Nationwide Building Society is enabling customers to block harmful payment references as part of efforts to help protect abuse survivors.
Some perpetrators may include references as a way of maintaining unwanted contact and control when sending payments.
Nationwide said that from Thursday, customers will be able to hide payment references on incoming transfers in the Nationwide app, taking power away from abusers and giving customers the choice over what they do and do not see.
It is also exploring how this functionality could be extended to Virgin Money customers in the future.
Charity Surviving Economic Abuse estimates that around 4.2 million women across the UK have experienced economic abuse by a current or former partner.
Economic abuse may include controlling someone else’s bank accounts, credit, spending or their ability to work and receive an income.
It often happens alongside other forms of abuse.
Nationwide said its specialist support team, which is trained to identify and support customers who have disclosed or show signs of abuse, helped 312 customers in 2025, up from 213 the previous year.
The launch of the in-app feature builds on previous work by the society to help combat abuse, including the introduction 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 urged 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”.
