Nationwide Building Society is giving customers the ability to block distressing payment references as part of its ongoing commitment to protecting survivors of abuse. Some perpetrators use payment references as a means of maintaining unwanted contact and exerting control over victims when making transfers.
Nationwide has announced that from this week, customers will be able to conceal payment references on incoming transfers via the Nationwide app, stripping abusers of that power and allowing customers to choose what they do and do not see.
The building society is also looking into how this functionality could be rolled out to Virgin Money customers in due course.
It frequently occurs alongside other forms of abuse. Nationwide revealed that its specialist support team, trained to identify and assist customers who have disclosed or show signs of abuse, helped 312 customers in 2025, up from 213 the previous year.
The introduction of the in-app feature builds upon the society’s previous efforts to tackle abuse, including the creation of “safe spaces” across 430 Nationwide branches, where anyone experiencing domestic abuse can access specialist support services. Kathryn Townsend, head of customer vulnerability at Nationwide, said: “Domestic abuse doesn’t stop and start at physical harm, it can reach into everyday systems, including banking.
“When applied, the hide reference feature puts control back with the customer, where it belongs.
“We urge anyone affected by domestic or economic abuse to seek support by visiting nationwide.co.uk/support, speaking to a colleague in branch, over the phone or online, or by visiting one of our safe spaces across our Nationwide branches or Surviving Economic Abuse’s website.”
Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said: “For far too long, domestic abusers have exploited everyday banking tools, like payment references, to harass and control survivors even after separation.
“No one should feel scared when accessing their own money. We’re proud to have worked with Nationwide to co-develop this tool alongside survivors, giving them greater control by empowering them to hide abusive payment references.”
She called on other firms to follow suit “by closing down loopholes for abusers and making sure survivor safety is at the heart of every product and service”.
