The description of the SWIFT MT Message block 3 (User Header) is provided in the table below. For the sake of clarity, following elements have been added: Start of block indicator, Block identifier, Separator and End of block indicator. They are in general not part of block descriptions in the available documentation. But I think it can be useful. Back to SWIFT MT Message structure page with links to the other blocks.
| # | Tag or field name | M / O | Description and Semantic | Content / Options | Example |
| Start of block indicator | M | The character { indicates the beginning of a block. | Left curly bracket { | { | |
| Block identifier | M | 1 to 3 alphanumeric characters used to define block contents. User header block identiifer is 3. | 3c | 3 | |
| Separator | M | The character : indicates the end of the block identifier. | Colon : | : | |
| 1 | Tag103 - Service Identifier | M (for FINcopy Service) | For any message that the user submits to a FINCopy service, block 3 requires an additional field 103. This field contains a 3-character service identifier that is unique to a specific FINCopy service. The use of a unique identifier makes it possible to support access to multiple services within the same interface. The format of field tag 103 is 3!a. Remark for TGT2: If this field is not present, the message will be delivered directly to the receiver without processing in the Payments Module (PM). Present in MT 103, 202, 204. All other MT will not contain field 103. | {103:3!a} | {103:EBA} |
| 2 | Tag113 - Banking Priority | O | Field 113: | {113:4!x} | 113:xxxx} |
| 3 | Tag108 - Message User Reference (MUR) | O | Field 108: If the sender has not defined the message user reference in field 108, then the system uses the transaction reference number for retrievals and associated system messages and acknowledgements. The transaction reference number is in field 20 or 20C::SEME of the text block of user-to-user FIN messages. Field 108 containing only blanks or spaces will be accepted by the system. | {108:16!x} | {108:REF0140862562/015}} |
| 4 | Tag119 - Validation Flag | O | Field 119: The following are examples of the values that this field may take : - REMIT identifies the presence of field 77T. To use only in MT 103. - RFDD indicates that the message is a request for direct debit. To use only in MT 104. See Error Code C94. - STP indicates that FIN validates the message according to straight-through processing principles. To use only in MTs 102 and 103. For more information, see Message Format Validation Rules in the SWIFT MT/MX standards. | {119:8c} | {119:STP} |
| 5 | Tag423 - Balance checkpoint date and time (for MIRS only) | O | Field 423: This field contains the balance checkpoint date and time consisting of a date (YYMMDD) and a time (HHMMSS[ss], where "ss" indicates hundredths of a second). The market infrastructure that is subscribed to MIRS will always copy this reference from field tag 13G of the last MT 298/091 that it sent into the related MT 298/093 or MT 097 that it generates. | {423:YYMMDDHHMMSS[ss]} If Tag423 is present then Date is mandatory, Time is mandatory and Hundredths of Second is optional. | {423:18071715301204} |
| 6 | Tag106 - Message Input Reference MIR (for MIRS only) | O | Field 106: This field contains the MIR of the payment message that is related to the notification messages in which this field is present. The market infrastructure that is subscribed to Market Infrastructure Resiliency Service (MIRS) will copy it from the received payment message. In a FINCopy scenario, this field must contain the MIR of the related MT 096. Tag 106 or 424 must be present in block 3 of all notification messages which are sent by a market infrastructure that has subscribed to MIRS. Tag 106 must be present in block 3 of an MT 097 sent by a market infrastructure that has subscribed to MIRS. | {106:MIR} MIR format 1. Date:YYMMDD 2. LTIdentifier: minLength=12 maxLength=12 Pattern [A-Z]{4}[A-Z]{2}[0-9A-Z]{2}[0-9A-Z][0-9A-Z]{3} 3. BranchCode: 3!c 4. SessionNumber: 4!n Pattern [0-9]{4} 5. Sequence Number: minLength=6 maxLength=6 Pattern [0-9]{6} | 120811BANKBEBBAXXX2222123456 |
| 7 | Tag424 - Related reference (for MIRS only) | O | Field : This field contains the reference of the payment that is related to the notification messages in which this field is present. The payment itself was not the result of a FIN message. The value of this field must correspond to the related reference (field 21) in the MT 298/093. The format of field 424 is 16x. Field 424 containing only blanks or spaces will be accepted by the system. Tag 106 or 424 must be present in block 3 of all notification messages which are sent by a market infrastructure that has subscribed to MIRS. | {424:16x} | {424:PQAB1234} |
| 8 | Tag111 - Service type identifier | O | Field 111: This field identifies the applicable global payment service type. Field 121 can be present without field 111. Field 111 can only be present if field 121 is also present. | {111:3!n} | |
| 9 | Tag121 - Unique end-to-end transaction reference | M | Field 121: This field provides an end-to-end reference across a payment transaction. The format of field 121 is xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx where x is any hexadecimal character (lower case only) and y is one of 8, 9, a, or b. Field 121 is mandatory on all MTs 103, 103 STP, 103 REMIT, 202, 202 COV, 205, and 205 COV. See the FIN Service Description for additional information. Field 121 can be present without field 111. Field 111 can only be present if field 121 is also present. | {121:xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx} | {121:180f1e65-90e0-44d5-a49a-92b55eb3025f} This Tag is now mandatory as per SWIFT GPI. |
| 10 | Tag115 - Addressee Information (for FINCopy only) | O | Field 115: The central institution inputs information in the MT 097 FINCopy Message Authorisation/Refusal Notification, in Y-Copy mode. FINCopy copies the information to the receiver of the payment message. Field 115 containing only blanks or spaces will be accepted by the system. It contains information from the PM: - Time of crediting RTGS account of receiver - Time of debiting RTGS account of sender - Country code of sender - SSP internal posting reference for unique identification Tag 115 is only valid for output messages. For more information, see the FINCopy Service Description ot Target 2 documentation. | {115:32x} | {115: 121413 121413 DE BANKDECDA123} |
| 11 | Tag165 - Payment release information receiver (For FINInform services only) | O | Field 165: This field contains information from the server destination to the receiver of payment message. It is only available for use in FINInform services that operate in Y-copy mode. Tag 165 is only valid for output messages. | {165:/3!c/34x} | |
| 12 | Tag433 - Sanctions screening information for the receiver | O | Field 433: The screening service inputs information in the MT 097 FINCopy Message Authorisation/Refusal Notification, in Y-Copy mode. FINInform copies the information to the receiver of the screened message. The following values can be present in this field: - AOK: message automatically released by screening service - FPO: compliance officer has flagged the screening result as false positive - NOK: compliance officer has flagged the screened message as suspect or the message was auto released by the service The code word can optionally be followed by additional information (up to 20 characters from the x character set). Tag 433 is only valid for output messages. | {433:/3!a/[20x]} / [ If Tag433 present, then Codeword is mandatory and additional information is optional. | {433:/AOK} |
| 13 | Tag434 - Payment controls information for receiver | O | Field 434: This field provides information to the receiver from the Payment Controls service about the screened message. Tag 434 is only valid for output messages. Remark: In previous SWIFT releases, this tag was called sanctions-screeningreconciliation-data | {434:/3!a/[20x]} / [ If Tag434 present, then Codeword is mandatory and additional information is optional. | {434:/FPO} |
| End of block indicator | M | The Block identifier end tag | Right curly bracket } | } |
Example of User Header
{3:{103:TGT}{108:OPTUSERREF16CHAR}}
Back to SWIFT MT Message structure page with links to the other blocks.
Sources for this page are: IBM knowledge center and SWIFT MT standards.
