Confirmation of Payee
What is Confirmation of Payee?
Confirmation of Payee (CoP) will check the name on the account you want to send money to and confirm the name on your account when someone wants to send a payment to you.
The service is designed to give individuals and businesses greater assurance that they are sending payments to the right person, helping them to avoid making payments to the wrong account holder, as well as providing another layer of protection in the fight against fraud and scams.
How does Confirmation of Payee work?
When you set up a new payment, a new payee or amend a payee online or over the phone, CoP will check the account details of the person or business you are paying.
You will then be able to see whether the details are a match, a partial match, or no match before you proceed with the payment.
Below are some of the messages you will see:
Match – the details you have entered match the person or business you are trying to pay
If all the details you enter are correct, we will let you know they match, and you can choose to continue with the payment.
Close match – the account is registered to someone with a similar name
If you enter a name that’s like the account holder’s, we will show you the actual account name to help you decide whether to send the money or edit the details and try again. You can update the details and try again or check them with the person or company you are trying to pay.
No match – the name or reference you have entered doesn’t match the account and isn’t similar
If you enter the wrong name or reference, we will let you know that the details don’t match so you can contact the person or company you are trying to pay. If you make a payment using the wrong details, it may not reach the correct account and we may not be able to recover the money. Always be wary of making payments when the details don’t match.
You may also see other responses, such as a system problem or the account holder’s bank does not support the CoP scheme. If this happens, please double check the payment details with the person or business you are paying.
Can I opt out?
We will only agree to an opt out request in exceptional circumstances.
By opting out of the service you will still be able to use Confirmation of Payee when you send a payment to another account (if available). However, your account will not be checked when another person or business tries to make a payment to you.
If you do opt out of this service, then individuals or businesses making payments to your account will get a message that your details can’t be checked. Confirmation of Payee opt out form
If I switch my account to another bank, will I remain opted out of the Confirmation of Payee service’?
If you switch your account to another provider your opt out request will not automatically switch. You will need to opt out with your new account provider
What if I want to opt back in?
If you have already opted out of Confirmation of Payee and wish to opt back into the service, you can do so at any time with this form
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AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Financial Ombudsman Service and is a Registered Firm with The Lending Standards Board.
The AIB logo and AIB (NI) are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.