An 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.
The Authorised Push Payment Reimbursement Rules are 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, only consumers are eligible for reimbursement for APP scams if the payment is made using the Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) or Clearing House Automated Payments System (CHAPS) in the UK and sent to another UK account. A consumer is defined as:
• an individual,
• a charity which has an annual income of < 1 million GBP,
• 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 or CHAPS is used to send or receive a payment into a relevant 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. TransferMate may also apply an optional excess of up to £100.
Yes. Claims must be brought within 13 months of the final APP scam payment.
TransferMate may reject your claim if you have acted fraudulently or with gross negligence. Gross negligence implies a breach of the standard of care that TransferMate can expect of its customers when sending a payment using FPS or CHAPS. 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 TransferMate or a national authority such as the police;
• report the scam to TransferMate as soon as you realise or suspect that you might be a victim of APP fraud;
• provide necessary information as requested by TransferMate to help us assess your claim;
and/or
• report the incident to the police or allow TransferMate to do so on your behalf if needed.
We are committed to protecting vulnerable customers.
Customers who were vulnerable at the time of at least one FPS or CHAPS 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 above. Additionally, these customers will not be subject to the £100 excess that TransferMate 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 made prior to 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 or CHAPS
• Payments sent to an account controlled by the same account holder.
• Payments not authorised by the account holder (unauthorised transactions)
To make a claim, report the scam as soon as possible to us by contacting Customer Care at +44 207 659 9185 or email fraud@transfermate.com
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.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your claim, you can make a complaint via our complaints process via submitting the complaint to complaints@transfermate.com
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.
TransferMate also monitors your account and will contact you if we spot any payments that could potentially be a scam.
Please see the following blog post for further details: What is Authorized Push Payment Fraud and How Do You Prevent It?
