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Pay a Contact

Quick and secure payments direct from your mobile.

With Pay a Contact it’s easy to pay friends, family or small businesses using your mobile phone.

Linking your phone number to your bank account, it’s a secure and convenient way to make payments without cash.

All you need to do is register. Then you can send and receive money from other registered users.

Why use Pay a Contact?

  • Send and receive money using just a UK mobile number
  • It’s quick, simple and secure
  • No need to share your bank account details with others

How to register

You need to have Mobile Banking to register for Pay a Contact.

To register, you’ll need your UK mobile phone number and bank account details.

Enabled by:

Paym logo

Get the app

  • If you want friends and family to be able to pay you using just your mobile number, you need to register first. All you have to do is log on using the Mobile Banking app and follow these steps:

    1. Go to Settings and Info in the More tab.

    2. Select Pay a Contact settings and then tap Register.

    3. Select the mobile number you want to use and tap Continue.

    4. Choose the account you want to link to, then read and accept the terms and conditions.

    Next we’ll need to validate your mobile number.

    1. Press Continue when you’re ready to proceed.

    2. We’ll give you a four digit code to enter when you receive our automated call.

    3. Follow the prompts to validate your phone number using the four digit code.

    4. That’s it. You’re now ready to receive money using just your mobile number.

  • Sending payments is easy, but you can only send money to someone who has already registered for the PayM service with their participating bank. If you’re sending money to a new contact, as an additional security check, we’ll ask you to enter your password.

    It’s easy to send money using the Mobile Banking app.

    Simply follow these steps:

    1. Log into the app.

    2. Select your account, then tap ‘To’ to see your payee list.

    3. Either choose an existing payee or tap ‘Add payee’ and ‘UK mobile number’ to set up a new one.

    4. Choose the mobile number you want to pay from your list of contacts or enter a mobile number.

    5. Enter the amount you want to pay and a payment reference.

    6. Confirm the details by pressing the Confirm button.

    7. The money will be sent to your contact as soon as possible.

Keep in mind

You need to be registered for mobile banking.
You need to be registered for Pay a Contact.

To receive payments you can only register one account to your mobile number.
To send and receive payments you must be registered with Paym.

Pay a Contact is part of Paym.
Paym is a wider mobile payments service using mobile numbers to send money between users.

Pay a Contact payments are sent as Faster Payments through our Mobile Banking app.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

  • 1.
    What is Paym?

    Paym is the central database and service developed by the Payments Council and operated by Mobile Payment Service Company Limited in partnership with participating financial institutions.

    When you register for Pay a Contact, your mobile phone number and linked account details are stored on the central Paym database. This allows participating banks to route any payments made using just your mobile phone number to your registered account.

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  • 2.
    Are there any restrictions on what I can use Pay a Contact for?

    Yes. You cannot use Pay a Contact to make a single payment of less than £1.00 or above the daily limit of £300.00.

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  • 3.
    What happens if my mobile phone is lost or stolen?

    Pay a Contact payments can only be sent using Mobile Banking. To access this, you need to log in using your user ID, password and memorable information. No one will be able to access your account without this information.

    In the event of your mobile phone being lost or stolen, your contacts can still send you payments using Pay a Contact.

    If, as a result of your mobile being lost or stolen, you change your mobile number you should log in to Internet Banking or Mobile Banking and remove your old mobile phone number from your personal details. This automatically de-registers the number from Pay a Contact. You should also remind your friends and family of your mobile number being changed.

    When you have a new mobile phone number, you can update your Internet Banking or Mobile Banking personal details and register the number for Pay a Contact.

    If you have reason to suspect your security credentials have been compromised, you should call us immediately on 03456 02 00 00.

    If you are calling from abroad or would prefer not to use the 0345 number, you can call us on +44 (0)1132 789 302.

    We would advise you not to store this information on your mobile or anywhere else.

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  • 4.
    Can I register a UK landline for Pay a Contact?

    No. The service is only available for UK mobile phone numbers.

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  • 5.
    Is my account eligible for Pay a Contact?

    The following accounts are eligible:

    • Basic Account
    • Cash Account
    • Cardcash (Over 19) Current Account
    • Cardcash 16/17 Current Account
    • Classic
    • Classic Vantage
    • Easycash
    • Gold
    • Gold Vantage
    • Graduate Account
    • Platinum
    • Platinum Vantage
    • Premier
    • Premier Vantage
    • Private Banking Flexible Current Account
    • Private Banking Premier Current
    • Private Banking Premier Plus
    • Reward Current Account
    • Silver
    • Silver Vantage
    • Standard Current Account
    • Student Current Account
    • Student, Under 19s Account
    • Ultimate Reward Current Account
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  • 6.
    Can I register for Pay a Contact on my joint account?

    Yes. You can send payments from or receive payments into your joint account. You shouldn’t register a joint account without first agreeing this with the other account holders. Only one account holder needs to register in order for that account to be able to receive payments via Pay a Contact.

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  • 7.
    I've registered my mobile phone number, to receive payments, with another bank and now want to register for Bank of Scotland Pay a Contact. What do I need to do?

    First you will have to de-register your number with the other bank / building society following their de-registration instructions. When you’ve successfully de-registered from the other bank’s / building society’s service you can register with Bank of Scotland.

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  • 8.
    Are my details shared with a 3rd party and are these held securely?

    Your mobile phone number, name and bank account details (sort code, account number and 16 digit PAN number) will be recorded on the secure Paym central database. This database links your mobile phone number with the current account you’ve registered for Pay a Contact and has the same level of security in place as you’d have with any of our other banking services.

    Only the information necessary to send and receive payments using just your mobile telephone number will be shared with participating banks and building societies.

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  • 9.
    Who can I send a payment to using Pay a Contact?

    You can send payments to any individual who has registered for the service through a participating bank or building society. Any payment made using Pay a Contact will be shown on your statement as MPO – Mobile Payment Out.

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  • 10.
    How much can I send using Pay a Contact?

    You can make payments from £1.00 to £300.00 from each of your accounts (current and joint accounts) every day. You won’t be able to increase your daily limit. Each participating bank will have their own limits.

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  • 11.
    How do I know the money is being sent to the correct person / my contact?

    When you select or input your contact’s mobile phone number and the amount you want to pay, you will see a confirmation screen which shows the recipient name as registered to the mobile number on the central database. If this is the person you want to pay you can confirm the payment. If it isn’t the person you intended to pay or isn’t someone you recognise you should cancel the payment. Cancelling the payment will delete the existing beneficiary details and you will need to set up a new beneficiary.

    If you don’t recognise your contact from the details shown please check with them in the first instance to see if their details are correct.

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  • 12.
    Can I send a Pay a Contact payment to someone who has an account with another bank or building society?

    Yes, as long as your contact is registered on the central Paym database via their bank or building society.

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  • 13.
    Is there a charge for sending a payment using Pay a Contact?

    We don’t charge you for making or receiving payments through Pay a Contact, but your mobile operator may charge for some services (such as accessing the Internet) so please check with them. Payments made via Pay a Contact are made using existing payment processes (Faster Payment Service). We don’t charge for these payments.

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  • 14.
    How do I send money using Pay a Contact?

    Making a payment to a contact, friend or family member couldn’t be easier. Log into the mobile app and select ‘Add payee’ and then ‘UK mobile number’ when making a payment.

    You’ll be asked to enter your contact’s mobile phone number, the amount you’d like to pay them, a reference and a password.

    If you’ve paid this person before their mobile phone details will be shown in your payee list.

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  • 15.
    How do I receive a payment?

    Once you register your mobile phone number with an eligible account for Pay a Contact, your friends and family can start sending you money using just your mobile phone number.

    When a payment is received into your account using your Pay a Contact registration you will receive a notification message (SMS) letting you know.

    This notification message will confirm the sender’s name, the amount being paid and the reference added by your contact.

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