How to Avoid Payment Holds and Delays
Payment delays are often caused by incomplete, unclear, or inconsistent beneficiary information. To help ensure payments are processed smoothly, please follow the guidance within this article when setting up payments.
Payment delays are often caused by incomplete, unclear, or inconsistent beneficiary information. To help ensure payments are processed smoothly, please follow the guidance below when setting up payments.
Best Practice Tips
Are you paying an individual (e.g. for payroll) or an organisation?
1. Use full legal names
Always provide the individual’s full legal name as it appears on official documents.
- ❌ “J Carter”
- ✅ “James Edward Carter”
2. Do not include titles or qualifications
Remove prefixes and suffixes such as Mr, Mrs, Dr, Prof, or professional qualifications.
- ❌ “Dr Helen Smith MD”
- ✅ “Helen Smith”
3. Include date of birth where available
This helps reduce matching issues during screening.
- Format: DOB DDMMMYYYY
- Example: “DOB 03MAR1985”
4. Provide full address details
Include the complete residential address where available. Do not use abbreviations or PO Boxes.
- ❌ “Mayfair”
- ✅ “12 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BD”
5. Provide the full legal name of entities
Always spell out the full official company or institution name - no abbreviations.
- ❌ “P&G”
- ❌ "Virgin Atlantic"
- ✅ "Procter & Gamble Company"
- ✅ "Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited"
Using abbreviations or shortened bank names can result in additional processing checks or delays.
6. Avoid abbreviations and shorthand
Write all details in full.
- ❌ “ST”, “RD”, “BR”
- ✅ “STREET”, “ROAD”, “BRANCH”
7. Include the purpose of payment
Clearly state the nature of the payment, especially for salary, pension, or payroll runs.
“Payroll payment”, “Pension payment”
8. Use clear payment references
Combine name, payment purpose, and date of birth in the reference field.
Example:
“PAYROLL PAYMENT JAMES EDWARD SMITH DOB 03JAN1982”
1. Use full legal company names
Always provide the organisation’s full registered legal name as it appears on official records.
- ❌ “Virgin Atlantic"
- ✅ "Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited"
2. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms
Use only the official legal entity name. Remove shortened brand names, internal codes, or shorthand references.
- ❌ “P&G”
- ✅ “Procter & Gamble Company”
3. Provide full registered office address
Include the complete registered office address where available. Do not abbreviate or shorten address fields.
- ❌ “Canary Wharf”
- ✅ “33 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB”
4. Avoid abbreviations and shorthand in all fields
Write all details in full.
- ❌ “ST”, “RD”, “CO”, “LTD” (when avoidable in narrative fields)
- ✅ “STREET”, “ROAD”, “COMPANY LIMITED”
6. Include a clear purpose of payment
State the nature of the transaction clearly, especially for operational or finance flows.
- Examples:
“Invoice payment”, “Supplier payment”, “Service fee”, “Refund settlement”
7. Use clear structured payment references
Combine company name, payment purpose, and invoice or reference number where available.
- Example:
“INVOICE PAYMENT ACME CORPORATION LIMITED INV 10482 DATED 15JAN2026”