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Confirmation of Payee

We’re introducing a security measure called Confirmation of Payee to give you greater protection against fraud.  It will also reduce the risk of misdirected or accidental mis-keyed payments sent via CHAPS, Faster Payments or Standing Order payments made to your Unity account.

When people or organisations make a one-off payment, set up a new regular payment, or amend an existing payment to you via these payment methods, they will need to check and confirm the account name, giving them greater assurance that they are paying the correct person or business.

Payment providers live with Unity

We launched Confirmation of Payee in August 2021 for online payments made into Unity accounts. The payment providers who are currently live with us are shown below, and we’ll update this regularly as more banks and building societies come onboard:

  • NatWest Group
  • RBS
  • Coutts (NatWest Wealth)
  • Ulster Bank
  • RBS Wealth
  • TSB
  • Starling Bank

Shortly, we’ll begin to introduce the service for payments made by you from your Unity account to other banks or building societies.

How does the checking service work?

Before a payer is able to make a payment into your Unity account, they will be shown a message with a Confirmation of Payee ‘check’ response. The specific wording is determined by the sender’s bank or building society, but the most common responses are shown in bold below:

Yes, it’s a Match: This means that the name of the receiving account matches that input by the payer.

It’s a Close Match: The name input by the sender is similar to the name on the account. We’ll share your actual account name with the sender’s bank and the sender can choose whether to make the payment or check with you before continuing.

It’s Not a Match: The account name entered does not match that of the receiving account. The sender can decide to proceed with the payment, but it will be at their risk if it goes to an account they didn’t intend.

Unavailable / Unable to Check: The sender’s bank can’t do a Confirmation of Payee check at that time. This may be for several reasons. The sender should follow the guidance given by their bank or building society.

Confirmation of Payee tips

  • Your payer will need to enter your exact account name when making a payment and can’t use nicknames, initials, or shortened versions of names. It’s easy to find these details on your statements next to the ‘Name of Account’ field.
  • Entering the full account name should result in a full match. However, if the paying bank limits the payee’s name to 18 characters and your organisation has a long name it may result in a close match response.
  • Clearly state your Unity account name, sort code, account number and any other payment instructions on invoices or payment requests.
  • If you trade under one name, but are registered under another, make sure you give your payer the name shown on your bank account.

A full list of responses is shown in our FAQs.

Where can I go for more information?

For more information on Confirmation of Payee, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.

You can also visit UK Finance and explore our fraud guide for more information on how to stay safe from fraud.

It’s simple, secure and stress-free to switch to us

If you’re ready to switch your Business Current Account to Unity Trust Bank, we’ll make sure it happens like clockwork. It’s guaranteed to take 7 working days, it’s free, and it’s all taken care of by the Current Account Switch Service.