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Confirmation of Payee

From late November 2024, Confirmation of Payee will be phased in by New Zealand banks. It’ll be introduced at different times by banks, and different times across online banking channels.

How it works

Confirmation of Payee allows you to check the name of the person you intend to pay matches the name on the account. 

It applies to new online domestic payments only. International, same day cleared, Open Banking or ATM payments won't be checked.

It aims to reduce the risk of paying the wrong person, adding another layer of protection to help reduce scams and fraud.

When we roll out Confirmation of Payee in ANZ Internet Banking and goMoney, we’ll be in touch about how to use the service. 

You can learn more about the Confirmation of Payee service on the GetVerified website.

Changes affecting your online banking

There are two ways Confirmation of Payee will change how you do your online banking.

Getting paid

For anyone paying you, you’ll need to provide them with:

  • Your legal account holder name – as shown on your drivers licence, birth certificate or passport or business name (this may not be the account name in Internet Banking or goMoney).
  • And your account number.

Making a payment

  1. You’ll need to enter the name of the account holder and account number
  2. When we introduce the Confirmation of Payee service, you’ll receive a notification whether both match before you proceed with the payment.

What you need to do

Once Confirmation of Payee is rolled out, it’s important you provide your correct account name to anyone paying you so they get a match. If the correct legal name is not used, you might not receive your payment or it could cause delays because a match could not be made. 

If someone has saved your details from previous payments, they won’t need to update your payment details.

If you’re a personal customer

  • You can find your legal name on your driver's licence, birth certificate or passport.
  • If you have your payment details saved on selling sites like Trade Me, check and update your payment details to ensure they're correct.

If you're a business or trading as a business

  • You’ll need to use your business account holder name to get a match.
  • Check your invoices or payment requests have the correct account holder name and number on them and update if required. 
  • If you’re registered as a payee with Payments NZ, your payments are covered by the Payments NZ register. Payments won’t be checked through the Confirmation of Payee service and there is nothing you need to do.

Checking payee name matches

When someone is paying you for the first time, the service will complete a check to compare the name entered (payee name) against the actual name of that account, and provide a response of:

  • Match – the payee name and account number match.
  • Partial match – the payee name does not exactly match the actual name on the account, but is close. You may have used a shortened name or made a typo.
  • No match – the payee name and account number don't match. The payee name or account number could be incorrect. 
  • Account not found – the account number appears invalid and your payment may not go through.
  • Can’t check payee details – the payee's bank doesn't share the information needed to check these details.
  • Can’t check payee details right now – due to a temporary issue we can't check the payee details right now. Only continue if you know and trust this payee, or try again later.

See our Privacy Statement for how we collect, use, and disclose your information. Our Privacy Statement also includes information on your rights to access and correction of your personal information.

Guidelines for payee name matches

For an individual account, the payee name needs to be the legal first and last name of the account holder as shown on a driver's licence, birth certificate or passport. Initials and nicknames are not your full legal name.

For a joint account, the payee name needs to be the legal first and last name of at least one account holder as shown on a driver's licence, birth certificate or passport.

For a sole trader, the payee name needs to be the sole trader name registered with the bank.

The payee name needs to be the legal name that is held by the Companies Office and bank records. This is the name on the certificate of incorporation.

The payee name needs to be the Trust name that is on the Trust deed.

The payee name needs to be the legal name that is held by the Companies Office Registers and bank records.

How to update your account name or details

If your account name or details are incorrect, such as a misspelling on an account or card, or you've changed your legal name, you will need to contact us.

Individual and joint accounts or Trust

  1. Call us to book an appointment in branch
  2. For individual or joint accounts, you’ll need to bring in legal documentation of your new name i.e. passport, marriage or name change certificate.
0800 269 296

Sole trader or Limited company/Incorporated entity

If you’re a sole trader, contact your Relationship Manager or call us to update your details.

For a Limited company/Incorporated entity, to update your business name so it matches the name we have on record, you’ll need to:

  1. Contact the Companies Office to register or update your business name
  2. Contact your Relationship Manager or call us to update your details.
0800 269 296