UKC

When setting up a system for paying from bank account A to account B (ie Direct Debit), do you need the actual name of account holder B?  Or, will the account number and sort code be sufficient?

I think just the numbers is necessary and if you put them in it should give you the name so you can check it's what you expect. On most of my banking apps if you put the name in it then says "did you mean" and gives it you exactly as recorded.

Thinking of a hard copy (paper) system rather than an app. 
But I think it maybe just the numbers but not sure. 

I think they have tightened up recently and at least on line they need the correct name or at least you to disclaim your rights if the name is wrong and it goes to the wrong place,

In your example, paying from acc A to acc B, holder of A could previously just use the S/C & acc numbers, but AFAIK, you now need the acc name as a further security check. If you are acc A holder regularly sending to acc B then it would be a standing order. 

Direct debit would be acc B getting regular funds from acc A  and acc B holder should have all relevant details and permission from acc A holder to set up the direct debit.

Mark

Thanks for this. Looks like it’s a standing order. If the standing order was set up 4 years ago, would you have just needed account number and sort code? (bit detailed, I know).  

If I set up a payment to a "New Payee" on my HSBC on line account the system checks that the name, the sort code and the account number are valid before it transfers the money. If the name does not match e.g. wrong name, mispelling etc. the transaction is rejected.

I've had a payment rejected due to a name miss-match. Didn't use to provide a name at all so it's definitely stricter now, but I think it might be bank policy specific.

Probably, the name to account match check only came in this year IIRC, before you could easily send funds to the wrong place and might have struggled to get them back.

Mark

As you say, this seems to have changed recently. To set up a new one of payment, or standing order, my bank (first direct) requires the sort code, account number, name of the account and whether the account is business or personal. 

There's also a lot of warning messages throughout the process of setting up the transfer, about being scammed, which are quite good at sowing fear, uncertainty and doubt!

I recently had to change my debit card because of "suspicious activity" so they do seem to be on the ball but I would love to know what constitutes suspicious activity as it did not seem to me to be an out of the ordinary transaction that had been attempted and blocked.

Does anyone know?

I'm often alerted to suspicious activity, but usually turns out to be me buying expensive whisky.

Its about ten years since I had an actual fraudulent transaction. That turned out to be an outdoor shop taking money back for a refund on a jacket I had received a year before that! I ended up falling out with the co-op bank over that