Category Purpose

What is a Category Purpose code?

A Category Purpose Code is a part of the ISO 20022 messaging standard that helps define a payment or transaction. It provides additional information on why a payment is being made or a transfer is happening, making it easier for banks, financial institutions, and businesses to understand the context of the transaction.

Whether the category purpose code is propagated and/or used throughout the complete chain of payment processing intermediaries and made available to the creditor bank may be subject to bank and scheme specifics. Specifying category purpose is supported for the following schemes: SCT, CROSS_BORDER.

Abbreviation	Category Purpose Code	Explanation
BONU	BonusPayment	Payments made to employees or stakeholders as bonuses.
CASH	CashManagementTransfer	Internal cash movement between accounts, typically for liquidity management.
CBLK	CardBulkClearing	Settlement of bulk transactions related to card payments.
CCRD	CreditCardPayment	Payments made using a credit card or toward a credit card balance.
CORT	TradeSettlementPayment	Settlement of trade-related transactions (e.g., import/export payments).
DCRD	DebitCardPayment	Payments made using a debit card.
DIVI	Dividend	Payment of dividends to shareholders.
DVPM	DeliverAgainstPayment	Securities delivered in exchange for payment.
EPAY	Epayment	Generic category for electronic payments (e.g., bill pay, online transfers).
FCIN	FeeCollectionAndInterest	Combined fee and interest collection.
FCOL	FeeCollection	Collection of fees, such as bank or service fees.
GP2P	PersontoPersonPayment	Peer-to-peer (P2P) payments between individuals.
GOVT	GovernmentPayment	Payments to or from government bodies (e.g., fines, grants).
HEDG	Hedging	Payments related to hedging financial risk.
ICCP	IrrevocableCreditCardPayment	Guaranteed (non-reversible) credit card payments.
IDCP	IrrevocableDebitCardPayment	Guaranteed (non-reversible) debit card payments.
INTE	Interest	Interest payments (e.g., earned or due on deposits or loans).
INTC	IntraCompanyPayment	Internal transfers between company entities or branches.
LBOX	LockboxTransactions	Payments processed through a lockbox service.
LOAN	Loan	Loan disbursements or repayments.
MP2B	Commercial	Payments between businesses (B2B).
MP2P	Consumer	Payments from consumers (C2B or P2P).
OTHR	OtherPayment	Catch-all for payments that don’t fit other categories.
PENS	PensionPayment	Payments related to pensions or retirement funds.
RPRE	Represented	Represented payment items, such as returned checks.
RRCT	ReimbursementReceivedCreditTransfer	Reimbursements received via credit transfer.
RVPM	ReceiveAgainstPayment	Securities received in exchange for payment.
SALA	SalaryPayment	Regular wage or salary payments to employees.
SECU	Securities	Payments related to buying/selling of securities.
SSBE	SocialSecurityBenefit	Social security or welfare payments.
SUPP	SupplierPayment	Payments to suppliers for goods/services.
TAXS	TaxPayment	Tax payments (e.g., income, corporate, VAT).
TRAD	Trade	Payments related to commercial trade.
TREA	TreasuryPayment	Payments initiated by a treasury department (e.g., for liquidity or investment purposes).
VATX	ValueAddedTaxPayment	Payments specifically for VAT obligations.
WHLD	WithHolding	Withholding tax payments.
SWEP	CashManagementSweepAccount	Sweep account transfers for optimizing cash balances.
TOPG	CashManagementTopAccount	Transfers to/from a top-level cash concentration account.
ZABA	CashManagementZeroBalanceAccount	Transfers involving zero-balance accounts (ZBA).
VOST	CrossborderMIPayments	Cross-border Money-In (incoming) payments.
FCDT	ForeignCurrencyDomesticTransfer	Domestic transfers involving foreign currency.
CIPC	CashInPreCredit	Pre-crediting cash into an account (e.g., provisional cash entries).
CONC	CashOutNotesCoins	Withdrawal or distribution of physical cash (notes and coins).
CGWV	CarrierGuardedWholesaleValuables	Transport of high-value items (e.g., cash, jewelry) under secure conditions.