Confirmation of Payee is a new service that checks if the name of the account holder you intend to pay matches their account number with their bank, giving you greater confidence that you’re paying the right person or business. It can also help reduce the risk of being scammed.
A payee is the term used to describe the person or business that you are paying money to.
The Confirmation of Payee service will be available from 1 December 2024.
When you pay a new payee or edit an existing payee using internet banking or mobile app, the payee’s name will be checked against the payee’s account number with their bank. You will then receive a response telling you if the details you’ve entered match.
Our priority is to keep your money safe and secure.
Confirming the payee’s name and account number match helps:
Give you greater confidence that you are paying the right person or business
Reduce the risk of making a mistake when making a payment
Provide protection against scams and fraud by adding an additional layer of security to the payment process
Yes, the Confirmation of Payee check is a mandatory step in the payment process when you are paying a new payee or editing a saved payee. However, it will not stop you from making a payment. If the service is unable to match the details with the payee’s bank it is up to you to decide whether you want to proceed with the payment.
The Confirmation of Payee check will only be performed on payments made between New Zealand bank accounts using internet banking and the mobile app.
It will not be performed on payments which involve:
Staff-assisted payments (e.g. branch, phone, email); or
International or overseas payments.
There are six possible response types:
| ‘Match’ This means the payee's name and account number match the information provided by the payee's bank. |
 | ‘Partial match’ This means the name you have entered is not an exact match with the information provided by the payee’s bank. This may be because the payee name entered:
We encourage you to confirm the exact name and account number to get a match. Go back and update the details to get a match or continue if you know and trust this payee. Money sent to the wrong account may not be recoverable. |
 | ‘Not a match’ This means the payee’s name and number you’ve entered do not match the information provided by the payee’s bank. We will ask you to check whether the account details have been entered correctly and to consider whether you know and trust the payee before deciding whether you wish to continue. |
| Account can’t be checked’ This means we have been unable to check the account based on the information provided by the payee’s bank. This may be because the account has been closed or is unable to accept payments. |
 | ‘Can’t check payee details’ This means the account can’t be checked based on the information provided by the payee’s bank. Before continuing, pause and consider:
Money sent to the wrong account may not be recoverable. |
| ‘Can’t check payee details right now’ This means that we are temporarily unable to check the payee’s details. |
Once the ‘Check payee details’ button is clicked, a result will be returned within a few seconds.
Confirmation of Payee is not mandatory; however, the majority of New Zealand banks will be implementing it. The implementation date may vary between banks.
If you are paying someone whose bank has not yet implemented Confirmation of Payee, you will receive the ‘Can’t check payee details’ response. For more information, see What are the possible responses from the Confirmation of Payee check?
You can find out more about the roll out of Confirmation of Payee in New Zealand by visiting www.getverified.co.nz