It is no secret that fraud causes major disruption for businesses and individuals alike. Although there isn’t a solution that is 100% fraud proof, there are a few key steps payment service providers (PSPs) can take in the fight against fraud, with Confirmation of Payee (CoP) being one of them. In fact, CoP is not only an important part of a PSP’s fraud prevention toolkit, it is also a mandated requirement.
What is Confirmation of Payee?
Confirmation of Payee is a security feature and industry initiative designed to enhance the security of electronic payments within the UK. It helps prevent various types of fraud, particularly Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud.
Here's how Confirmation of Payee works:
- Account name verification: When an online payment is made, the account name entered is compared against the account name held by the recipient's bank.
- Sort code and account number matching: The system also checks whether the provided account details, including the sort code and account number, match the account name.
- Alert for mismatch: If there is a mismatch between the account name entered and the account name on record at the recipient's bank, you will receive an alert. This alert allows for a review of the payment details and confirms whether they are accurate.
This smart data checking tool provides an extra layer of security by helping to ensure that payments are going to the correct recipient and reducing the risk of sending money to an unintended recipient. It is particularly effective in cases where scammers try to impersonate legitimate payees or redirect payments to their own accounts.
Is Confirmation of Payee necessary?
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) issued a mandate that all Group 1 PSPs will need CoP implemented by October 2023 and those classified as Group 2, by October 2024.
Even though meeting regulatory requirements are super important, it is also useful to address the benefits of using such a service.
By using tell.confirm, payment providers can take a proactive approach to fighting fraud and safeguarding funds. By enabling the accurate verification of the recipient's name, it serves as a critical tool against various forms of fraud, ensuring payments reach the intended person or business while minimising the risk of incorrect transfers.
And by taking a modular approach, tell.confirm can be deployed as two separate services; a “Requestor” service (sending outbound CoP requests to another provider) and a “Responder” service (checking and replying to inbound requests from other providers), or as a single combined solution.
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About tell.money
tell.money is a market-leading open banking SaaS platform enabling account providers to join the ecosystem, meet their regulatory obligations and bring new open banking tools to their customers. With a wide product range including Dedicated Interface APIs, Confirmation of Payee, Test & Monitoring alongside some exciting money management tools, tell.money is the open banking partner of choice for the fintech industry.
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