In what circumstances will an online payment be delayed or rejected?

The majority of Online Banking payments will normally be processed without delay. However, payments considered unusual to the normal use of your account will be referred for further investigation. If this happens the payment will not be sent until the investigation has been completed. Payments to an invalid sort code and account number may also not be processed.

Payments can either be automatically rejected (e.g. where an account has been closed) or returned following a manual review by the payee's bank (who may not be able to accept the payment).

In both cases, the money will be sent back to your account immediately and will show as a contra entry on their statement. Depending on the type of payment and the method of return, either 'REJ' and a four digit code or 'RET' and a four or eight digit code will be displayed in the narrative of the entry. To help you locate the definition of a code please contact telephone banking or a branch.