I know that when I have set up payments myself all I need is their sort code, their account number and a reference of my choice to show at my end and a reference so they can identify me at their end.
So if I send a payment to Cinds, I’d pop in her sort code, her account, my name so she knows it is from me and her name to show on my statement so I know where that cash has gone. Nothing else is needed if they set payment up online.
Why they need more detail over the counter I don’t know. One buyer told me that the counter assistant wouldn’t accept handwritten details!! This is possibly only because wrong numbers would mean a lost payment. Why the discrepancy between online and counter though I don’t know.
I give out initial and surname, sort, account and bank, it’s no more than I have on my cheque so I don’t mind.
The biggest problem is when a buyer uses a reference that means nothing to me, therefore I can’t identify who he is!
