diff --git a/models_test.go b/models_test.go
index 2d4aae4..5aa3e58 100644
--- a/models_test.go
+++ b/models_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+type StringType string
+
 type BadModel struct {
 	ID int `jsonapi:"primary"`
 }
@@ -18,11 +20,12 @@ type ModelBadTypes struct {
 }
 
 type WithPointer struct {
-	ID       *uint64  `jsonapi:"primary,with-pointers"`
-	Name     *string  `jsonapi:"attr,name"`
-	IsActive *bool    `jsonapi:"attr,is-active"`
-	IntVal   *int     `jsonapi:"attr,int-val"`
-	FloatVal *float32 `jsonapi:"attr,float-val"`
+	ID       *uint64     `jsonapi:"primary,with-pointers"`
+	Name     *string     `jsonapi:"attr,name"`
+	IsActive *bool       `jsonapi:"attr,is-active"`
+	IntVal   *int        `jsonapi:"attr,int-val"`
+	FloatVal *float32    `jsonapi:"attr,float-val"`
+	String   *StringType `jsonapi:"attr,string"`
 }
 
 type Timestamp struct {
diff --git a/request.go b/request.go
index a7bb0b1..929af34 100644
--- a/request.go
+++ b/request.go
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ func handlePointer(
 			reflect.ValueOf(attribute), fieldType, structField)
 	}
 
-	if t != concreteVal.Type() {
+	if !t.ConvertibleTo(concreteVal.Type()) {
 		return reflect.Value{}, newErrUnsupportedPtrType(
 			reflect.ValueOf(attribute), fieldType, structField)
 	}
diff --git a/request_test.go b/request_test.go
index 3326598..7847010 100644
--- a/request_test.go
+++ b/request_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,32 @@ func TestUnmarshall_attrStringSlice(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestUnmarshalToStructWithPointerToNamedType(t *testing.T) {
+	out := new(WithPointer)
+	in := map[string]interface{}{
+		"string": "foo",
+	}
+	if err := UnmarshalPayload(sampleWithPointerPayload(in), out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if *out.String != "foo" {
+		t.Fatalf("Error unmarshalling to string alias ptr")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalToStructWithPointerToNamedTypeNull(t *testing.T) {
+	out := new(WithPointer)
+	in := map[string]interface{}{
+		"string": nil,
+	}
+	if err := UnmarshalPayload(sampleWithPointerPayload(in), out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if out.String != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error unmarshalling to string alias ptr")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshalToStructWithPointerAttr(t *testing.T) {
 	out := new(WithPointer)
 	in := map[string]interface{}{
@@ -68,6 +94,9 @@ func TestUnmarshalToStructWithPointerAttr(t *testing.T) {
 	if *out.FloatVal != 1.1 {
 		t.Fatalf("Error unmarshalling to float ptr")
 	}
+	if out.String != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error unmarshalling to string alias ptr")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestUnmarshalPayload_ptrsAllNil(t *testing.T) {