Hey bunqers 🌈, 

When sending a transfer to another bank or IBAN, it's important to check that the recipient's name and their IBAN you entered are correct.

We’ve implemented the IBAN Name Check which shows you whether the name you entered matches the IBAN before you send a transfer. This way, you can be sure your money always reaches the right person.

When will I see the name check warning?

If you transfer money from any of your bunq Bank Accounts to an external bank account, and our system detects a mismatch between the recipient's name and their IBAN, we will ask you to check and confirm whether the details you entered are correct.

You’ll also get a check message if we can’t verify if the recipient’s name matches the IBAN, because it’s not linked to any system we use.

Why is it important to check?

This message is designed to serve as an additional security measure to prevent unauthorized or mistaken transfers. It ensures that the money is sent to the correct recipient and helps avoid potential fraud or errors. To make sure the check gets applied properly, please fill in the recipient’s full name in the payment details. After confirming that the recipient’s details are correct, you can send your payment right away.

If the provided name and IBAN match the account holder’s details, you’ll be able to send the payment immediately. 

The payment will only go through if you confirm it. If everything looks correct you can still choose to send the payment, but it’s up to you to make sure it’s going to the right person. We can’t confirm the account belongs to your intended recipient — so take a moment to be sure before you hit send ✅

Important: Always double-check account details before confirming a payment. If you send money despite being notified of a mismatch, you’ll generally remain responsible for the payment.

What happens if I send money to the wrong IBAN?

Mistakes happen so it’s important to know what can be done. If you’ve sent the payment despite a mismatch warning, we can help you request a recall from the recipient’s bank. Whether the money is successfully returned depends on the recipient's cooperation and their bank’s process.

Additionally, we can issue an immediate refund in cases when no Name Check was performed due to a system failure or timeout from our side. This is the only case when we can refund the payment, after 15 working days, as per Regulation (EU) 2024/886 Article 5c(8).

You can read more about the possibilities available to you if you've sent money to the wrong IBAN - here. 

Why does my new bunq IBAN show as inactive or not matching?

Name checks also work the other way: when someone at another bank sends money to your bunq IBAN, their bank can check your name against your IBAN too. If you just opened a bunq bank account, they may get a warning from their end. This is because it can take a few hours for other banks to recognize a new IBAN.

But you can rest assured that your new IBAN can receive money as soon as it shows as active in your bunq app, even if another bank’s name check says it’s inactive, can’t be verified, or doesn’t match.

If someone is sending you money in the first few hours of you opening your new bunq bank account:

• They can confirm the warning and send the payment — it arrives in your account as normal.

• If their bank doesn’t let them continue, ask them to try again after a few hours.

Why can’t I link my new bunq IBAN to Tikkie or another app?

You can link it once other banks recognize your IBAN, usually within a few hours of opening it. Apps like Tikkie need the name check to return a full match before they let you link your account, so a warning in the first few hours stops the setup.

1. Wait a few hours after opening your IBAN or changing your legal name.

2. Try linking again, and enter your first and last name exactly as they appear on your bunq account.