File Import

In line with EU laws, when making cross-border euro payments within the Single European Payment Area (SEPA) region*, you must include details of the beneficiary's International Bank Account Number (IBAN). The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is mandatory for Bankline to process these payments.

Bankline is now more flexible on the account detail format when you are making International Payments to International Bank Account Number (IBAN) enabled countries in non euro currencies. While IBANs are not mandatory for these payments, we will now accept alternative account detail formats for these payment types. For example, you could do this when you make a payment to a GBP account in France. This change applies to templates & file import.

The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is the standard format for account numbers in Europe. It helps identify the beneficiary bank account. When used it reduces errors, costs and delays. If one is available we recommend that you always enter it.

* (SEPA covers the 27 countries of the European Community, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland.)

When you make a payment to a SEPA country, you will see a new field called " Input alternative beneficiary account format". This appears when you enter international payments or work with payment templates.

Click on this to enter a Bank Identification Code (BIC), Account Holding Branch and Beneficiary Account number.

You will see advice on screen that "you can use alternative beneficiary account formats when BIC and International Bank Account Number (IBAN) are not mandatory for the combination of destination country and currency you have chosen the payment to be sent in".

Once you expand the section, you will see:

Similarly, if these conditions apply to payments you import, you can also import a payment with these alternative account formats. Simply use a BIC or National ID ("NCC") and beneficiary account number.