If you're paying a friend or individual, you may not need a specific reference number. As long as you have their sort code and account number, the payment will go through to that person's bank account. In the reference field you could put something like 'birthday gift' or 'holiday money'.
If you're paying a bill, eg, a gas or credit card bill, the company receiving the money will need you to quote a specific reference so that they can identify the money has come from you.
For a gas or electricity bill, for example, the reference will be your customer number, which is on your bill. For a credit card, it will be your credit card number. Many bills will tell you what details you need to quote when paying your bill in Online Banking. If you're unsure, the company you're paying will be able to tell you.
The details of the people or companies you pay from our pre-approved list will automatically be saved to your payee list unless you opt-out when making the payment.