Payment Schemes & Account Identifiers
Payment schemes define how money moves between banks. Each scheme—like SEPA in Europe or SWIFT for international transfers—has its own rules, settlement times, and cut-off deadlines. Atlar brings all these schemes together in one place so you can send and track payments without worrying about the underlying network.
Payment schemes are the different payment types banks use to send and receive money. While each scheme operates differently, Atlar abstracts those differences and provides a single interface for creating, sending, and monitoring payments.
Available payment schemes
The table below outlines the payment schemes currently supported in the Atlar dashboard. If you need a scheme that isn’t listed, contact the Atlar team, and they can work with your bank to explore enabling it for you.
| Market | Currency | Payment scheme | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | All | Cross border / SWIFT | CROSS_BORDER |
| SEPA | EUR | SEPA Credit Transfer | SCT |
| SEPA | EUR | SEPA Instant Credit Transfer | SCT_INST |
| UK | GBP | UK BACS | GB_CT_BACS |
| UK | GBP | UK CHAPS | GB_CT_CHAPS |
| UK | GBP | UK Faster Payments | GB_CT_FPS |
| SE | SEK | Swedish account-to-account | SE_A2A |
| SE | SEK | Swedish Bankgiro and/or Plusgiro | SE_GIRO |
| DK | DKK | Danish account-to-account | DK_A2A |
| DK | DKK | Danish same-day credit transfer | DK_CT_SAMEDAY |
| DK | DKK | Danish instant credit transfer | DK_CT_INST |
| DK | DKK | Danish FIK71 credit transfer | DK_CT_FIK71 |
| DK | DKK | Danish FIK73 credit transfer | DK_CT_FIK73 |
| DK | DKK | Danish FIK71 credit transfer | DK_CT_FIK75 |
| CH | CHF | Swiss account-to-account | CH_CT |
| NO | NOK | Norwegian account-to-account | NO_CT |
| NO | NOK | Norwegian KID payment | NO_CT_KID |
| US | USD | US ACH | US_CT_ACH |
| US | USD | US Wire | US_CT_WIRE |
| IS | ISK | Icelandic account-to-account | IS_CT |
| AU | AUD | Australian account-to-account | AU_CT |
| AU | AUD | Australian BPAY | AU_CT_BPAY |
| IL | ILS | Israel account-to-account | IL_CT |
| SG | SGD | Singapore account-to-account | SG_CT |
| BG | BGN | Bulgarian account-to-account | BG_CT |
| MX | MXN | Mexican account-to-account | MX_CT |
| KR | KRW | South Korean account-to-account | KR_CT |
| TH | THB | Thai account-to-account | TH_CT |
| CA | CAD | Canadian Lynx credit transfer | CA_CT_LYNX |
| CA | CAD | Canadian ACSS credit transfer | CA_CT_ACSS |
| PL | PLN | Polish account-to-account | PL_CT |
Account and Routing Identifiers
Atlar validates account and routing details for every payment.
This ensures all required information is present and correct before a credit transfer or direct debit is sent.
When creating a credit transfer or direct debit, Atlar checks that the counterparty’s account and routing identifiers are valid for the chosen payment scheme.
- Account identifiers – Examples include a counterparty’s IBAN or local account number. Atlar validates the format and correctness against the selected payment scheme.
- Routing identifiers – Examples include BIC/SWIFT codes or local routing numbers. Atlar verifies these details to match the market and payment scheme requirements.
This validation ensures that transfers have the necessary data to be successfully processed by the receiving bank.
SEPA payments
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a European initiative enabling fast and standardized EUR payments across participating countries. It simplifies cross-border transactions within the EU and select non-EU countries by enforcing common standards for account and routing identifiers.
| Payment scheme | IBAN required? (length) | BIC/SWIFT required? (length) |
|---|---|---|
| SEPA credit transfer | Yes (22 characters) | Yes (BIC, 8–11 characters) |
| SEPA Instant credit transfer | Yes (22 characters) | Yes (BIC, 8–11 characters) |
| SEPA Direct Debit CORE | Yes (22 characters) | Yes (BIC, 8–11 characters) |
| SEPA Direct Debit B2B | Yes (22 characters) | Yes (BIC, 8–11 characters) |
Domestic payments
Sweden
Domestic payments in Sweden must be initiated from/to an account in Sweden held in SEK.
| Payment scheme | IBAN required? | Account number required? | Routing type required? | Routing number required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account-to-account | Yes (24 chars) or Account+SE_SBA | 4–12 digits (if not IBAN) | SE_SBA (if not IBAN) | 4–5 digits (if not IBAN) | Prefer IBAN when possible |
| Bankgiro | No | 7–8 digits (Bankgiro) | SE_SBA | 4–5 digits | |
| Plusgiro | No | 2–8 digits (Plusgiro) | SE_SBA | 4–5 digits | |
| Autogiro | Yes (24 chars) | No | No | No |
Tip: Always use an IBAN when possible to simplify validation and avoid errors.
If IBAN is not available, follow the “international payments” requirements for cross-border transfers.
Denmark
Domestic payments in Denmark must be initiated from/to an account in Denmark held in DKK.
| Payment scheme | IBAN required? (length) | Account number required? (length) | FIK number required? (length) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account-to-account | Yes (18 chars) or — | 13 digits (if not IBAN) | — | Prefer IBAN when possible |
| Same-day credit transfer | Yes (18 chars) or — | 13 digits (if not IBAN) | — | Prefer IBAN when possible |
| Instant credit transfer | Yes (18 chars) or — | 13 digits (if not IBAN) | — | Prefer IBAN when possible |
| FIK71/73/75 credit transfer | — | — | Yes (8 digits) | FIK number required |
| Betalningsservice | Yes (18 chars) or — | 13 digits (if not IBAN) | — | Prefer IBAN when possible |
Tip: Use IBAN whenever available to simplify validation and ensure seamless processing.
- Reference: 15-digit OCR
- Reference: free text
- Reference: 16-digit OCR or free text
Norway
Domestic payments in Norway must be initiated from/to an account in Norway held in NOK.
| Payment scheme | IBAN required? | KID required? |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian account-to-account | Yes | No |
| Norwegian KID payment | Yes | Yes (4–25 digits) |
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 must be initiated between two EUR accounts. If you are transferring to a non-EUR account, you can opt for an International payment / cross-border transfer.
United Kingdom
Domestic payments in the United Kingdom must be initiated from/to an account in the UK held in GBP.
| Payment scheme | IBAN (length/required) | Account number (length/required) | Sort code (length/required) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BACS | 22 chars (if IBAN path) | 8 digits (if local path) | 6 digits (GB_DSC, if local path) | Use IBAN if available; otherwise, provide both account number and sort code |
| CHAPS | 22 chars (if IBAN path) | 8 digits (if local path) | 6 digits (GB_DSC, if local path) | Use IBAN if available; otherwise, provide both account number and sort code |
| Faster Payments | 22 chars (if IBAN path) | 8 digits (if local path) | 6 digits (GB_DSC, if local path) | Use IBAN if available; otherwise, provide both account number and sort code |
United States
Domestic payments in the United States must be initiated from/to an account in the United States held in USD.
| Payment scheme | IBAN required? | Account number required? | US_ABA required? | Party type required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US ACH | No | Yes (6–17 digits) | Yes (US_ABA, 9 digits) | Company or Individual must be specified |
| US Wire | No | Yes (6–17 digits) | Yes (US_ABA, 9 digits) | Company or Individual must be specified |
Note: You must always specify whether the counterparty is a Company or an Individual when performing US ACH payments.
Update this when creating the counterparty under More details → Type of Counterparty.
Switzerland
Domestic payments in Switzerland must be initiated from/to an account in Switzerland held in CHF.
| Payment scheme | Counterparty requirements | Counterparty IBAN | Counterparty Account number | Counterparty Routing type | Counterparty Routing number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss account-to-account | IBAN (preferred), or Account number + clearing number for some banks | 21 characters (IBAN) or 5–12/9–12 digits (Account) | May be required for some banks | CH_SIC/CH_BCC (5 or 6 digits, may be required) | — |
Iceland
Domestic payments in Iceland must be initiated from/to an account in Iceland held in ISK.
| Payment scheme | Counterparty requirements | Counterparty IBAN | Counterparty Account number | Counterparty Routing type | Counterparty Routing number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icelandic account-to-account | IBAN | 26 characters | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Australia
Domestic payments in Australia must be initiated from/to an account in Australia held in AUD.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Australian account-to-account | Account number + AU_BSB | Account number: 6–10 digits; AU_BSB: 6 digits |
| Australian BPAY | BPAY biller code | Biller code: 4–6 digits |
When using BPAY, you must provide the biller code along with any customer reference required by the biller.
Israel
Domestic payments in Israel must be initiated from/to an account in Israel held in ILS.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Israel account-to-account | IBAN (23 characters) or Account number + IL_NCC (Account: variable, IL_NCC: 5 digits) | See left |
Singapore
Domestic payments in Singapore must be initiated from/to an account in Singapore held in SGD.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore account-to-account | Account number + SG_IBG | Account: 7–11 digits; SG_IBG: 7 digits (4-digit bank code + 3-digit branch code) |
Note: Singapore’s equivalent of a routing number is a 7-digit number composed of:
- Bank Code (4 digits) – Identifies the bank.
- Branch Code (3 digits) – Identifies the branch.
Bulgaria
Domestic payments in Bulgaria must be initiated from/to an account in Bulgaria held in BGN.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian account-to-account | IBAN | 22 characters |
Mexico
Domestic payments in Mexico must be initiated from/to an account in Mexico held in MXN.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Mexican account-to-account | CLABE + MX_ABM | CLABE: 18 digits; MX_ABM: 3–6 digits |
South Korea
Domestic payments in South Korea must be initiated from/to an account in South Korea held in KRW.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Korean account-to-account | Account number (10–14 digits) + KR_KFTC (3 digits) or BIC | See left |
Thailand
Domestic payments in Thailand must be initiated from/to an account in Thailand held in THB.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Thai account-to-account | Account number + TH_CBC | Account: 9–12 digits; TH_CBC: 3 digits |
Regulatory reporting for cross-border payments to Thailand
Required fields in the payment payload:
For payments to Thailand from outside the country, you must include a transaction purpose code in the payment payload."regulatoryReporting": { "country": "TH", "purpose": "<purpose code from official list>", "description": "<optional free-text, if required>" }Purpose codes must be selected from the official lists:
Canada
Domestic payments in Canada must be initiated from/to an account in Canada held in CAD.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Lynx credit transfer | Account number + CA_CPA | Account: 7–12 digits; CA_CPA: 8 digits |
| Canadian ACSS credit transfer | Account number + CA_CPA | Account: 7–12 digits; CA_CPA: 8 digits |
Poland
Domestic payments in Poland must be initiated from/to an account in Poland held in PLN.
| Payment scheme | Required identifiers | Identifier format/lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Polish account-to-account | IBAN (28 characters) or Account number + PL_KNR | Account: 16 digits; PL_KNR: 8 digits |
International payments
When initiating a cross-border / SWIFT / international payment, additional counterparty account details are required because of the nature of these transfers.
- If the counterparty market supports IBAN, provide both IBAN and BIC/SWIFT.
- If the counterparty market does not support IBAN, provide the account number, routing number, and BIC/SWIFT.
- Some banks require both the payor and payee addresses to be populated. Make sure to add these for both your entity (see Accounts & Entities) and the counterparty (see Counterparties).
Below is a reference table outlining account identifier and routing type requirements for international payments:
| Market code | Market | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AT | Austria | 20 characters (IBAN), 11 digits (Account), AT_BLZ (5 digits), Use IBAN + BIC |
| AU | Australia | 6–10 digits (Account), 6 digits (AU_BSB) |
| BE | Belgium | 16 characters (IBAN) |
| BG | Bulgaria | 22 characters (IBAN) |
| CA | Canada | 7–12 digits (Account), 8 digits (CA_CPA). Routing consists of transit + institution number. If given as 8 (5+3) digits, prepend a 0. |
| CH | Switzerland | 21 characters (IBAN), 5–12 or 9–12 digits (Account), CH_SIC/CH_BCC (5 or 6 digits), Use IBAN |
| CN | China | 14–19 digits (Account) |
| CZ | Czech Republic | 24 characters (IBAN) |
| DE | Germany | 22 characters (IBAN), 10 digits (Account), DE_BLZ (8 digits), Use IBAN |
| DK | Denmark | 18 characters (IBAN), 13 digits (Account), Use IBAN |
| ES | Spain | 24 characters (IBAN), 12 digits (Account), ES_NCC (8 digits), Use IBAN |
| FI | Finland | 18 characters (IBAN) |
| FR | France | 27 characters (IBAN) |
| GB | United Kingdom | 22 characters (IBAN), 8 digits (Account), GB_DSC (6 digits), Use IBAN |
| GR | Greece | 27 characters (IBAN), 16 alphanumeric (Account), GR_BIC (7 digits), Use IBAN |
| HK | Hong Kong | 9–12 digits (Account), 3 digits (HK_NCC) or 8–11 characters (BIC). Both local routing (HK_NCC) and BIC are valid for Hong Kong account-to-account payments. |
| HR | Croatia | 21 characters (IBAN), 10 digits (Account), 7 digits (Routing), Use IBAN |
| HU | Hungary | 28 characters (IBAN), Use IBAN |
| IE | Ireland | 22 characters (IBAN), 8 digits (Account), IE_NCC (6 digits), Use IBAN |
| IT | Italy | 27 characters (IBAN), c5n5n routing + 12c account, IT_NCC (c5n5n), Use IBAN |
| IN | India | 10–20 digits (Account), 11 digits (IN_FSC) |
| JP | Japan | 7–13 digits (Account), 7 digits (JP_ZGN). Routing consists of Zengin code + branch number, so provided as (4+3) digits. |
| LT | Lithuania | 20 characters (IBAN) |
| LU | Luxembourg | 20 characters (IBAN) |
| MX | Mexico | 11 digits (Account), 3 digits (MX_ABM) |
| NL | Netherlands | 18 characters (IBAN) |
| NO | Norway | 15 characters (IBAN) |
| NZ | New Zealand | NZ_NCC |
| PL | Poland | 28 characters (IBAN), 16 digits (Account), 8 digits (PL_KNR), Use IBAN |
| PT | Portugal | 25 characters (IBAN), 13 digits (Account), 8 digits (PT_NCC), Use IBAN |
| RO | Romania | 24 characters (IBAN) |
| SE | Sweden | 24 characters (IBAN), 4–12 digits (Account), 4–5 digits (SE_SBA). Example: ccccaaaaaaa where c is clearing and a is account digits. If not using IBAN, combine clearing + account as account number. |
| SG | Singapore | 7–11 digits (Account), 7 digits (SG_IBG). Routing number = 7 digits (Bank Code 4 + Branch Code 3). |
| SI | Slovenia | 19 characters (IBAN), 10 digits (Account), 5 digits (Routing), Use IBAN |
| SK | Slovakia | 24 characters (IBAN) |
| TH | Thailand | TH_CBC |
| TW | Taiwan | TW_NCC |
| US | United States | 6–17 digits (Account), US_ABA |
| VN | Vietnam | — |
| ZA | South Africa | 8–11 digits (Account), 6 digits (ZA_NCC) |
Updated 1 day ago
