Last reviewed: · Curated by Ohmyfin Organisation editorial.
On a SWIFT MT103, the ordering customer is the party — individual or company — that instructs its bank to make the payment. Their identity, address and account live in field 50 (variants 50A, 50F, 50K).
Details
For sanctions screening and FATF Travel Rule compliance, the ordering-customer details must always be present and unaltered through the whole payment chain — they cannot be stripped at intermediate banks.
Field 50K is the most common (free-format name and address). Field 50A uses a BIC. Field 50F is the structured ISO 20022-aligned format with explicit name, address, country and ID.
Key facts
The party initiating the payment
Lives in MT103 field 50A / 50F / 50K
Must be carried unaltered through the chain (Travel Rule)
Critical for sanctions and AML screening
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a SWIFT payment anonymously?
No. The ordering customer must always be identified — anonymous SWIFT payments are illegal under FATF Travel Rule.
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