Account name checks · checked 16 October 2026

Confirmation of Payee in the US?

Short answer: not in the same way. The UK and EU check the name on the receiving account before many payments. The US has account-validation services, but no universal free name check built into every bank transfer.

UK and EU

• UK Confirmation of Payee (CoP): when you add a new payee, your bank asks the receiving bank whether the name matches the account. You get "match", "close match" or "no match".
• EU Verification of Payee (VoP): required for euro credit transfers under the EU Instant Payments Regulation since October 2025. Similar match / close match / no match result.

Both help, but neither stops a fraudster who opens an account in a name close to your supplier's, or who persuades you to ignore a "close match".

United States

Some banks and payment platforms offer account validation (checking an account is open and, sometimes, who owns it), often through networks such as Early Warning or open-banking providers, usually for a fee. Coverage and availability vary by bank. None of it replaces confirming the change with the supplier.

What to do anywhere

1. Use the name check if your bank offers one, and treat "close match" or "no match" as a stop.
2. Always call back on a number you already had, and have a second person approve.
3. Check payment files against verified details before paying.

Check a suspicious email free Set up call-backs and approvals