What is the regular payment (standing order) reference and why do I need it?

If you’re paying a bill you must use the reference number provided by the billing company. This is so the recipient can distinguish your payment from the others it receives. The reference is generally your account or customer number. Failure to provide a valid reference may result in your payment being returned, so make sure you enter it correctly.

If you’re paying a person, you can choose your own reference. For example, if you’re paying your share of a bill to another person, you may create the reference ‘gas bill’.