GBP business account: sort codes, Faster Payments and getting paid by UK clients

UK clients pay suppliers by bank transfer, almost always to a sort code and account number. If you can give them one, you get paid in pounds the same day. Here is how UK account details and payment rails work.

Rashidatou K.Payments editor

Published: 4 October 2026
Reading time: 2 min read

UK businesses pay suppliers by bank transfer, and their accounts teams expect two numbers: a sort code and an account number. Give a UK client an IBAN or a Swift code and they can pay you, but it becomes an international payment, with a fee and a delay on their side and often a conversion on yours. Give them a sort code and you are just another supplier.

How UK account details work

Detail	Format	Example
Sort code	6 digits, three pairs	04-00-75
Account number	8 digits	12345678
Account name	Your exact legal name	Northwind Studio LLC

For payments from abroad, the same account usually also has an IBAN starting with GB and a BIC. UK clients will use the sort code and account number.

The UK payment rails

Rail	Run by	Speed	Used for
Faster Payments	Pay.UK	Seconds, 24/7	Most supplier and one-off payments
Bacs	Pay.UK	3 working days	Payroll, direct debits, large batches
CHAPS	Bank of England	Same day, business hours	High-value and time-critical payments

Faster Payments has run since 2008. The scheme allows payments up to £1 million, and each bank sets its own limit for its customers. Most invoices from a UK client arrive on Faster Payments within minutes.

Confirmation of Payee

When a UK client adds you as a payee, their bank checks the name they typed against the name on your account. A mismatch shows a warning, and many finance teams stop there and email you. To avoid it:

put your exact registered company name on every invoice,
include the account name with the sort code and account number,
tell clients if your account name has a suffix such as LLC or Ltd.

The invoice fraud guide explains why clients take name warnings seriously.

Invoicing UK clients in pounds

Pricing in GBP removes the exchange decision from the client and usually speeds approval. If you also pay UK contractors or software in pounds, you can pay those costs from GBP income without converting twice. See multi-currency cash flow.

If you are VAT-registered or selling to UK consumers, VAT rules apply separately; check with an adviser.

Paying in the UK

Paying UK contractors or suppliers in pounds works the same way in reverse: sort code, account number and name, sent on Faster Payments. The Faster Payments and SEPA comparison shows how it compares with other rails.

GBP on Rivet

Rivet's Growth plan includes GBP account details in your company's name, receiving Faster Payments beside your USD and EUR balances, and pays UK accounts on Faster Payments. See Bank accounts.

Questions people ask

What is a sort code?

A six-digit number, written as three pairs such as 04-00-75, that identifies a UK bank or payment provider and branch. Together with an eight-digit account number it identifies a UK account for domestic payments.

How long do Faster Payments take?

Usually seconds, and at most two hours, at any time of day. The scheme's maximum per payment is £1 million, though each bank sets its own lower limits for its customers.

What is Confirmation of Payee?

A UK name check. When a client sets you up as a new payee, their bank checks the account name they typed against the name on your account and shows a match, a close match or no match.

Can a non-UK company get UK account details?

Yes, from some providers. The details are in the company's name and receive Faster Payments and Bacs like any UK account. Eligibility depends on where the company is registered and where its owners live.

Sources

Written by

Rashidatou K.

Payments editor

Rashidatou writes Rivet's guides to how money moves between countries: the payment rails, what each one costs, and the account details a company needs to get paid in another currency. Every figure in Rashidatou's articles is traced to the scheme rulebook, the regulator or the provider's published price list, and those sources are listed at the end.