BankLint

Guides · Updated 2026-10-18

Control sum (CtrlSum) and number of transactions (NbOfTxs) in pain.001

For SEPA credit transfers the group-header control sum, the payment-information control sum and the payment-information number of transactions are mandatory, although ISO 20022 makes them optional. Control sums may have at most two decimals. Whether mismatching totals are rejected depends on your agreement with the bank, but many banks reject them.

Mandatory in SEPA

  • SEPA-SCT-CTRLSUM-001BLOCKERGroup header control sum is mandatory. SEPA makes the group header control sum mandatory (it is optional in ISO 20022).
  • SEPA-SCT-CTRLSUM-002BLOCKERPayment information control sum is mandatory. SEPA makes the payment information control sum mandatory (it is optional in ISO 20022).
  • SEPA-SCT-NBOFTXS-001BLOCKERPayment information number of transactions is mandatory. SEPA makes NbOfTxs at payment information level mandatory (it is optional in ISO 20022).
  • SEPA-SCT-CTRLSUM-003BLOCKERControl sum has more than two decimals. The fractional part of a control sum may have at most two digits.

Totals that do not match

The control sum is the total of the individual amounts, and NbOfTxs is the number of individual transactions, at group-header and at payment-information level. BankLint recalculates both and reports a mismatch as a warning, so the run needs review.

  • SEPA-SCT-CTRLSUM-004WARNINGGroup header control sum does not match the amounts. The control sum is defined as the total of all individual amounts in the message. Whether it is validated depends on pre-agreed customer-to-PSP conditions.
  • SEPA-SCT-CTRLSUM-005WARNINGPayment information control sum does not match the amounts. The control sum is defined as the total of all individual amounts in the payment information group. Whether it is validated depends on pre-agreed customer-to-PSP conditions.
  • SEPA-SCT-NBOFTXS-002WARNINGGroup header number of transactions does not match. NbOfTxs is defined as the number of individual transactions in the message. Whether it is validated depends on pre-agreed customer-to-PSP conditions.
  • SEPA-SCT-NBOFTXS-003WARNINGPayment information number of transactions does not match. NbOfTxs is defined as the number of individual transactions in the payment information group. Whether it is validated depends on pre-agreed customer-to-PSP conditions.

Common causes

  • The export does not write the optional totals at all.
  • Totals are calculated before payments are removed or split into several payment information blocks.
  • Rounding: amounts with three decimals, or totals formatted with more than two decimals.

Questions

Is CtrlSum mandatory in pain.001?

Optional in ISO 20022, but mandatory for SEPA credit transfers, both in the group header and in each payment information block.

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