. If you receive a ‘Close match’ result, VoP will have selected the account holder the information you provided was closest to.
