An Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam is when a scammer tricks a victim into sending money from the victim’s account (or an account the victim has access to) to the scammer’s account.

The scam is disguised as a legitimate request for payment. Some examples include:

• Invoice scams: A scammer poses as a supplier or contractor and sends a fake invoice, tricking a business or individual into paying money to the scammer's account.
• Impersonation scams: Scammers impersonate trusted entities like banks, police, or government officials, convincing victims to transfer money for supposed security or legal reasons.
• Purchase scams: The victim is tricked into paying for goods or services (e.g., concert tickets or electronics) that don’t exist or are never delivered.
• Romance scams: The scammer builds a relationship with the victim online and persuades them to send money, often claiming they need financial help.
• Investment scams: Victims are convinced to transfer money for a fake investment opportunity that promises high returns but results in financial loss.
• House deposit scams: Scammers pose as real estate agents or sellers, tricking homebuyers into transferring large sums as deposits to the scammer's account.

The Authorised Push Payment Reimbursement Requirement is a requirement set by the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) to ensure that victims of APP scams are reimbursed by their Payment Service Providers (PSPs).

Under the new rules, consumers are eligible for reimbursement for APP scams if the payment is made using the Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) in the UK and sent to another UK account. A consumer is an individual, charity, and/or microenterprise (i.e., a business that employs less than ten people and has either an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total that does not exceed €2 million).

Each claim will be evaluated individually on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the evidence provided by the consumer, as well as any information from the receiving PSP or, when applicable, a third party such as the police.

Yes, but only where FPS is used to send or receive a payment into such a virtual account within the UK (even if the owner of the account and ultimate recipient of the funds is located outside of the UK).

The rules apply to payments made on or after 7 October 2024.

Yes, there is a maximum claim limit of £85,000 per APP scam claim. Payoneer may also apply an optional excess of up to £100.

Yes. Claims must be brought within 13 months of the final APP scam payment.

Payoneer may reject your claim if you have acted fraudulently or with gross negligence (i.e., a very significant degree of carelessness). Gross negligence implies a breach of the standard of care that Payoneer can expect of its customers when sending a payment using FPS. The PSR have set these standards, which are referred to as “the consumer standard of caution,” and require you to:

• pay attention to any warnings or advice provided by Payoneer or a national authority such as the police;
• report the scam to Payoneer as soon as you realise or suspect that you might be a victim of APP fraud;
• provide necessary information as requested by Payoneer to help us assess your claim;

and/or

• report the incident to the police or allow Payoneer to do so on your behalf if needed.

Payoneer is committed to protecting vulnerable customers.

Customers who were vulnerable at the time of at least one FPS APP scam payment, and whose vulnerability had a significant impact on their ability to protect themselves from the scam, are exempt from the customer standard of caution described in point 8 above.

Additionally, these customers will not be subject to the £100 excess that Payoneer can apply to claims.

Yes, the reimbursement policy does not apply to:

• Fraud committed by the account holder themselves (first-party fraud)
• Cases involving gross negligence
• Claims made outside the allowed timeframes (e.g., payments before 7 October 2024 or claims submitted more than 13 months after the final payment to the fraudster)
• Payments made internationally
• Transactions processed through other payment systems that are not FPS
• Scam payments involving cheques or cash
• Payments sent to an account controlled by the same account holder
• Payments not authorised by the account holder (unauthorised transactions)
• Civil or contractual disputes
• Transactions sent by credit unions, municipal banks, or national savings banks

To make a claim, report the scam as soon as possible to us by contacting Customer Care at +44-204-579-3884. Please inform us that you are a UK customer who has been the victim of an APP scam and are seeking reimbursement in relation to a payment to a recipient's bank account. Please ensure to include details about the payment such as your account ID, name of the payment recipient, the payment amount and the date the payment was made. We will then assess the claim based on the evidence provided and pay any reimbursable claim within five business days, unless additional information is required from either you or a third party such as the receiving PSP, law enforcement or other relevant parties.

You will also need to provide any information we may request to support the claim.

We will assess your claim and may share information with other PSPs involved in processing the payment transaction and with interested third parties, such as Pay.UK (who provide the FPS system).

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your claim, you can make a complaint via our complaints process which can be found here under the Payoneer Payment Services (UK) Limited section.

Be cautious when making payments, especially to new or unfamiliar contacts.

Ensure the communication or request is legitimate, a legitimate company will not have a problem with you calling them on a number you locate independently to verify the call.

Be wary of urgent or suspicious requests, a legitimate company would not object to you taking your time or consulting someone prior to making a payment.

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a requested payment, make additional enquiries prior to making it.

Payoneer also monitors your account and will contact you if we spot any payments that could potentially be a scam.

Yes. We have updated our Terms and Conditions following these regulatory changes.