How to make a payment to someone new in online banking

Text guide: how to make a payment to someone new

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain how you can use online banking to easily make payments to a person or a business if they're based in the UK.

International payments work differently — you can find out more in our guide to making international payments.

Before you begin

You’ll need a few things handy, including access to your phone and emails so you can receive a verification code. You’ll also need:

The payee's details

• The name of the person or business you're paying.
• Their account number and sort code.

Details of the transfer

• The amount you wish to transfer.
• The date you wish to transfer it, if you want the payment to be made at a later date

To begin, add the details of the person or business you’re paying

1. First, log in to online banking using your login details.

2. Select ‘Pay and transfer’ from the menu on the left.

3. Select the account you want to pay the money from.

4. After you’ve done this, select ‘Pay someone new’.

5. Select ‘In the UK’.

6. You’ll then be taken to the ‘Add payee details’ page, where you’ll need to enter the payee’s name, sort code, and account number. If you’re paying a business, select the ‘Pay a business’ tick box — if you’re not, then you do not need to select this. You can also add an optional payment reference.

7. Next, click ‘Verify payee’. At this point, we’ll check whether the details you entered match the details held by the person or business’ bank. This can help you make sure you’re sending money to the right account.

Verifying the payee

After clicking ‘Verify payee’ you may see some different options.

For example, account name is a match — which means the account matches the payee’s name and you can proceed with the payment.

The other options that may you may see after clicking ‘Verify payee’ include:

Then, decide how much you want to transfer, and when you’d like the payment to be made

1. After you’ve added the payee’s details, you’ll be taken to the ‘Payment details’ page. Here, you’ll need to enter the amount you want to transfer.

2. If you want the payment to be made at a later date, you can select the ‘Pay later or create a standing order’ tick box underneath, and choose a date.

3. Then, click ‘Continue’.

Next, confirm the details of your payment

1. Now, you need to answer some questions about fraud and scams — it’s important that you read these each time, and think about whether the payment you’re trying to make could be part of a scam. This will help you keep your money safe. After you answer each question, click ‘Continue’.

2. Next, you need to confirm whether you’ve read the information, and if you still want to transfer your money. If you agree, select the tick box and click ‘Continue payment’.

3. You’ll then be taken to the ‘Confirm details’ page, where you can review the payment details. If they’re correct, click ‘Confirm and pay’. If something’s not right, you can click on ‘Edit payment details’ instead.

4. Once you’ve clicked ‘Confirm and pay’, we’ll send you a verification code by text or email. On the ‘Verify it’s you’ page, you’ll need to enter this code, along with your password. This is for security, to make sure it’s really you making the payment. After you’ve done this, click ‘Verify code’.

5. We’ll then process your payment request.

Finally, check if your payment has been successful