diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/BankAccountPayload.java b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/BankAccountPayload.java
index afe40b192e..4f615f3728 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/BankAccountPayload.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/BankAccountPayload.java
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ public abstract class BankAccountPayload extends CountryBasedPaymentAccountPaylo
     protected String holderTaxId;
     @Nullable
     protected String bankId;
-    @Nullable
-    protected String email; // not used anymore but need to keep it for backward compatibility. get set by subclasses to empty string
 
     public BankAccountPayload(String paymentMethod, String id) {
         super(paymentMethod, id);
@@ -72,7 +70,6 @@ public abstract class BankAccountPayload extends CountryBasedPaymentAccountPaylo
                                  String accountType,
                                  String holderTaxId,
                                  String bankId,
-                                 String email,
                                  long maxTradePeriod,
                                  @Nullable Map<String, String> excludeFromJsonDataMap) {
         super(paymentMethodName,
@@ -88,7 +85,6 @@ public abstract class BankAccountPayload extends CountryBasedPaymentAccountPaylo
         this.accountType = accountType;
         this.holderTaxId = holderTaxId;
         this.bankId = bankId;
-        this.email = email;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -102,7 +98,6 @@ public abstract class BankAccountPayload extends CountryBasedPaymentAccountPaylo
         Optional.ofNullable(accountNr).ifPresent(builder::setAccountNr);
         Optional.ofNullable(accountType).ifPresent(builder::setAccountType);
         Optional.ofNullable(bankId).ifPresent(builder::setBankId);
-        Optional.ofNullable(email).ifPresent(builder::setEmail);
         final PB.CountryBasedPaymentAccountPayload.Builder countryBasedPaymentAccountPayloadBuilder = super.getPaymentAccountPayloadBuilder()
                 .getCountryBasedPaymentAccountPayloadBuilder()
                 .setBankAccountPayload(builder);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/NationalBankAccountPayload.java b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/NationalBankAccountPayload.java
index bd5f664e02..ecd5fabf5d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/NationalBankAccountPayload.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/NationalBankAccountPayload.java
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ public final class NationalBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
 
     public NationalBankAccountPayload(String paymentMethod, String id) {
         super(paymentMethod, id);
-        email = "";  //email must not be null but empty string, otherwise hash check fails for contract
     }
 
 
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ public final class NationalBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                                        String accountType,
                                        String holderTaxId,
                                        String bankId,
-                                       String email,
                                        long maxTradePeriod,
                                        @Nullable Map<String, String> excludeFromJsonDataMap) {
         super(paymentMethodName,
@@ -66,7 +64,6 @@ public final class NationalBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 accountType,
                 holderTaxId,
                 bankId,
-                email,
                 maxTradePeriod,
                 excludeFromJsonDataMap);
     }
@@ -100,7 +97,6 @@ public final class NationalBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 bankAccountPayloadPB.getAccountType().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayloadPB.getAccountType(),
                 bankAccountPayloadPB.getHolderTaxId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayloadPB.getHolderTaxId(),
                 bankAccountPayloadPB.getBankId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayloadPB.getBankId(),
-                bankAccountPayloadPB.getEmail().isEmpty() ? "" : bankAccountPayloadPB.getEmail(),
                 proto.getMaxTradePeriod(),
                 CollectionUtils.isEmpty(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()) ? null : new HashMap<>(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()));
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SameBankAccountPayload.java b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SameBankAccountPayload.java
index 768a2372ad..4dc749426b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SameBankAccountPayload.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SameBankAccountPayload.java
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ public final class SameBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
 
     public SameBankAccountPayload(String paymentMethod, String id) {
         super(paymentMethod, id);
-        email = ""; //email must not be null but empty string, otherwise hash check fails for contract
     }
 
 
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ public final class SameBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                                    String accountType,
                                    String holderTaxId,
                                    String bankId,
-                                   String email,
                                    long maxTradePeriod,
                                    @Nullable Map<String, String> excludeFromJsonDataMap) {
         super(paymentMethodName,
@@ -66,7 +64,6 @@ public final class SameBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 accountType,
                 holderTaxId,
                 bankId,
-                email,
                 maxTradePeriod,
                 excludeFromJsonDataMap);
 
@@ -101,7 +98,6 @@ public final class SameBankAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 bankAccountPayload.getAccountType().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getAccountType(),
                 bankAccountPayload.getHolderTaxId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getHolderTaxId(),
                 bankAccountPayload.getBankId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getBankId(),
-                bankAccountPayload.getEmail().isEmpty() ? "" : bankAccountPayload.getEmail(),
                 proto.getMaxTradePeriod(),
                 CollectionUtils.isEmpty(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()) ? null : new HashMap<>(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()));
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SpecificBanksAccountPayload.java b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SpecificBanksAccountPayload.java
index 3490c14f4a..7f75ca7391 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SpecificBanksAccountPayload.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/bisq/core/payment/payload/SpecificBanksAccountPayload.java
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ public final class SpecificBanksAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
 
     public SpecificBanksAccountPayload(String paymentMethod, String id) {
         super(paymentMethod, id);
-        email = "";  //email must not be null but empty string, otherwise hash check fails for contract
     }
 
 
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ public final class SpecificBanksAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                                         String accountType,
                                         String holderTaxId,
                                         String bankId,
-                                        String email,
                                         ArrayList<String> acceptedBanks,
                                         long maxTradePeriod,
                                         @Nullable Map<String, String> excludeFromJsonDataMap) {
@@ -73,7 +71,6 @@ public final class SpecificBanksAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 accountType,
                 holderTaxId,
                 bankId,
-                email,
                 maxTradePeriod,
                 excludeFromJsonDataMap);
 
@@ -113,7 +110,6 @@ public final class SpecificBanksAccountPayload extends BankAccountPayload {
                 bankAccountPayload.getAccountType().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getAccountType(),
                 bankAccountPayload.getHolderTaxId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getHolderTaxId(),
                 bankAccountPayload.getBankId().isEmpty() ? null : bankAccountPayload.getBankId(),
-                bankAccountPayload.getEmail().isEmpty() ? "" : bankAccountPayload.getEmail(),
                 new ArrayList<>(specificBanksAccountPayload.getAcceptedBanksList()),
                 proto.getMaxTradePeriod(),
                 CollectionUtils.isEmpty(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()) ? null : new HashMap<>(proto.getExcludeFromJsonDataMap()));