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It is a service for NZ based payments which provides a check to see if account names and account numbers match before making a payment. This reduces the risk of making a mistake and paying the wrong person, and can help to avoid scams.
A payee is the term used to describe the person or business that you are paying money to.
The Confirmation of Payee check is done using secure software. It compares the account information entered by the payer in their online or mobile banking app with the details held by the recipient's bank. The software checks if the entered account holder's name matches the bank's records for that account number. All account information used in the check is fully encrypted and is not stored after the process is complete.
Yes. To perform the Confirmation of Payee check, only account holder names and bank account numbers are collected and processed to perform the matching service. The service uses data encryption to perform the match and provide match notifications, without storing any personal information.
The service is built to comply with the Privacy Act 2020 and adheres to high security standards.
The new service began its New Zealand launch in November 2024.
Each bank is implementing the service in different stages with enhancements made over time. During this initial period, customers might find it is available from some banks and not others, alternatively it might be available on online banking platforms but not mobile banking apps, as different services become available.
In time, the service will also be applied to customers using business banking mobile apps and online business banking platforms.
In some instances, your bank or building society might not offer Confirmation of Payee. In this case, it’s especially important to make sure the details are correct with the person or business you are paying.
If your bank is participating in the Confirmation of Payee implementation, then yes. Check if your bank is participating.
Currently, we only perform the Confirmation of Payee check on payments made from personal online and mobile banking apps to New Zealand based accounts.
In time, the service will also be applied to customers using business banking mobile apps and online business banking platforms.
It’s important that you don’t send money to the wrong place as your bank may not be able to get it back. Make sure you know and trust the recipient and check with the person or business that the account details you have are correct.
Match: If you have used the correct account holder name, you will receive confirmation that the details match. This does not ensure a safe transaction. Always take the time to question the purpose of the transaction and the trustworthiness of the recipient before making a payment.
Partial Match: If you have used a similar but not exact name to the account holder you will get a Partial Match notification. You may have used a shortened name or made a small typo. Update with the full account name to get an exact match or continue if you know and trust this payee.
No Match: If you have entered the wrong name for the account holder, you will be told that the details do not match and advised to contact the person or organisation you are trying to pay.
If you continue, you could send money to the wrong account holder and this payment may not be recoverable. Before continuing it’s a good idea to:
Always be wary if you're told to ignore a ‘no match’ response.
Account type can’t be checked: When the bank has attempted to run the check, they’ve been unable to verify the account details. This might be because the account is closed or it’s a type of account that can’t accept payments. Continue only if you trust the payee and are confident the account name and account number are correct.
Can’t check payee details: When the bank has attempted to run the check, they haven't been able to complete it. This could be because the bank managing the account you are paying from or to has not yet enabled this functionality. Continue only if you know and trust this payee.
Can’t check payee details right now: This means there has been a temporary technical issue when the bank has attempted to run the check and they're unable to complete it. This may occur if there is a system time-out. Continue only if you know and trust this account holder or try again later.
If payees are already saved in your online or mobile banking app, they will not be checked by the Confirmation of Payee service unless you edit the saved payee. Before you make a payment, make sure you know the account details are correct and pause and consider if you trust the payee.
You should always contact the person or business you are trying to pay to check the account details you have are correct. Ask for the full account holder name and number registered to the bank account. For businesses, this may, or may not, be the same name as their trading name.
If you’re unsure of the account holders name or account number, contact the person or business you’re paying directly to get the correct details. Ask for the full account holder name and number registered to the bank account. For businesses, this may, or may not, be the same name as their trading name.
The Confirmation of Payee service allows people to check if account names and account numbers match before making a payment. This reduces the risk of making a mistake and paying the wrong person, and can help to avoid scams. To get paid quickly and easily, you must provide the right account information. Where before you might have shared only your account number, now, you must share the correct account number and full name registered to that account. If customers enter the wrong account holder name, they may be notified that the details don’t match and advised to contact the person or business they are trying to pay.
Where before you may have shared your initials or a nickname, you now need to share the full name registered to the account.
If you’re unsure of your correct account details, refer to your bank’s website or systems for guidance.
Now, when receiving a payment, you will be asked to share your full account details. If customers enter the wrong account holder name, they may be notified that the details don’t match and advised to contact the person or business they are trying to pay. This may stop or slow down the payment. If your account name no longer reflects your legal name, we recommend changing your account details with your bank.
Some banks and account issuers provide the Confirmation of Payee service in their business banking offerings, but they work within the banking app and at the time of payment. VerifyBiz allows organisations to check account details earlier and outside the payment experience, for example before onboarding a supplier, paying an invoice, or setting up payroll. This also allows for account verification duties to be delegated outside of those with bank app access.
If you’re a business or government agency wanting to check account details early and often, before sending or receiving payments, VerifyBiz is the best fit. If your organisation issues accounts to customers and you’d like to request and respond to Confirmation of Payee checks on their behalf, Verify+ is the one for you. Take a look here, or talk to us and we’ll help you choose the right solution.
Designed for businesses, government agencies, and payment platforms that need to verify account details such as customers, suppliers, or employees, before a payment is made. This could include payouts, regular payments, direct debit sign ups, or refunds.
Your system sends an account name and number check request via secure API to the account issuer that holds the account. The response confirms if the name and account match, partially match, doesn’t match or if you get an exception notification (for example, the account is closed, the Payee’s account issuer doesn’t provide a Confirmation of Payee service or there’s a temporary technical issue.) This helps you decide how you wish to proceed.
VerifyBiz gives you greater peace of mind by reducing payment errors and scams, building customer trust, and saving you time and money by preventing costly mistakes.
Any legitimate business or public-sector agency that processes payments to third-party accounts - this includes councils, ministries, retailers, corporates, insurers, utilities, online platforms and many others.
No. VerifyBiz extends Confirmation of Payee protections beyond banks so that non-bank organisations can verify account details directly and earlier in their payment or onboarding journeys as the check doesn't need to be performed within a banking application.
Verify+ is built for entities that issue accounts on behalf of their customers such as banks, payment service providers, and non-bank deposit takers; VerifyBiz is built for businesses and government agencies to access Confirmation of Payee directly, without needing to go through a bank.
The online VerifyBiz portal enables you to verify account details via a web browser or, if you have API connectivity, you can choose to integrate the functionaility directly into your staff or customer-facing systems such as an ERP, CRM, Procurement or Payroll platforms. The GetVerified team can help you choose the best option.
VerifyBiz follows strict privacy and security frameworks. All checks are encrypted and our solution does not store account information.
Pilot onboarding is underway through 2025, with full availability from March 2026. Organisations can register interest now to plan their onboarding early.
Contact us to book a meeting with the GetVerified team to discuss if VerifyBiz is right for you. We can help you decide what's best for your organisation and support you through design, build, testing and launch. We also provide ongoing care.
Verify+ enables banks and other non-bank account-issuing organisations to participate in New Zealand’s Confirmation of Payee network. It allows you to both send and respond to Confirmation of Payee requests when your customers make or receive payments, helping prevent scams and misdirected payments.
Verify+ is designed for account-issuing organisations such as banks, credit unions, building societies, fintechs, and other licensed deposit takers or account issuers that want to protect customers.
When a customer enters an account name and number, your system sends a Confirmation of Payee check request through the Verify+ network. The recipient’s bank or account issuer compares the input with the legal account name on record and returns a result notification such as match, partial match, no-match or an exception notification (for example, the account is closed, the Payee’s account issuer doesn’t provide a matching service or there’s a temporary technical issue.) This happens within seconds, and gives the customer greater confidence before making the decision whether to proceed with a payment.
Helps to protect customers from scams and misdirected payments, reduces losses and costs associated with fraud or payment errors, and increases the confidence and trust in your brand and digital channels.
Participating organisations can send Confirmation of Payee requests on behalf of their customers, respond to incoming Confirmation of Payee requests, and integrate these functions directly into their online banking and mobile app payment experiences.
Verify+ is built for account-issuing organisations that need to both send and respond to CoP checks such as banks and non-bank deposit takers, payment service providers, credit unions and building societies. VerifyBiz is for businesses and government agencies that only need to send requests to verify account details held by account issuers.
Organisations integrate using Verify+ API's, embedding Confirmation of Payee checks within customer payment experiences such setting up a new payee, editing existing payee account details or making a one-off payment to a payee. We support you through the integration journey by providing sandbox testing, documentation, and technical support. We guide you through design, build, test, launch and provide ongoing care.
Participants must meet agreed privacy, security, data-handling, and operational-resilience standards. As part of the build, participants must also complete integration testing and compliance attestations. Talk to us about these requirements, we can help guide you.
All Confirmation of Payee checks are performed under strict privacy controls. Personal data is never shared between organisations beyond what is required to complete a check. Verification requests are encrypted and processed through secure environments. All personal data is destroyed immediately after the result is sent.
Verify+ uses financial industry standard API (FAPI) specifications. Connections between participants are encrypted and authenticated to ensure data is protected in transit. The service runs on a secure cloud platform with regular backups, disaster recovery processes, and controlled release management. Continuous monitoring is in place to detect any unusual activity or security issues in real-time.
Participants must sign the Verify+ participation agreement, build to the Standards and Rules of the scheme, and complete integration testing and compliance attestations. We’ll guide you through what you need to know for design, build, test, launch and we also provide ongoing care.
Verify+ onboarding for all new participants is progressing through 2025, with full availability from March 2026 alongside VerifyBiz.
Talk to us, book a meeting with the GetVerified team to explore if Verify+ is right for you. We can help you decide what's best for your organisation and support you through design, build, testing and launch. We also provide ongoing care.
