Payment Schemes & Account Identifiers

What are Payment Schemes?

Payment schemes are the different payment types banks use to send and receive money - like SEPA in Europe or SWIFT for international transfers. Each one works a little differently, with its own rules, settlement times and cut off times. Atlar helps by bringing all these schemes together into one place, so you don’t have to worry about the details. You can send and track payments easily, no matter which scheme is being used behind the scenes.

Payment schemes

Below table outlines the currently available payment schemes in the Atlar dashboard. If you notice a scheme that is not available, ping the Atlar team who will look into enabling it for you together with the bank.

MarketCurrencyPayment schemeAbbreviation
AllAllCross border / SWIFTCROSS_BORDER
SEPAEURSEPA Credit TransferSCT
SEPAEURSEPA Instant Credit TransferSCT_INST
UKGBPUK BACSGB_CT_BACS
UKGBPUK CHAPSGB_CT_CHAPS
UKGBPUK Faster PaymentsGB_CT_FPS
SESEKSwedish account-to-accountSE_A2A
SESEKSwedish Bankgiro and/or PlusgiroSE_GIRO
DKDKKDanish account-to-accountDK_A2A
DKDKKDanish same-day credit transferDK_CT_SAMEDAY
DKDKKDanish instant credit transferDK_CT_INST
DKDKKDanish FIK71 credit transferDK_CT_FIK71
DKDKKDanish FIK73 credit transferDK_CT_FIK73
DKDKKDanish FIK71 credit transferDK_CT_FIK75
CHCHFSwiss account-to-accountCH_CT
NONOKNorwegian account-to-accountNO_CT
NONOKNorwegian KID paymentNO_CT_KID
USUSDUS ACHUS_CT_ACH
USUSDUS WireUS_CT_WIRE
ISISKIcelandic account-to-accountIS_CT
AUAUDAustralian account-to-accountAU_CT
AUAUDAustralian BPAYAU_CT_BPAY
ILILSIsrael account-to-accountIL_CT
SGSGDSingapore account-to-accountSG_CT
BGBGNBulgarian account-to-accountBG_CT
MXMXNMexican account-to-accountMX_CT
KRKRWSouth Korean account-to-accountKR_CT
THTHBThai account-to-accountTH_CT
CACADCanadian Lynx credit transferCA_CT_LYNX
CACADCanadian ACSS credit transferCA_CT_ACSS
PLPLNPolish account-to-accountPL_CT

Account- and routing identifiers

When creating a credit transfer or direct debit, the Atlar system will validate the account- and routing identifiers of the counterparty to ensure sufficient information is populated to be able to create the transfer.

  • Account identifiers are for example a counterparty's IBAN or account number, where Atlar validates the correctness of such together with the payment scheme chosen
  • Routing identifiers are for example the BIC / SWIFT code and/or the routing number for a specific market, where Atlar validates the correctness of such together with the payment scheme chosen

The below sections outlines the requirements to perform certain payments via the Atlar dashboard.

SEPA payments

SEPA is a European initiative that enables fast and standardized EUR payments across participating countries, simplifying cross-border transactions within the EU and select non-EU countries.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
SEPA credit transferIBANDepends on the counterparty market❌ NoBIC / SWIFT8-11 characters
SEPA Instant credit transferIBANDepends on the counterparty market❌ NoBIC / SWIFT8-11 characters
SEPA Direct Debit COREIBANDepends on the counterparty market❌ NoBIC / SWIFT8-11 characters
SEPA Direct Debit B2BIBANDepends on the counterparty market❌ NoBIC / SWIFT8-11 characters

Domestic payments

Sweden

Domestic payments in Sweden have to be initiated from/to an account in Sweden held with a currency in SEK.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Swedish account-to-accountIBAN24 charactersOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" belowOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" belowOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" below
Swedish bankgiroBankgiro❌ NoBankgiro number:
7-8 digits
❌ No❌ No
Swedish plusgiroPlusgiro❌ NoPlusgiro number:
2-8 digits
❌ No❌ No
AutogiroIBAN24 charactersOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" belowOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" belowOpt for IBAN. If not possible, refer to "international payments" below

Denmark

Domestic payments in Denmark have to be initiated from/to an account in Denmark held with a currency in DKK.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Danish account-to-account IBAN, or;
Account number
18 characters13 digits❌ No❌ No
Danish same-day credit transfer IBAN, or;
Account number
18 characters13 digits❌ No❌ No
Danish instant credit transferIBAN, or;
Account number
18 characters13 digits❌ No❌ No
Danish FIK71 credit transfer (1)FIK creditor number❌ NoFIK creditor number: 8 digits❌ No❌ No
Danish FIK73 credit transfer (2)FIK creditor number❌ NoFIK creditor number: 8 digits❌ No❌ No
Danish FIK75 credit transfer (3)FIK creditor number❌ NoFIK creditor number: 8 digits❌ No❌ No
BetalningsserviceIBAN, or;
Account number
18 characters13 digits❌ No❌ No
  1. Reference: 15 digit OCR
  2. Reference: free text
  3. Reference: 16 digit OCR or free text

Norway

Domestic payments in Norway have to be initiated from/to an account in Norway held with a currency in NOK.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Norwegian account-to-accountIBAN15 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No
Norwegian KID payment (1)IBAN15 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No
  1. Reference: 4-25 digits KID reference

Finland

Domestic payments in Finland are mostly initiated as SEPA transfers - opt for this payment scheme when performing domestic payments within Finland. Note: the transfer have to be initiated between two EUR accounts. If you are transferring to a non-EUR account, you can opt for an International payment / cross border.

United Kingdom

Domestic payments in United Kingdom have to be initiated from/to an account in United Kingdom held with a currency in GBP.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
UK account-to-account BACSIBAN or;
Account number + routing number
22 characters8 digitsUK sort code6 digits
UK account-to-account CHAPSIBAN or;
Account number + routing number
22 characters8 digitsUK sort code6 digits
UK account-to-account Faster PaymentsIBAN or;
Account number + routing number
22 characters8 digitsUK sort code6 digits

United States

Domestic payments in United States have to be initiated from/to an account in United States held with a currency in USD.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
US ACH*Account number + routing number❌ No6-17 digitsUS routing (ABA)9 digits
US WireAccount number + routing number❌ No6-17 digitsUS routing (ABA)9 digits
  1. You always have to specify if the counterparty is a Company or Individual when performing US ACH payments. You can update this when creating the counterparty under More details > Type of Counterparty.

Switzerland

Domestic payments in Switzerland have to be initiated from/to an account in Switzerland held with a currency in CHF.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Swiss account-to-accountIBAN (account number available, opt for IBAN)21 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No

Iceland

Domestic payments in Iceland have to be initiated from/to an account in Iceland held with a currency in ISK.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Icelandic account-to-accountIBAN26 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No

Australia

Domestic payments in Australia have to be initiated from/to an account in Australia held with a currency in AUD.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Australian account-to-accountAccount number + routing number❌ No6-10 digitsAustralian BSB6 digits
Australian BPAY (1)Australian BPAY biller code❌ NoAustralian BPAY biller code:
4-6 digits
❌ No❌ No
  1. Reference: Customer Reference Number (CRN) 6-20 digits. Unique to each customer

Israel

Domestic payments in Israel have to be initiated from/to an account in Israel held with a currency in ILS.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Israel account-to-accountIBAN23 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No

Singapore

Domestic payments in Singapore have to be initiated from/to an account in Singapore held with a currency in SGD.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Singapore account-to-accountAccount number + routing number❌ No7-11 digitsSingapore IBG7 digits
  1. Singapore's equivalent of a routing number is a 7-digit number made up of:
    1. Bank Code (4 digits): Identifies the bank and;
    2. Branch Code (3 digits): Identifies the branch

Bulgaria

Domestic payments in Bulgaria have to be initiated from/to an account in Bulgaria held with a currency in BGN.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Bulgarian account-to-accountIBAN (account number available, opt for IBAN)22 characters❌ No❌ No❌ No

Mexico

Domestic payments in Mexico have to be initiated from/to an account in Mexico held with a currency in MXN.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Mexican account-to-accountAccount number + routing number❌ No18 digitsMexican ABM?? 3 digits or (6 digits for CLABE)

South Korea

Domestic payments in South Korea have to be initiated from/to an account in South Korea held with a currency in KRW.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Korean account-to-accountAccount number + routing number❌ No10-14 digitsSouth Korean BOK?? 3 digits

Thailand

Domestic payments in Thailand have to be initiated from/to an account in Thailand held with a currency in THB.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Thai account-to-accountAccount number + routing number❌ No9-12 digitsThai CBC?? 3 digits

Canada

Domestic payments in Canada have to be initiated from/to an account in Canada held with a currency in CAD.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Canadian Lynx credit transferAccount number + routing number❌ No7-12 digitsCanadian routing (CPA)8 digits
Canadian ACSS credit transferAccount number + routing number❌ No7-12 digitsCanadian routing (CPA)8 digits

Poland

Domestic payments in Poland have to be initiated from/to an account in Poland held with a currency in PLN.

Payment schemeCounterparty requirementsCounterparty IBANCounterparty Account numberCounterparty Routing typeCounterparty Routing number
Polish account-to-accountIBAN or;
Account number + routing number
28 characters16 digitsPolish KNR8 digits

International payments

When initiating a cross border / SWIFT / international payment there are additional requirements for the counterparty account details due to the nature of the payment.

  • If the counterparty market supports IBAN, opt to add IBAN and BIC / SWIFT
  • If the counterparty market does not support IBAN, opt to add account number, routing number and BIC / SWIFT
  • Additionally, some banks require that both the payor and payee's address to be populated. Make sure to fill this in on both your entity (read more in Accounts & Entities) and the counterparty (read more in Counterparties)

Below table provides guidance on the account identifier and routing type requirements for international payments:

Market codeMarketIBANAccount numberRouting typeRouting numberComment
ATAustria20 characters11 digitsAT_DLZ

Austrian Bankleitzahl
5 digitsUse IBAN + BIC
AUAustralia❌ No6-10 digitsAU_BSB

Australian BSB
6 digits
BEBelgium16 characters❌ No
BGBulgaria22 characters❌ No
CACanada❌ No7-12 digitsCA_CPA

Canadian routing (CPA)
9 digitsRouting consist of transit number and fin.instituion number. If given as 8 (5+3) digits, prepend 0 (zero).
CHSwitzerland21 characters5–12 digits or;

9–12 digits
CH_SIC
Swiss Bank Clearing Code or;

CH_BCC
Swiss Interbank Clearing
5 digits or;

6 digits
Use IBAN
CNChina❌ No14-19 digitsCN_APS

Chinese CNAPS
12 digits
CZCzech Republic24 characters❌ No
DEGermany22 characters10 digitsDE_BLZ

Germany Bankleitzahl
8 digitsUse IBAN
DKDenmark18 characters13 digitsUse IBAN
ESSpain24 characters12 digitsES_NCC

Spanish NCC
8 digitsUse IBAN
FIFinland18 characters❌ No
FRFrance27 characters❌ No
GBUnited Kingdom22 characters8 digitsGB_DSC

UK sort code
6 digitsUse IBAN
GRGreece27 characters16 upper and lower case alphanumeric character account numberGR_BIC

Greek BIC
7 digitsUse IBAN
HKHong Kong❌ No9-12 digitsHK_NCC

Hong Kong NCC
3-6 digits
HRCroatia21 characters10 digits-7 digitsUse IBAN
HUHungary28 characters❌ No--Use IBAN
IEIreland22 characters8 digitsIE_NCC

Irish NCC
6 digitsUse IBAN
ITItaly27 charactersc5n5n routing + 12c account numberIT_NCC

Italian NCC
c5n5nUse IBAN
INIndia❌ No10-20 digitsIN_FSC

Indian FSC
11 digits
JPJapan❌ No7 digitsJP_ZGN

Japanese Zengin
4 digits
LTLithuania20 characters❌ No--
LULuxembourg20 characters❌ No--
MXMexico❌ No11 digitsMX_ABM

Mexican ABM
3 digits
NLNetherlands18 characters❌ No--
NONorway15 characters❌ No--
NZNew ZeelandNZ_NCC

New Zeeland NCC
PLPoland28 characters16 digitsPL_KNR

Polish KNR
8 digitsUse IBAN
PTPortugal25 characters13 digitsPT_NCC

Portuguese NCC
8 digitsUse IBAN
RORomania24 characters❌ No
SESweden24 characters4-12 digitsSE_SBA

Swedish Clearing number
4-5 digitse.g. ccccaaaaaaa
where c is a clearing digit and a is an account number digit

Note: if you are not using IBAN, add the clearing number+account number as the account number
SGSingapore❌ No7-11 digitsSG_IBG

Singapore IBG
7 digitsSingapore's equivalent of a routing number is a 7-digit number made up of:

- Bank Code (4 digits): Identifies the bank and;
- Branch Code (3 digits): Identifies the branch
SISlovenia19 characters10 digits-5 digitsUse IBAN
SKSlovakia24 characters❌ No
THThailand❌ NoTH_CBC

Thai CBC
TWTaiwan❌ NoTW_NCC

Taiwanese NCC
USUnited States❌ No6-17 digitsUS_ABA

US Routing (ABA)
VNVietnam❌ No
ZASouth Africa❌ NoZA_NCC

South African NCC