Confirmation of payee
CoPAlso called payee name check
Confirmation of payee is a UK service that checks whether the account name a payer enters matches the name on the receiving account before a payment is sent. The payer sees a match, a close match, no match or an unavailable result. It aims to cut misdirected payments and authorised push payment fraud.
How it works
When a customer sets up a new payee, the sending bank sends the name, sort code and account number to the receiving bank. The receiving bank compares the name with its records and returns a result. On a close match it suggests the correct name. The payer then decides whether to proceed.
Confirmation of payee is one of the main controls against impersonation scams and against mule accounts opened in a different name. It also feeds the APP fraud reimbursement regime, because a payer's response to a no match warning can be relevant to a claim. Directed firms must offer it for Faster Payments and CHAPS.
The rules
Required the largest banking groups to introduce confirmation of payee for Faster Payments and CHAPS by 31 March 2020. Revoked in June 2022.
The six largest UK banking groupsRequired Group 1 firms to send and respond to confirmation of payee checks.
32 payment firms named in Group 1Extended the requirement to the second group of firms, bringing almost all UK Faster Payments and CHAPS accounts into scope.
Group 2 payment firmsRemoved the 1 November 2026 expiry date, so the confirmation of payee requirement continues in force.
Payment firms directed under SD17Common questions
What happens if confirmation of payee shows no match?
The payer is warned that the name does not match the account. The payer can correct the details, contact the payee through a trusted channel or cancel. If the payer proceeds, the decision can be considered in any later fraud claim.
Is confirmation of payee mandatory in the UK?
Yes for directed firms. The PSR's Specific Direction 17 required Group 1 firms to send and respond to checks by 31 October 2023 and Group 2 firms by 31 October 2024. In October 2026 the PSR removed the direction's November 2026 expiry date, so it stays in force.
Does confirmation of payee exist in the EU?
The EU equivalent is verification of payee. It became mandatory for euro credit transfers on 9 October 2025 under the Instant Payments Regulation. It works in a similar way, comparing the payee name with the IBAN.
