No more nicknames: PayNow to end alias option for users from June

SINGAPORE - PayNow users will no longer be able to customise their display names from June 6. Instead, transactions will reflect the name registered with their bank, with only selected letters shown to protect their privacy.

In a statement on April 29, the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) said the PayNow nickname feature for retail customers will be discontinued to strengthen protection against impersonation scams.

Previously, scammers could exploit the nickname feature by using the names of established entities or trusted individuals as their PayNow aliases, allowing them to dupe victims into transferring money to fraudulent accounts.

With this change, PayNow users will be able to see their payee’s verified, registered account name – with only selected letters displayed – before making a transfer or payment.

ABS director Ong-Ang Ai Boon said: “While PayNow has made everyday payments more convenient, it is equally important that users can transact with confidence.

“Discontinuing the nickname feature removes an avenue that scammers can exploit while safeguarding customer privacy.”

The nickname feature has been available to retail users since PayNow was launched in 2017.

Currently, retail users’ registered names with their bank are displayed by default, unless they set a nickname.

From June 6, all display names will be updated automatically to reflect the registered names. No action is needed on the users’ part, ABS said. Users also cannot define which letters will appear in their updated display names.

“The logic for the updated PayNow name has taken into consideration industry best practices, consumer feedback, and is centrally applied to provide consistency. Hence, users will not be able to make changes to the updated PayNow name,” ABS said.

Businesses that use PayNow to receive payments via a unique entity number do not have access to the nickname feature.

ABS said in other jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, the Faster Payment System also shows only selected letters of a payee’s name. On the other hand, Malaysia’s DuitNow and Thailand’s PromptPay display the payee’s full name.

Malaysia’s DuitNow and Thailand’s PromptPay display the payee’s name in full. Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System display selected letters of a payee’s name.

Some users welcomed the move as a necessary safeguard. “If this reduces scams, I don’t mind losing the custom name feature. It is too easy for people to impersonate others these days,” Grab driver Francis Goh told The Straits Times.

Others said the change might inconvenience some freelancers and small businesses that usually receive payments on their personal PayNow accounts and have the option to use a nickname.

Tuition teacher Josephine Pereira said she has been using a PayNow alias known to her students and their parents. This change may confuse them, said Ms Pereira.

ST previously reported that the nickname feature would be discontinued in 2024, but the rollout was delayed as more time was needed to conduct consumer feedback studies, ABS said.