Stay alert. Scammers may target you during Confirmation of Payee rollout. Read update
The Confirmation of Payee service allows customers 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 payment scams.
From November 2024, when making a payment into a New Zealand held bank account using your personal online or mobile banking app, you'll be prompted to enter the details below.
Depending on the outcome of the check, customers are likely to receive one of these six notifications. Whichever notification you recieve, remain vigilant when making payments as the service may not always identify mistakes or scams. Take a sec to check the purpose of the payment and be alert to scams.
The name and account number you’ve entered match the bank’s records.
This does not ensure a safe transaction. Aways take the time to question the purpose of the transaction and be alert to scams.
The name you've entered is not an exact match with this account number. You may have used a shortened name or made a small typo. Update the account name to get an exact match or continue if you know and trust this payee.
The account name and number you’ve entered don’t match the bank’s record for the person you are trying to pay.
You could send money to the wrong account holder and this payment may not be recoverable.
We’re unable to check account details. The account may be closed or unable to accept payments.
Make the payment if you trust the payee name and account number are correct.
A temporary technical issue means we can’t match this name and account number right now.
Continue only if you know and trust this payee, or try again later.
We can’t check this name and
account number because this
payee’s bank doesn’t provide a
matching service.
Continue only if you know and trust this payee.
Whichever notification you receive, always remain vigilant when making payments as the service may not always identify mistakes or scams and it won’t stop you from continuing with a payment.
Always be wary if you’re told to ignore a ‘no match’ response, take a sec to check the purpose of the payment and be alert to scams.
Verify the identity of the person or business you’re paying.
Check for typos and if you’ve used the correct account name.
Double-check the account number you’ve entered.
Pause and consider if you trust you’re paying a legitimate person or entity.
Make sure you know who you’re paying before you send money.
There are just a few instances when you will not be prompted to run a Confirmation of Payee check, these are when:
As New Zealand banks prepare to roll out the Confirmation of Payee service, customers should be wary of fraudsters pretending to be calling from banks.
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In May 2024, the New Zealand Herald published an article covering the Confirmation of Payee service.
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In April 2024, the New Zealand Banking Association (NZBA) announced on behalf of the banking industry that New Zealand’s retail banks were preparing to introduce a new service called Confirmation of Payee by the end of this year.
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