Singaporeans using PayNow will now notice a significant change when sending or receiving money. From 6 June 2026, the long-standing nickname feature has officially been removed, with masked versions of users’ registered names becoming the default display format across participating banks and financial institutions.
The move is part of Singapore’s ongoing efforts to combat scams and reduce impersonation attempts that have become increasingly common in recent years. Previously, users could create customised PayNow nicknames, leading to display names ranging from humorous aliases to business-style identities.
Under the new system, users can no longer set or modify nicknames. Instead, only partially masked versions of registered names will be shown during PayNow transactions.
For example, a user named Melissa Lim Wei Ling may appear as “MelisXXX LiX WeX LinX” when receiving payments.
Why Singapore Is Removing PayNow Nicknames
According to authorities and participating financial institutions, scammers have increasingly exploited customisable nicknames to impersonate government agencies, legitimate businesses, friends, or family members.
By displaying misleading nicknames, fraudsters were able to create a false sense of trust and convince victims to transfer funds.
The removal of nicknames is intended to close this loophole and make it harder for scammers to disguise their identities during transactions.
Industry estimates indicate that approximately 30 per cent of PayNow users had activated custom nicknames before the change took effect.
While many users enjoyed personalising their PayNow identities with creative names, regulators concluded that the security risks outweighed the benefits.
Balancing Privacy And Security
Some users have questioned why full names are not displayed instead of masked names.
The answer lies in privacy concerns.
The new format aims to strike a balance between allowing users to verify they are sending money to the correct recipient while still protecting personal information.
The masking system reveals enough information for identification without exposing a person’s full legal name. In fact, officials say the new arrangement provides greater privacy protection for many users whose full names were previously visible.
Other examples of the new display format include:
• Daniel Ong Jun Hao → DanieXXX OnX JuX HaX
• Benjamin Lee Kai Wen → BenjamXXX LeX KaX WeX
• Cheryl Goh Jia Xin → CheryX GoX JiX XiX
The use of “X” characters was selected because it is widely recognised as a symbol representing hidden or concealed information. Similar approaches are already used in financial systems around the world.
Comparable real-time payment systems in Hong Kong also utilise partially masked names when displaying recipient information.
No Action Required For Existing Users
The transition has already been implemented automatically.
Users do not need to update any settings or take any action within their banking applications. Existing nicknames have been removed and replaced with masked name displays.
Apart from the change in how names appear, all other PayNow functions remain unchanged. Users can continue sending and receiving funds using mobile numbers, NRIC-linked accounts, and other existing PayNow services.
While the update strengthens anti-scam measures, authorities have stressed that it is not a complete solution to fraud.
Singapore’s banks continue to rely on multiple layers of protection, including transaction limits, cooling-off periods, fraud monitoring systems, and public awareness campaigns to tackle increasingly sophisticated scam tactics.
Users are still advised to verify recipients carefully and remain vigilant whenever transferring money online.