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Guides · Updated 2026-10-18

SEPA Credit Transfer rules for pain.001.001.09

SEPA Credit Transfer files must follow the EPC customer-to-PSP implementation guidelines (EPC132-08, 2025 version 1.0, effective 5 October 2025) on top of the ISO 20022 schema. BankLint checks 31 of these rules for pain.001.001.09: 24 are mandatory requirements and 7 are recommendations or depend on your agreement with the bank.

Payment type: method, service level and charge bearer

  • SEPA-SCT-PMTMTD-001BLOCKERPayment method must be TRF. SEPA credit transfers allow only the payment method code TRF (credit transfer).
  • SEPA-SCT-PTI-001BLOCKERPayment type information must be present. Payment type information must be given either at payment information level or in every transaction.
  • SEPA-SCT-SVCLVL-001BLOCKERService level code must be SEPA. When a service level code is given for a SEPA credit transfer, only the code SEPA is allowed.
  • SEPA-SCT-SVCLVL-002BLOCKEROnly one service level occurrence allowed. The ISO 2019 message allows several service levels, but SEPA allows only one occurrence.
  • SEPA-SCT-SVCLVL-003INFOService level is recommended. The guidelines recommend providing the service level (SEPA).
  • SEPA-SCT-CHRGBR-001BLOCKERCharge bearer must be SLEV. When the charge bearer is given for a SEPA credit transfer, only SLEV (following service level) is allowed.
  • SEPA-SCT-CHRGBR-002INFOCharge bearer recommended at payment information level. The guidelines recommend specifying the charge bearer at payment information level rather than per transaction.

Currency and amounts

  • SEPA-SCT-CCY-001BLOCKERCurrency must be EUR. SEPA credit transfers are denominated in euro only.
  • SEPA-SCT-AMT-001BLOCKERAmount outside the SEPA range. The instructed amount must be at least 0.01 and at most 999999999.99.
  • SEPA-SCT-AMT-002BLOCKERAmount has more than two decimals. The fractional part of the instructed amount may have at most two digits.

Control sums and number of transactions

SEPA makes several fields mandatory that are optional in ISO 20022. Whether mismatching totals are rejected depends on your agreement with the bank, so BankLint reports them as warnings. More in CtrlSum and NbOfTxs.

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

Accounts and agents (IBAN and BIC)

  • SEPA-SCT-DBTRACCT-001BLOCKERDebtor account must be an IBAN. Only IBAN is allowed to identify the debtor account.
  • SEPA-SCT-CDTRACCT-001BLOCKERCreditor account must be an IBAN. Only IBAN is allowed to identify the creditor account.
  • SEPA-SCT-DBTRAGT-001BLOCKERDebtor agent must be BICFI or NOTPROVIDED. The debtor agent must be identified either by BICFI or by Other/Identification with the value NOTPROVIDED.
  • SEPA-SCT-CDTRAGT-001BLOCKERCreditor agent may only carry a BIC. Only BICFI is allowed for the creditor agent; if no BIC is known, the creditor agent structure must not be used.

Remittance information

  • SEPA-SCT-RMTINF-001BLOCKEREither structured or unstructured remittance, not both. SEPA allows either structured or unstructured remittance information in a transaction, not both.
  • SEPA-SCT-RMTINF-002BLOCKEROnly one remittance information occurrence allowed. Only one occurrence of Unstructured and only one occurrence of Structured remittance information is allowed.
  • SEPA-SCT-RMTINF-003BLOCKERCreditor reference type must be SCOR. When a coded creditor reference type is used, only SCOR is allowed.

Names, identifiers and character set

More in SEPA character set and identifier rules.

  • SEPA-SCT-NAME-001BLOCKERInitiating party name longer than 70 characters. SEPA limits party names to 70 characters (ISO 20022 allows 140).
  • SEPA-SCT-NAME-002BLOCKERDebtor name longer than 70 characters. SEPA limits debtor and ultimate debtor names to 70 characters (ISO 20022 allows 140).
  • SEPA-SCT-NAME-003BLOCKERCreditor-side name longer than 70 characters. SEPA limits creditor, ultimate debtor and ultimate creditor names to 70 characters (ISO 20022 allows 140).
  • SEPA-SCT-ID-001BLOCKERReference or identifier violates SEPA character rules. References, identifications and identifiers must use the SEPA Latin character set, must not start or end with '/' and must not contain '//'.
  • SEPA-SCT-ID-002BLOCKERTransaction reference violates SEPA character rules. References, identifications and identifiers must use the SEPA Latin character set, must not start or end with '/' and must not contain '//'.
  • SEPA-SCT-CHARSET-001WARNINGText outside the SEPA Latin character set. PSPs must support the Latin character set; characters beyond it are only supported under bilateral or multilateral agreements.

Not checked yet

Sources and dates are listed on Standards and sources.

  • IBAN check digits (ISO 13616 has not been retrieved as a primary source).
  • SEPA rules for pain.001.001.03: the 2025 guidelines cover pain.001.001.09 only, so .03 files get XML and XSD checks.
  • The end of unstructured addresses: the EPC postponed the deadline in September 2026 and has not yet published a new date.
  • Creditor reference (RF) check digits: the guidelines do not require the bank to validate them.

Questions

Which document defines the SEPA rules for pain.001?

The EPC SEPA Credit Transfer Scheme Customer-to-PSP Implementation Guidelines (EPC132-08). BankLint uses the 2025 version 1.0, effective 5 October 2025, written for pain.001.001.09.

Are SEPA rules stricter than the ISO 20022 schema?

Yes. SEPA is a subset: for example only EUR, at most two decimals, only SLEV as charge bearer, 70-character names and a restricted character set.

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