Frequently Asked Questions

An FPS error code is a short code returned when a UK Faster Payment cannot be completed as expected. It tells the sending bank or payment service provider why a payment was rejected before it was accepted, or returned after it had been accepted. They fall into two groups based on stage: rejects (REJ) before a payment is accepted, and returns (RET) after it has been accepted.

A REJ (reject) happens before the payment is accepted: the receiving bank or the scheme refuses the message up front, so no money moves. A RET (return) happens after a payment has been accepted and settled, when the receiving bank later sends the funds back. In short, rejects are pre-acceptance and returns are post-acceptance. You can browse both types on the codes page.

It depends on the code's severity. Codes marked retryable usually reflect a temporary condition (such as a system timeout or a limit), so resubmitting later may succeed. Codes marked fatal indicate a problem that won't resolve on its own (such as wrong account details), so you need to fix the underlying issue before resubmitting. Each code page shows whether it is fatal or retryable.

A rejection can happen even when details look right at a glance. Common causes include a transposed digit in the account number or sort code, an account that has been closed or restricted, a beneficiary name that doesn't match the account, or a limit or fraud check at the receiving bank. The specific code returned narrows down which of these applies — look it up on the codes page.

A return can arrive after a payment has settled because some checks happen at the receiving bank only once the funds have landed. For example, the destination account may be closed, blocked, or unable to accept the credit, so the receiving bank sends the money back. The exact timing varies by bank and PSP, and is governed by scheme rules rather than a fixed deadline you can rely on.

Use the search on this site (press Cmd/Ctrl+K from anywhere) and type the code or a keyword, or browse the full list on the codes page. Each code has its own page with a plain-English explanation, common causes, a suggested customer message, and remediation steps.

This is an unofficial, community reference. The official FPS technical specification is restricted to scheme participants, so this site aggregates codes from publicly available bank and technology-partner documentation. See the references page for the sources behind the data.

Confirmation of Payee (CoP) checks whether the beneficiary name you entered matches the name registered on the destination account before the payment is sent. When the name doesn't match, you may see a name-mismatch rejection such as 1162. The aim is to reduce misdirected payments and certain types of fraud.

Yes, over time. The UK is moving towards the New Payments Architecture (NPA), which uses the ISO 20022 messaging standard and its external return reason codes. The current numeric FPS codes will map to ISO 20022 codes, though exact codes and timelines vary and are still evolving. See the FPS to ISO 20022 mapping and the future codes reference for details.