S'pore banking association explains why 'X' used instead of '*' in PayNow masked names

The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) has explained why "Xs" were used, instead of other characters like an asterisk, to mask certain letters in PayNow users' display names.

Responding to Mothership’s queries, Ong-Ang Ai Boon, Director of ABS, said that they are aware of the feedback that some PayNow users’ display names now feature unintended words following the introduction of masked names in place of nicknames.

Some PayNow users, such as those with surnames like “See”, found that their masked names now contained the word “SEX”.

In a statement on Jun. 9, Ong explained that “Xs” instead of asterisks were used to mask the names of users as not all PayNow-related systems across its 29 participating institutions currently support special characters.

“The letter ‘X’ was chosen to mask certain letters as it is widely recognised as a symbol for something concealed or missing, and visually resembles a cross-out mark,” Ong-Ang continued.

“ABS decided on this approach to swiftly disable a tool being exploited by scammers while maintaining a smooth PayNow experience,” Ong-Ang shared.

Ong-Ang also said: “We seek customers’ understanding and will continue to review feedback for future improvements.”