In inductive power transfer (IPT) applications where multiple IPT units can appear closely, the wrong pairing of one transmitter (Tx) unit and receiver (Rx) unit can happen and may cause damages. For example, for automated guided vehicle and electric vehicle applications, one IPT charger may find multiple nearby Rx units through radio frequency modules. If the charger wrongly pairs with an Rx unit in an adjacent lane, the charger will attempt to charge the correct Rx unit using the information from the adjacent Rx unit, which is a faulty operation. In this letter, IPT coils are used to transmit handshaking information, which inherently avoids adjacent Tx/Rx units. During handshaking, only small ac currents would occur even with a high dc input. When the Tx and Rx are far away, system currents remain small. Hence, the approach is a safe solution to assist pairing. Experimental results have been provided for verification.