Upcoming Changes to Payee Address Requirements
What is changing?
Bank of Ireland is introducing changes to the payee address information that is required within Business On Line. The changes will mean that some address information is and will help ensure payee details are complete and accurate.
What this means for you?
You may notice updated Business On Line screens designed to help you prepare for upcoming payee address requirements.
‘Town/City’ and ‘Country of Residence’ will be mandatory fields when you create or update a payee.
A red icon beside an existing payee means additional address information is required. You can select ‘Continue for now’ and update it later, but we recommend updating the details when prompted.
If you wish to continue using these payees, please ensure their required address information is updated by 11 January 2027, when the new requirements take effect.
How to prepare
We recommend reviewing your payees now and updating their details where required. In particular:
- Look out for payees displaying a red warning icon and update their details where possible.
- Ensure the Town/City and Country of Residence fields are complete and accurate when adding or updating a payee.
- Review and remove any unused or inactive payees to reduce the number of updates required.
- Ensure any payees you wish to continue using are updated before 11 January.
From 11 January, payees with incomplete mandatory address information will need to be updated before they can be used. Taking action now will help ensure your payee information is up to date ahead of the changes.
Need more information?
Should you require additional support, or have any further questions on the upcoming changes, please contact our Business On Line Customer Helpdesk.
Protect your business
Go to the Bank of Ireland Security Zone to learn how to stay safe from scam calls, fake payment requests, CEO fraud and more. Never share your one-time codes from the Approve app. Always keep them private.
Frequently Asked Customer Questions
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What is changing?
Bank of Ireland is updating Business On Line so that certain payee address information is captured in dedicated fields. Town/City and Country of Residence will be mandatory when you create or update a payee.
Customers will also be prompted to update payee details when making payments to payees with missing address details.
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Why are these changes being introduced?
The changes will help ensure that payee details are complete and accurate and will support upcoming payee address requirements.
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Do I need to update every payee?
No. Only payees with missing mandatory address information will need to be updated. These payees will be highlighted with a red icon.
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What information is required?
Town/City and Country of Residence must be completed for each payee.
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What happens if I don't make the required changes?
Payees with missing mandatory information must be updated before 11 January 2027. After this date, payments to those payees cannot be made until the required information is provided.
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How will I know which payees need to be updated?
A red icon will appear beside any existing payee that requires additional address information.
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Can I continue without updating a payee straight away?
Yes. Where the option is available, you can select ‘Continue for now’ and update the payee later. However, if you wish to continue using the payee, you should update the required information before 11 January 2027.
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How do I update a payee?
When prompted in Business On Line, open the payee details and complete the required Town/City and Country of Residence fields. You can also review your saved payees through the Manage Payees and Payee Groups section.
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How many payee updates can I authorise at one time?
You can authorise up to 10 payee updates at one time.
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Where can I find more information or support?
Information is available on our dedicated webpage ‘Upcoming Changes to Payee Address Requirements’ on the Bank of Ireland Business Banking website. Should you require additional support, or have any further questions on the upcoming changes, please contact our Business On Line Customer Helpdesk.
Bulk Payments – Mandatory Address Changes
What’s changing?
If you submit Bulk Payment files, you may need to take action to ensure your payment files continue to be processed.
Customers who include address information within their bulk payment files will be required to use either a Structured Address or Hybrid Address format. Customers using unstructured address formats may experience payment or file rejections after this date.
What this means for you?
The impact of this change depends on how you submit Bulk Payment files.
If you currently include postal address information within your PAIN.001 (Credit Transfer) or PAIN.008 (Direct Debit) files, or plan to do so in the future, you may need to update your file format and address information to meet the new requirements.
If you do not include address information in your Bulk Payment files and do not intend to do so in future, no action is required at this time.
These changes are designed to standardise address data and improve payment processing efficiency.
Mandatory requirements include:
- Address information, where provided, must be submitted using either a Structured Address or Hybrid Address format.
- A valid Town Name and Country Code must be included where address information is required.
- Address records containing only a Country Code and no Town Name will not meet the new requirements and may result in payment rejection.
- Address information is mandatory for certain payments and collections involving non-EEA countries.
What action is required?
- Review whether your organisation currently includes postal address information within PAIN.001 or PAIN.008 files.
- Engage with your IT department, software provider or file generation vendor to determine whether changes are required.
- Review the address information held within your systems to ensure it can support the new requirements.
- Where required, update your file formats and address fields ahead of the implementation date.
Failure to comply with the new address requirements may result in rejected transactions and/or rejected files for payments valued or scheduled in the future.
How to prepare
Option 1: Structured Address Format
Customers can adopt the latest file versions:
- PAIN.001.001.09 for Credit Transfer files.
- PAIN.008.001.08 for Direct Debit files.
Bank of Ireland can accept Structured Address formats today.
Option 2: Hybrid Address Format
Hybrid Address formats can be used where supported.
When address information is included, a minimum of:
- Town Name
- Country Code
- Up to two Address Line fields
must be provided to meet the new requirements.
Customers using Direct Debit files may need to adopt the latest PAIN.008 file version when using Hybrid Address formats.
Please note the latest file specification can be found on our documentation page
Important reminders
Address information is mandatory for certain Non-EEA payments
Address information must be included for:
- PAIN.001 Credit Transfer files where payments are being made to a non-EEA country or territory.
- PAIN.008 Direct Debit files where collections are being made from a bank located in a non-EEA country or territory.
No action may be required
If you do not currently submit postal address information within your Bulk Payment files and do not intend to do so in future, there is no action required at this time.
Bank of Ireland recommendation
We recommend that Bulk Payment customers engage with their IT department or software provider as early as possible to understand any changes required to their payment file generation processes.
Preparing in advance will help ensure payments continue to be processed successfully when the new requirements take effect.
Need more information?
Should you require additional support, or have any further questions on the upcoming changes, please contact our Business On Line Customer Helpdesk.
Protect your business
Go to the Bank of Ireland Security Zone to learn how to stay safe from scam calls, fake payment requests, CEO fraud and more. Never share your one-time codes from the Approve app. Always keep them private.