Last reviewed: · Curated by Ohmyfin Organisation editorial.
Field 50A is the BIC variant of the Ordering Customer field. It is used when the originator of the payment is itself a financial institution rather than an individual or corporate.
How an MT103 maps to the UETR (field 121), sender reference (field 20), value-date/currency/amount (field 32A) and beneficiary details. Source: SWIFT MT103 specification.
Details
Format: optional account number + BIC (8 or 11 characters). Example: 50A:/12345678 / DEUTDEFF.
Quick facts
SWIFT field specification
Example value
:50A:BICCODE12XXX
Valid characters / format
BIC (8 or 11 chars)
Required on MT103
Mandatory
Required on MT202
Not used
Required on pacs.008
Mandatory
Notes
Ordering customer by BIC.
Key facts
Used when the ordering party is a financial institution
Carries a BIC, optionally with an account number
One of three options: 50A (BIC), 50F (structured), 50K (free-format)
Frequently asked questions
Can I use 50A for an individual?
No — individuals and most corporates use 50F or 50K. 50A is reserved for financial institutions.
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