Confirmation of Payee (CoP): how do I find out what name my bank has registered me with?

kulath

mgdavid said:

I don't have any problem or issue with CoP either. I simply continue to use the 14 digits representing the sort code and account number of whom I wish to pay. If I can't read and type 14 digits without cocking it up I'd blame myself in a big way, and if the payee tells me an incorrect 14 digits it's their problem not mine.

The various consumer programmes on the radio have pointed out a number of occasions when money has gone astray because customers have made a mistake in typing in the account number. That is why there have been some suggestions for a check digit system, but these have gone nowhere.

If the payee tells you the incorrect number, you will still lose the money, and the payee might still expect you to pay him.

mgdavid

kulath said:

mgdavid said:

I don't have any problem or issue with CoP either. I simply continue to use the 14 digits representing the sort code and account number of whom I wish to pay. If I can't read and type 14 digits without cocking it up I'd blame myself in a big way, and if the payee tells me an incorrect 14 digits it's their problem not mine.

The various consumer programmes on the radio have pointed out a number of occasions when money has gone astray because customers have made a mistake in typing in the account number. That is why there have been some suggestions for a check digit system, but these have gone nowhere.

If the payee tells you the incorrect number, you will still lose the money, and the payee might still expect you to pay him.

we all make mistakes; we don't all compound the error by not checking what we have written and then correcting any mistakes before hitting enter.

For the second scenario, I repeat: if the payee tells me an incorrect 14 digits it's their problem not mine. Especially as the vast majority of one-off payment instructions are transmitted to me electronically I always cut and paste to ensure any error is not mine.

fenwick458

this system still has bugs..
customer of mine tried to pay me today (barclays to starling)
they had put in "my company Ltd" and put the account number and sort code in correctly, then messaged to say their bank was warning against paying as the "the account you are trying to pay doesn't allow us to check the details are correct"
I replied saying just pay it, you have the details correct. or try using "my company Limited" as thats how it appears on my bank account.
they said they tried that, but was still receiving the same error message, and when trying to ignore it was given another prompt that just put them off about paying online altogether in case it went missing
now they are sending a cheque in the post
messaged starling, got a response on 10 mins basically saying if they had used limited it'd work. my customer assures me they tried that but i didn't see a screenshot so i guess i'll never know if they did or not.
(EDIT, they did try limited, I have seen a screenshot now)
I think the main problem is the error message they got from Barclays, it should have said "the account details you have provided don't match" or something similar

cloud_dog

I got it when sending a payment through to NS&I.  Wasn't impressed.  The problem is that I don't know if NS&I are at fault, i.e. the account really has some convoluted governmental department name or if is an issue with the bank.  I followed the instructions from NS&I but there is no way of knowing/validating.

knack92

fenwick458 said:

this system still has bugs..
customer of mine tried to pay me today (barclays to starling)
they had put in "my company Ltd" and put the account number and sort code in correctly, then messaged to say their bank was warning against paying as the "the account you are trying to pay doesn't allow us to check the details are correct"
I replied saying just pay it, you have the details correct. or try using "my company Limited" as thats how it appears on my bank account.
they said they tried that, but was still receiving the same error message, and when trying to ignore it was given another prompt that just put them off about paying online altogether in case it went missing
now they are sending a cheque in the post
messaged starling, got a response on 10 mins basically saying if they had used limited it'd work. my customer assures me they tried that but i didn't see a screenshot so i guess i'll never know if they did or not.
(EDIT, they did try limited, I have seen a screenshot now)
I think the main problem is the error message they got from Barclays, it should have said "the account details you have provided don't match" or something similar

That error suggests they were unable to perform the check rather than saying the details weren't a match in which case "the account details you have provided don't match" would be misleading.

My employer has various bank accounts for customer use and these are in the name of the legal entity which won't be familiar to most customers. We registered trading names with the bank to ensure they don't face issues. Maybe Starling could do similar and register a trading name to your account without Limited in the name, not that I think it would have made a difference in this case.

born_again

kulath said:

I don't understand why I am getting so much adverse criticism about my comments. This is supposed to be a consumer forum, and I am trying to point out how the banks have failed to properly implement the new CoP system, despite having had years to prepare for it.

Specifically, the banks have failed to tell their customers what name they are using for your own account for checking the CoP. 

I want to get the banks to take seriously their responsibilities to help avoid fraud.

It's in several places.
Your debit card & a cheque book. Santander it is on your statement.
Or strangely. Contact you bank & ask them..
Why should banks have to waste paper (save the environment etc) when the details should already be known by their customer.

Avoiding fraud is as much the customers responsibility as the banks.
So if someone asks for a bank transfer. Until they supply the correct details. It's not getting done.

Mrs_Ryan

Regarding the being unable to check- I suspect it’s something to do with the payment going to a ‘challenger’ bank. I got the same message from both Barclays and NatWest the first time I sent money to my Metro Bank account. 

Owain_Moneysaver

mgdavid said:

For the second scenario, I repeat: if the payee tells me an incorrect 14 digits it's their problem not mine. Especially as the vast majority of one-off payment instructions are transmitted to me electronically I always cut and paste to ensure any error is not mine. 

One of the problems is those instructions can be hacked/faked/corrupted and there is no guarantee that just because you think you have an email from Johnny Builder asking for payment to 51-61-71 00123456 that is the genuine account number you need to pay. 
With Confirmation of Payee you would get a message saying Do you want to pay Davey Scumbags Y/N? and can be stopped before you send the money for your house extension to Nigeria. 

Uxb1

Your debit card & a cheque book. Santander it is on your statement.
Or strangely. Contact you bank & ask them..
Why should banks have to waste paper (save the environment etc) when the details should already be known by their customer.

My lloyds online account says:   Single Initial followed by surname
My Lloyds statement says: Mr plus all my initials followed by surname
My lloyds bank debit card says:  Mr followed by by first christian name then my other initials and then my surname
My Lloyds bank cheque book says: all initials followed by surname (so no leading Mr)
So that's four different versions in one bank of what my account name really is

The_Green_Hornet

This is the CoP naming requirements according to UK Finance:

• You now need to know someone’s name if you are going to pay them, just like asking someone who to make a cheque payable to. For individuals this will be their first name and last name – for businesses, ask for their correct name as this may not be the same as their trading name.
• Your name may not be the same as the name on your bank card. For example, if you have your initials on your bank card, you will still need to give your full first name and last name to the person paying you.
• Your name will be used in communications that your account provider has with you (such as a bank statement) and through your online or mobile banking applications. If you think you need to change the name of the account, or you are unsure of the name to be used, you should discuss this with your account provider.

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/confirmation-of-payee