BACS File

Specification

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 Appendix 2 – BACS File Specification

1. LOGON (BACSTEL ONLY) (80 Characters)

Customers that format their file for BACSTEL transmissions use LOGON records. If a file is received and the file contains a LOGON Record, the LOGON record is to be ignored.

2. VOL1 - Volume Header Label (80 Characters)

Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘VOL’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be’1’(numeric)
3. Submission Serial Number 6 5-10 Can be any six characters
Must not be all zeros or blanks
Must be unique for that day
Right Justified and zero filled.
4. Accessibility Indicator 1 11 Must be blank space or a zero
5. Reserved 20 12-31 Must be blank spaces
6. Reserved 6 32-37 Must be blank spaces
7. Owner Identification 4 38-41 Must be blank spaces
6 42-47 Must be an EFT I.D. Number
4 48-51 Must be blank spaces
8. Reserved 28 52-79 Must be blank spaces
9. Label Standard lever 1 80-80 Must be ‘1’ (Numeric)

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3. HDR1 - File Header Label one (80 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘HDR’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘1’(numeric)
3. File Identifier 1 5 Must be ‘A’
6 6-11 sfs Must be a valid service user number.
Must be the same as VOL1 chars 42-47 (in field 7)
1 12 Must be ‘S’
2 13-14 Can be any valid characters
1 15 sfs Must be a blank space or ‘1’
6 16-21 sfs Must be blank spaces or the same as VOL1 chars 42-47 (in field 7))
4. Set Identification 6 22-27 Must be the same as the submission serial number in VOL1 field 3.
5. File Section Number 4 28-31 Must be ‘0001’ (numeric)
6. File Sequence Number 4 32-35 sfs Must be ‘0001’ (numeric)
7. Generation Number 4 36-39 Must be all numeric or blank
8. Generation Version Number 2 40-41 Must be all numeric or blank
9. Creation Date (date the file was produced) 6 42-47 Must be in the form bYYDDD. Must be less than or equal to the processing date in UHL1 in
field 3.
10. Expiration Date 6 48-53 Must be in the form bYYDDD.
(earliest date the file may be overwritten) Must be greater than the processing date in UHL1 in field 3.
11. Accessibility Indicator 1 54 Must be blank space or a zero.
12. Block Count 6 55-60 Must be zero filled
13. System Code 13 61-73 Can be any valid characters
14. Reserved 7 74-80 Must be blank.

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4. HDR2 - File Header Label Two (80 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘HDR’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘2’(numeric)
3. Record Format 1 5 Must be ‘F’
4. Block Length 5 6-10 Must be five numeric characters
5. Record Length 5 11-15 spd Must be ‘00100’ (numeric)
6. Reserved 35 16-50 Can be any valid characters
7. Buffer Offset 2 51-52 Must be zero filled ‘00’ (numeric)
8. Reserved 28 53-80 Must be blank spaces

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5. UHL1 - User Header Label One (80 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘UHL’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘1’(numeric)
3. Processing Date 6 5-10 Must be in the format bYYDDD.
4. Identifying Number of 6 11-16 Must be ‘999999’ (numeric).
Receiving Party 4 17-20 Must be blank spaces.
5. Currency Code 2 21-22 For sterling must be ‘00’ (numeric) or blanks
6. Country Code 6 23-28 Must be ‘000000’ (numeric)
7. Work Code 9 29-37 Must be ‘1bDAILYbb’
8. File Number 3 38-40 Must be all numeric.
9. Reserved 7 41-47 Must be blank spaces
10. Audit Print Identifier 7 48-54 Must be AUDnnnn, where nnnn is the frequency of the audit prints, otherwise it should be blank.
11. Reserved 26 55-80 Can be any valid characters

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6. Data Record (100/106 Characters)
Single Processing Day Payment: Data Record is 100 characters long
Multiple Processing Day Payment: Data Record is 106 characters long – Files with multiple processing Day payments will be failed.
At least one data record is required in a file.
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Destination Sorting Code of bank branch to be dr or cr 6 1-6 Must be numeric
Must be a valid sorting code number for BACS clearing.
2. Destination account number to be dr or cr at above branch 8 7-14 Must be numeric
Must not be all zeros
3. Type of account code 1 15 Must be numeric
4. Transaction Code 2 16-17 Must be one of the permitted transaction codes – 01, 17, 18, 19, 99
Must correspond to the File Type.
5. Originating Sorting Code of Bank branch at which User’s 6 18-23 Must be numeric
Nominated account is held Must be sorting code number of one of the User’s nominated accounts
6. Originating account number of user 8 24-31 Must be numeric
Must not be all zeros
Must be the account number of one of the user’s nominated accounts.
7. Free Format 4 32-35 Can be any valid characters
8. Amount in cents/pence 11 36-46 Must be all numeric, but the characters must NOT be all zeros.
Must be right justified and zero filled
9. User’s Name3 18 47-64 Can be any valid characters
Must be left justified and blank space filled.
Cannot be all blank
10. Reference4 18 65-82 Must not be ‘CONTRA’.
For Direct Debits: Must contain at least six alphanumeric characters. Other valid characters
may be included but will not be included in the count of six alphanumerics.
After taking out non-alphanumeric characters, must not contain a string of all the same
alphanumeric characters.
11 Destination Account Name 18 83-100 Must be left justified and blank space filled.
Must not be blank if field 2 is blank, all zeros or amended by BACS to all zeros.
12. Processing Date 6 101-106 Not Allowed in BOL Import

Notes Field 9: User’s Name

Direct Debit: this field will always appear on the Payer’s statement
Direct Pay/Direct Credit: this field will appear on the Payee’s if they hold a NON-Bank of Ireland account
Field 10: User’s Reference
Direct Debit: this field is used for reference and validation purposes. It should match the reference that the Direct Debit Instruction was set up under,
i.e. the reference quoted on the Direct Debit Instruction that the Payer signed
Direct Pay/Direct Credit: this field will appear on the Payee’s statement if they hold a Bank of Ireland account
N.B. BACS FILES: THE REFERENCE MUST CONTAIN 6 CHARACTERS OR MORE AND MUST BE ALL UPPER CASE

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7. Contra Records (100/106 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
A. Sorting Code number of the bank branch at which the nominated 6 1-6 Must correspond to the originating account used in the data records being balanced (i.e. the
account of the user is held and to which this record is to be same details as the records being balanced or details of another account in the group.)
directed Identifies the nominated account to which the contra is to be applied.
B. Account number of the users nominated account at the above 8 7-14 Must correspond to the originating account used in the data records being balanced (i.e. the
branch same details as the records being balanced or details of another account in the group.)
Identifies the nominated account to which the contra is to be applied.
C. Type of account code 1 15 Must be numeric
D. Transaction Code 2 16-17 Contra must be ‘17’ or ‘99’ if field J is valid for a. contra
Must be set up as allowed on the originating account.
E. Originating Sorting Code of Bank branch at which User’s 6 18-23 Must be the same as field A.
Nominated account is held If fields A and B have been amended must be one of the service user’s nominated accounts.
F. Originating account number of user 8 24-31 Must be the same as field B.
If fields A and B have been amended, must be one of the service user’s nominated accounts.
G. Free Format 4 32-35 Can be any valid characters
H. Amount in cents/pence 11 36-46 Must be all numeric, but the characters must NOT all be zeros.
Must be right justified and zero filled
I. Narrative 18 47-64 Can be any valid characters
Must be left justified
J. Contra Identification 18 65-82 Must be ‘CONTRA’ followed by twelve blank spaces.
KL. Abbreviated Originating Account Name 18 83-100 Can be any valid characters.
L. Processing Date 6 101-106 Not allowed in BOL Import

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8. EOF1 – End of File Label One (80 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘EOF’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘1’
3-11. Same as HDR1 fields to 3 to 11 50 5-54 Must be the same as HDR1 positions 5-54 (fields 3 to 11) Characters 6 to 11 must be numeric.
12 Block Count 6 55-60 Must be blank or any valid characters.However, it is disregarded by BACS.A count of data
blocks is created by BACS based on Block Length of 2048 characters, and is shown on BACS
printed reports in this position.
13-14. Same as HDR1 fields 13 to 14 20 61-80 Must be the same as HDR1 positions 61-80 (fields 13 to 14).

9. EOF2 – End of File Label Two (80 Characters)

Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘EOF’.
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘2’.
3-8. Same as HDR2 (fields 3 to 8) 76 5-80 Must be the same as HDR2 positions 5-80

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10. UTL1 - User Trailer Label One (80 Characters)
Field Name Length in Character Field Content and Validity Check
Characters Positions
1. Label Identifier 3 1-3 Must be ‘UTL’
2. Label Number 1 4 Must be ‘1’(numeric)
3. Monetary total of debit records 13 5-17 Must contain the monetary total (in pence unsigned, right justified and zero filled) of the debit
records and Credit contras since the preceding UHL1.
4. Monetary total of Credit records 13 18-30 Must contain the monetary total (in pence unsigned, right justified and zero filled) of the credit
records and debit contras since the preceding UHL1.
5. Count of Debit records* 7 31-37 Must contain the count (right justified and zero filled) of debit records and Credit Contras since
the preceding UHL1.
6. Count of Credit Records* 7 38-44 Must contain the count (right justified and zero filled) of Credit records and debit contras since
the preceding UHL1.
For BACSTEL value only payment files (i.e. a payment file that does not contain any Direct Debit Instruction Records)
7. Reserved 10 45-54 Must be blank space filled.
8. For User by Service User 26 55-80 Must be blank or any valid characters

11. END (BACSTEL submission only) (80 Characters)

Customers that format their file for BACSTEL transmissions use END records. If a file is received and the file contains an END Record, the END record is to be ignored.

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7. Specimen File Layout - BACS
VOL1000001 EFT ID
HDR1 AEFT IDS 00000 00000 00000F YYMMDD0100 B
UHL1 YYDDD000090 010000001 DAILY 001
1859999045999409978987978978978000000001237710 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000098 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 1
1862299604100209978987978978978000000008736287 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000099 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 2
9862355427811409978987978978978000000001904098 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000100 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 3
9321513189214509978987978978978000000003958111 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000101 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 4
9851119757599309978987978978978000000002470182 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000102 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 5
9859518474199109978987978978978000000003189335 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000103 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 6
9341787941618209978987978978978000000000432394 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000104 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 7
9335119179418309978987978978978000000020577669 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000105 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 8
9859110757511309978987978978978000000006565074 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000106 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 9
9339231227614909978987978978978000000000242785 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000107 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 10
9861393291921309978987978978978000000002205202 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000108 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 11
9937442795958809978987978978978000000004577765 BOI IRELAND LTD5F20 9000000108 EMPLOYEE NUMBER 12
7898797897897801778987978978978000000056096612 CONTRA BOI IRELAND LTD
UTL10000056096612000005609661200000010000013

BACS Abbreviations BACSTEL Transaction Codes

Abbreviation Meaning Transaction Transaction Service User
Code Type Grades
b Blank space.
99 Direct Credit All
n Any numeral.
99 Standing Orders Bank only
sfs Single File Submission
99 Automated recalls of standing orders and Direct Credits Bank only
mfs Multi File submission
17 Credit contra (a debit record to balance credit records) All
spd Single Processing Day Payment File
01 (zero 1) Direct Debit – first collection All
mpd Multiprocessing Day Payment File
17 Direct Debit – regular collection All
sub. Submission
18 Direct Debit – re-presented All
R. Right justified. This is used in the field column to show that the contents of
the field must be right justified. That is, the data must end at the right and any 19 Direct Debit – final collection All
unused places must be zeros.
99 Debit contra (a credit record to balance debit records) All
L. Left justified. This is used in the field column to show that the contents of the
field must be left justified. That is, the data must start at the left and any unused
places must not be blank filled.
P. Used in the field column of output records to indicate the contents of the field can
be determined by the receiving party.
V. Used in the field column of output records to indicate the contents are variable
and therefore can change (although the validation does not).

This document is for information purposes only and no guarantee or warranty is given in respect of the accuracy or completeness of this document, Page 10 of 10
or its’ content, which are subject to change. Bank of Ireland accepts no liability for any losses howsoever arising in reliance on this document or its content. Code