Nationwide is boosting protections for survivors of domestic and economic abuse by becoming the first high street banking provider to let customers hide abusive payment references.
From today, customers can hide payment references on incoming transfers in the Nationwide app1 – taking power away from perpetrators and giving customers the choice over what they do and don’t see. The UK’s largest building society is also exploring how this functionality could be extended to Virgin Money customers in the future.
The scale of the issue is reflected in data from Surviving Economic Abuse, which estimates that 1 in 62 women in the UK - around 4.2 million - has experienced economic abuse by a current or former partner. That reality is seen in Nationwide’s own figures: its Specialist Support team, which is trained to identify and support customers who have disclosed or show signs of abuse, assisted 312 customers in 2025, up from 213 the previous year3.
The launch of the new in-app feature follows the introduction in April 2025 of a three‑stage warning letter process - under the Faster Payments Service framework4. This was developed to address abusive payment references and the misuse of repeated low‑value payments to maintain unwanted contact and control, which is recognised as a form of economic abuse.
While this process enables banks and building societies to work together, by alerting sending banks when harmful messages are reported, Nationwide has also introduced a clear escalation process that can lead to account closure.
Early evidence shows the approach is effective. In each case the behaviour stopped and the payment reference was amended after the first warning letter, demonstrating the value of early, decisive intervention.
A wider package of support:
The launch of the in-app feature builds on Nationwide’s commitment to supporting people affected by domestic and economic abuse, including:
- Safe Spaces across 430 Nationwide branches and for colleagues, admin centres. These are private and confidential areas where anyone experiencing domestic abuse can access specialist support services.
- A partnership with Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic & economic abuse charity, helping survivors access expert support and rebuild their lives safely, with 56 referrals made since June 2025.
Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Vulnerability at Nationwide: “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. Crucially, Nationwide is the first UK building society to take decisive action against perpetrators, making it clear there are consequences for economic abuse, including debanking repeat offenders. We urge 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.”
