Messages & Fields
By Ohmyfin Organisation Editorial Team · Published 2026-04-21 · Updated 2026-05-22
MT799 and MT760 are both category 7 SWIFT messages and both pass bank-to-bank — but they are completely different in legal effect. Confusing them is the entry point of most "instrument" frauds in trade finance.
MT799 is a free-format bank-to-bank message. It carries no binding undertaking. Banks use it for things like "Ready Willing and Able" letters, soft pre-advice, or operational chat between trade-finance desks. It commits the sending bank to nothing.
MT760, by contrast, is an irrevocable undertaking to pay under specified conditions. Once issued, the issuing bank cannot revoke it without the beneficiary's consent. It is a binding financial instrument.
Payment Located
SWIFT GPI Network · Real-time status
Payment Not Found
No record found in SWIFT GPI or any correspondent banking data
Fraud Awareness Notice
If you received a payment document from a third party, verify directly with your own bank before releasing goods or funds. Fake MT103 / pacs.008 confirmations are widely used in advance-fee scams. See our fraud guide →
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Watching — we'll email you the moment it appears.
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Payments can appear hours after initiation — try again later
In legitimate trade finance, MT799 is sometimes used as a pre-advice — the issuing bank tells the beneficiary bank "we are prepared to issue an MT760 in your favour, subject to receipt of [conditions]". The MT760 follows once conditions are met.
In fraud, MT799 is used as bait: scammers offer to "send MT799" or "block funds via MT799" as proof of capability, knowing victims confuse the soft letter with a binding instrument. Funds never get blocked.
When a legitimate counterparty is asking for an MT799 from your bank as evidence of funds before they will engage, that is a normal commercial request and your bank can issue it once you instruct them. When someone is offering to send you an MT799 to "prove" they have funds, that is far less reliable — anyone can send an MT799 with any text in it.
If you are being asked to pay an "issuance fee" for an MT799 you will receive, do not. Even if a real MT799 arrives, it cannot bind the sender to pay you.
Key takeaways
MT799 = free-format chat. Non-binding.
MT760 = irrevocable guarantee issuance. Binding.
MT799 can be legitimate pre-advice for an upcoming MT760.
"Receive MT799 to prove funds" is a common scam setup.
Verify any MT message with your bank, never via emailed PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Can MT799 be used to transfer money?
No. MT799 is a message, not a payment. Payments are MT103 (or pacs.008).
Why do counterparties ask for MT799?
Sometimes legitimately — as soft pre-advice that an MT760 will follow. Often illegitimately — as a "proof of funds" that proves nothing.
What does my bank charge for MT799?
Typically 50-150 USD per message, plus correspondent charges. The receiving bank does not pay; the sender does.
Is there a customer-facing way to track MT799?
No. MT799 is bank-to-bank only with no GPI equivalent. You see it only if your bank notifies you that one was received.
Payment Located
SWIFT GPI Network · Real-time status
Payment Not Found
No record found in SWIFT GPI or any correspondent banking data
Fraud Awareness Notice
If you received a payment document from a third party, verify directly with your own bank before releasing goods or funds. Fake MT103 / pacs.008 confirmations are widely used in advance-fee scams. See our fraud guide →
Monitor for 7 Days — Free
We re-check every few hours and notify you the instant this payment appears — no account, no spam.
Watching — we'll email you the moment it appears.
Not sure what to do next?
Ask SwiftMate, our SWIFT assistant, for guidance on payment delays, rejections, and next steps.
Payments can appear hours after initiation — try again later