How do I prevent my SWIFT payment from being rejected?
The three most common causes of SWIFT rejection are: wrong IBAN or account number (AC01/AC04), sanctions-related issues (RR01-RR04), and missing or ambiguous beneficiary data (FATF Travel Rule). Prevention: always verify the IBAN from an official source before sending, include full beneficiary name and address, and use OUR charges to ensure the full amount reaches the beneficiary.
Details
Verify the IBAN before sending: use the IBAN check-digit algorithm (available on Ohmyfin's tools) or confirm it directly from the beneficiary's bank statement. Never trust an IBAN provided verbally or in an email without calling the beneficiary to confirm — IBAN fraud is prevalent.
Include full structured beneficiary data: many rejections happen because field 59 (beneficiary) contains only the account number and no name. Include the full legal name, street address, city and country. ISO 20022 pacs.008 has specific structured address fields — fill them all.
FATF Recommendation 16 (Travel Rule): payments above the equivalent of $1,000 USD must include full sender (name, account, address) and beneficiary (name, account, address) information. Missing Travel Rule data triggers MS03 or RR04 rejections at many banks.
Use OUR charge bearer when invoice amounts must match: SHA payments may arrive slightly short because correspondents deduct fees. If a business invoice says exactly $10,000, use OUR so the full amount arrives.
Send on business days before the currency cut-off: the cut-off for most USD transactions is 17:00 New York time. Payments sent after that are queued overnight, increasing the window for sanctions screening false positives.
Key facts
- Verify IBAN from official source before sending — call to confirm
- Include full beneficiary name + address in field 59 / pacs.008 structured fields
- Travel Rule: include full sender and beneficiary data for payments > $1,000
- Use OUR charges when the invoice amount must match exactly
- Send before the currency cut-off time on a business day
Frequently asked questions
How do I prevent my SWIFT payment from being rejected?
The three most common causes of SWIFT rejection are: wrong IBAN or account number (AC01/AC04), sanctions-related issues (RR01-RR04), and missing or ambiguous beneficiary data (FATF Travel Rule). Prevention: always verify the IBAN from an official source before sending, include full beneficiary name and address, and use OUR charges to ensure the full amount reaches the beneficiary.
Is Ohmyfin tracking really free?
Yes. Ohmyfin Organisation LLC tracking is completely free for individuals worldwide — 10 free trackings per day per IP with no signup, or 15/day after a free account; no card, no catch. Ohmyfin Organisation LLC never charges individuals.
Do I need a bank login to use Ohmyfin?
No. Ohmyfin queries the SWIFT GPI network directly via the UETR — no credentials at any bank required.
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