Businesses come on board as Confirmation of Payee enters its second year
8 July 2026
Australian Payments Plus (AP+) is celebrating the first anniversary of Confirmation of Payee, a service that Australians have now used more than 150 million times to confirm whether account details match before making a payment.
One year on, Confirmation of Payee has grown from a new safeguard against scams and mistaken payments into a familiar step for millions of Australians, with a recent survey showing eight in ten Australians have seen or used the service1. And its role is still expanding. Businesses are increasingly adopting Confirmation of Payee to help make sure their payments go where they’re intended – from onboarding to completing comprehensive back-book checks.
AP+ CEO Lynn Kraus said that the first year of Confirmation of Payee had highlighted the important role trust plays in an increasingly instant payments environment.
“Trust in payments matters to everyone – households and businesses alike. We’re excited to see Confirmation of Payee playing an even bigger role across the economy as its use continues to expand.”
Introduced in July 2025, Confirmation of Payee helps customers verify whether account details match the intended recipient, providing an additional prompt before money leaves their account.
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Daniel Mulino, said Confirmation of Payee was an important part of Australia’s broader efforts to combat scams.
“I was pleased to join industry in Melbourne last year for the launch of Confirmation of Payee. One year on, it is helping protect millions of Australians and complements the Albanese Government’s broader scam prevention agenda, including our world-leading Scams Prevention Framework,” said Mulino.
Confirmation of Payee is now live with over 100 financial institutions, with Westpac and NGM Group among the first institutions to roll out the service for customers.
“We know how distressing scams can be and that’s why we’re focused on helping keep customers safe. Confirmation of Payee is helping customers avoid scams and mistaken payments,” said Ben Young, Head of Fraud Prevention at Westpac.
“Already it has helped save our customers from losing millions to scammers and, as payment redirection scams continue to grow globally, we’ve seen losses from this scam type fall over the past year.”
Since launch, one participating financial institution has reported more than 570,000 payments were abandoned after customers received a "no match" result, including more than 10,000 attempted payments to accounts listed on the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange.
Industry data also shows customers spend around three times longer reviewing a “no match” result than a “match” result, suggesting the service is encouraging greater scrutiny when warning signs appear.
“Confirmation of Payee has been really well received by our customers, adding an extra layer of protection and further strengthening trust in customer-owned banking,” said Stuart Hall, Chief Operating Officer at NGM Group.
“It’s become an important part of how we continue to support our customers, empowering them with knowledge and tools as we work together to keep their money safe.”
Part of the Scam-Safe Accord, Confirmation of Payee forms part of broader industry efforts to help strengthen scam prevention and trust in digital payments.
AP+ thanks participating financial institutions, the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) for their ongoing support in delivering Confirmation of Payee and helping strengthen trust and confidence in Australia’s payments system.
AP+ acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora nation as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we are based and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' ongoing connection to the lands and waters of Australia and thank them for their pivotal role in caring for Country. Always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.
