What Should I Do If I See a “No Match” or “Close Match” Warning When Making a Payment?
Understanding what these messages mean — and how to respond — can help protect your money.
If you're sending money to someone and see a “No Match” or “Close Match” warning, it's important to pause and double-check the details.
These messages appear when the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) check returns a result that doesn't fully align with the account name you've entered.
What does “No Match” mean?
A “No Match” warning means the name you entered doesn’t match the details held by the recipient’s bank. This could indicate:
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You’ve entered a different name (e.g. a middle name instead of their first name)
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They’ve given you a trading name instead of the official registered name on their account
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Or, it could be a fraudulent account
If you receive a “No Match” message, we strongly recommend you contact the person or business to confirm the correct account name before continuing. If you go ahead with the payment after this warning and it turns out to be fraudulent, you may not be able to recover the money.
What does “Close Match” mean?
A “Close Match” usually means there’s a slight mismatch — often a typo or minor variation in the name.
This is more common with long names, names with special characters, or spelling errors. If you get this message, simply recheck the name and try again.
If in doubt, don’t pay until you’re sure.
These checks are there to help protect you from scams and incorrect transfers.