ISO 27001 certified · Real-time name checks

Confirmation of Payee
& Payer name checks

Real-time account name verification from 15p. Reduce APP fraud, prevent misdirected payments, and get a free modulus check plus bank details in every response.

  • From 15p per check
  • Free modulus check included
  • Full / Close / No Match
  • ~60% APP fraud reduction
Overview

What is CoP?

CoP stands for Confirmation of Payee - a suite of name-checking services introduced by UK regulators to combat fraud and reduce misdirected payments. Our CoP services cover both Confirmation of Payee and Confirmation of Payer.

Confirmation of Payee

When you send money to someone, Confirmation of Payee checks whether the name you've been given matches the name on the receiving account. This verifies the payee (recipient) details before you make a payment.

Confirmation of Payer

When you receive money from someone, Confirmation of Payer verifies that the name provided matches the name on the sending account. This confirms the payer (sender) identity, helping businesses verify who is making a payment to them.

Same Technology, Different Direction

Both services use the same verification technology and infrastructure. The only difference is the direction: checking outgoing payments (Payee) vs. incoming payments (Payer). Our pricing is the same for both services.

CoP is Now Mandatory

As of 2024, all UK Payment Service Providers (PSPs) must offer Confirmation of Payee checking for payments over £1,000 and other high-risk transactions.

The Cost of APP Fraud

£485M
Lost to APP fraud in 2023
232,429
Cases reported in 2023
60%
Reduction with CoP

Key Differences

  • Confirmation of Payee

    Verify recipient details before sending payments

  • Confirmation of Payer

    Verify sender details when receiving payments

How it works

How CoP works

Real-time name verification in four simple steps

1

Enter Details

User provides payee name, sort code, and account number

2

Name Check

We query the receiving bank to verify the account holder name

3

Match Result

Receive match status: Full Match, Close Match, or No Match

4

Proceed Safely

User can proceed with confidence or fix any discrepancies

Understanding Match Results

Match

The name provided matches the account holder name exactly. Payment can proceed safely.

Close Match

The name is similar but not exact (e.g., missing middle name, abbreviation). User should verify before proceeding.

No Match

The name does not match the account holder. Payment should not proceed without further verification.

Unavailable

The receiving bank doesn't support CoP or the account couldn't be checked. Use additional verification.

Why Your Business Needs CoP

Protect your business and your customers

Fraud Prevention

Stop Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud before it happens. Detect when fraudsters provide fake account details.

Reduce Misdirected Payments

Catch typos and data entry errors that lead to money being sent to the wrong account.

Regulatory Compliance

Meet UK regulatory requirements for CoP checking on qualifying payments.

Customer Protection

Demonstrate duty of care to your customers by implementing fraud prevention measures.

Lower Liability

Reduce your liability for fraud losses by implementing industry best practices.

Better User Experience

Give customers peace of mind with instant verification before they send money.

Free Modulus Check Included

Every CoP request includes a complimentary modulus check and full bank branch details at no extra cost.

Complete Data in Every Response

More than just name verification - get comprehensive account information

Bonus: Free Modulus Check & Bank Details

Every CoP verification includes additional valuable data at no extra charge:

  • Modulus Check Validation - Verify the account number is mathematically valid
  • Bank Name & Branch - Full bank and branch details
  • Branch Address - Complete postal address with postcode
  • Payment Scheme Support - BACS, CHAPS, Faster Payments capabilities
  • Contact Information - Branch phone and fax numbers (where available)

Why This Matters

Save money and API calls - Instead of making separate requests to our Modulus Checking API, you get all this data included with every CoP verification.

Better fraud detection - Cross-reference the name match with account validity and bank details for comprehensive verification.

Enhanced user experience - Display bank details to users for additional confidence before payment.

💡 One API call gives you CoP verification, modulus checking, and full bank details

Simple API Integration

Add CoP verification to your platform in minutes

curl -X GET "https://wsp.esortcode.com/uk/v1/cop?key=YOUR_API_KEY&sortcode=200000&accountNumber=12345678&name=John%20Smith&accountType=PERSONAL"
const apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
const sortCode = '200000';
const accountNumber = '12345678';
const name = encodeURIComponent('John Smith');
const accountType = 'PERSONAL';

const url = `https://wsp.esortcode.com/uk/v1/cop?key=${apiKey}&sortcode=${sortCode}&accountNumber=${accountNumber}&name=${name}&accountType=${accountType}`;

const response = await fetch(url);
const result = await response.json();
import requests
from urllib.parse import quote

api_key = 'YOUR_API_KEY'
sort_code = '200000'
account_number = '12345678'
name = quote('John Smith')
account_type = 'PERSONAL'

url = f'https://wsp.esortcode.com/uk/v1/cop?key={api_key}&sortcode={sort_code}&accountNumber={account_number}&name={name}&accountType={account_type}'

response = requests.get(url)
result = response.json()
$apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
$sortCode = '200000';
$accountNumber = '12345678';
$name = urlencode('John Smith');
$accountType = 'PERSONAL';

$url = "https://wsp.esortcode.com/uk/v1/cop?key={$apiKey}&sortcode={$sortCode}&accountNumber={$accountNumber}&name={$name}&accountType={$accountType}";

$ch = curl_init($url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
$result = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);

Response

{
  "cop": {
    "code": "MATCHED",
    "name": "",
    "description": "The account name and account type match the name and account type provided.",
    "advice": "You can proceed with the creation of the Direct Debit Instruction."
  },
  "modulusCheck": {
    "sortcode": "200000",
    "accountNumber": "12345678",
    "valid": true
  },
  "branches": [
    {
      "bankName": "BARCLAYS BANK PLC",
      "branchTitle": "Head Office",
      "address1": "1 Churchill Place",
      "town": "London",
      "postcode": "E14 5HP",
      "bacsPayments": true,
      "directDebits": true,
      "directCredits": true
    }
  ]
}
Pricing

Competitive CoP pricing

Volume discounts from 25p down to 15p per check - no setup fees

Estimate your CoP cost

Drag the slider or tap a preset - prices update instantly

Logarithmic volume pricing · min 100
100 checks
100 2.5k 10k+
Price per check
25.0p
volume rate
Pack total
£25.00
+ VAT · one-time
Credits valid at least 12 months
Free modulus check on every CoP call
No setup fees or monthly minimums
Get started

5 free CoP checks to try the API · no card required

Volume tiers at a glance

Higher packs unlock lower per-check rates

Volume
Per check
Total
Saving
100 checks
25.0p
£25.00
Baseline
500 checks
21.8p
£109.00
13% off
1,000 checks
20.3p
£203.00
19% off
5,000 checks
16.8p
£840.00
33% off
10,000 checks
15.0p
£1,500.00
40% off
Use cases

Who benefits from CoP?

Industries and teams that rely on name checks before money moves

Banks & Fintechs

Meet regulatory requirements while protecting customers from fraud and misdirected payments.

E-commerce Platforms

Verify seller and supplier bank details before releasing funds or making payments.

Accounting Software

Validate payee details when setting up new suppliers or processing refunds.

HR & Payroll

Verify employee bank details during onboarding to prevent payroll errors.

Lending Platforms

Confirm borrower account details before disbursing loan funds.

Insurance Companies

Validate claimant account details before processing insurance payouts.

Enterprise SLA

Need stronger uptime guarantees?

Add enterprise resilience for mission-critical CoP integrations

100% uptime*

Penalties if we miss SLA

Duplicated infra

Isolated from standard

15-min response

24/7 priority support

30-day invoices

Better cash flow

Flat add-on
£99
+ VAT / month

Add to any monthly subscription · dedicated account manager

Important for CoP: SLA covers eSortcode API availability only. CoP also depends on Open Banking and bank systems outside our control.
Explore Enterprise SLA

Prevent fraud with CoP

Start verifying payee details and protecting payments today

5 free CoP checks · no credit card · minutes to integrate