What is a Purpose of Payment (POP) code?

A Purpose of Payment code is a standardised identifier typically managed by the country’s central bank or other authority and used to categorise and explain the underlying reason for the international payment.

A POP code consists of numbers or letters, or sometimes both and is typically three to nine characters long.

Countries that require a POP code

Certain countries require POP codes to be listed on payments. These include:

  • Pakistan

This applies to payments made to these countries in any currency. You’ll need to include the POP when making payments in Internet Banking, the NAB App and NAB Connect.

How to navigate this page

Click on the country that you are sending a payment to from the list below and find the code that matches the underlying reason for your payment.

How to include a POP code in your international payment

Internet Banking and NAB App

Find the code corresponding to your payment and include it in the ‘purpose of payment’ field. The format should be ‘Purpose Code - [XXX] [Purpose Reason]'.

Example: ‘Purpose Code - 1234 Transfer to Family’

NAB Connect

From the code identified below, include it in the ‘Instructions to beneficiary’ field in the format of ‘Purpose Code – [XXX] [Purpose Reason]’.

Example: ‘Purpose Code – 1234 Transfer to Family’

You can also add a payment description as you normally would, such as invoice numbers or messages. The POP code is in addition to any other information you want to include regarding your payment.

What happens if I don’t include a POP code?

If you don’t include a POP code in your payment to relevant countries, your payment could be delayed or rejected.

Choose from the list below to view the country’s POP code

Important information