Payment orders with unstructured address data will be rejected starting November 14 or 15, 2026

Starting November 14, 2026, unstructured address data for payers and payees will no longer be permitted when submitting orders for global non-SEPA account-to-account transfers. One day later, starting November 15, this will also apply to SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) orders for credit transfers (SCT), instant payment (SCT Inst), and SEPA direct debits (SDD). Starting on these dates, payment orders with unstructured address data will be rejected.

Only “fully structured” and hybrid address data will remain permitted after these dates, with fully structured being the preferred future-proof address format. Hybrid address data is permitted by some payment service providers as a transitional solution. Support for hybrid address data may therefore vary by payment service provider (by bank). Anyone submitting payment orders must request the specifications and validation rules from their payment service provider well in advance of November 14 and 15 and implement them in their systems in a timely manner.

Three types of address data

Messages and files for payments in accordance with the ISO 20022 standard may still contain three types of address data until November 14, 2026:

• Unstructured: All address data in one or more free-text lines.
• Hybrid structure: City name and country code in structured fields, supplemented by up to two free-text lines for the rest, without duplicates.
• Fully structured: Exclusively structured address fields for street name, house number, ZIP code, city name, and country code, without free-text lines.

Why structured address data?

Structured address data for recipients in account-to-account transfers and for payers in SEPA direct debits aligns with stricter anti-money laundering legislation and regulations against payments to sanctioned individuals and institutions. It ensures:

• Better and faster verification of address data.
• Fewer rejected payment orders.
• More efficient and faster processing of payments.

Differences between SEPA and non-SEPA payments

With the upcoming introduction of structured address data in payment orders, there are some differences between European SEPA payments and global non-SEPA transfers.

European SEPA payments

• Unstructured address data will be rejected starting November 15, 2026!
• For SEPA payments within the EEA (European Economic Area), address data is not mandatory. Some payment service providers may even request that no address data be provided at all.
• For SEPA transfers (SCT and SCT Inst) to SEPA countries outside the EEA, recipients’ address details are also not mandatory.
• For SEPA direct debits (SDD) in SEPA countries outside the EEA, payers’ (debitors’) address details are mandatory.

Global non-SEPA transfers

• Unstructured address details will be rejected starting November 14, 2026!
• Recipient address details are always mandatory.
• Large corporate customers still using the MT message standard must coordinate the correct formatting of address details with their payment service provider (their bank).

Practical considerations

• When address details are mandatory, at a minimum the city name and country code must be entered in a fully structured format. Depending on the payment service provider, the channel, and the format, additional address details may be requested, preferably fully structured and otherwise in hybrid format if the payment service provider permits it.
• Payment orders submitted before November 14 or 15, 2026, and scheduled for execution on or after that date, must no longer contain unstructured address data! The execution date of the payment order therefore determines whether unstructured address data will be rejected.
• Always ask the payment service provider (the bank) where payment orders are submitted whether it imposes additional requirements and what those requirements are.
• Update relevant software systems so that they comply in a timely manner with the payment service provider’s new requirements for address data in payment orders.
• Ensure that at a minimum, the country code and city name of each counterparty for payments are recorded in the administrative systems.
• Opt for fully structured address data whenever possible; opt for hybrid address data if fully structured is not possible, only as a temporary alternative, and coordinate this with the payment service provider in a timely manner.
• Verify that payment orders contain all required address details in the correct format before submitting them to a payment service provider.
• For a transfer or direct debit on behalf of another party, no different guidelines apply to the address details of the ultimate payer or payee. This applies to the address details of the so-called “Ultimate Parties” of a POBO (Payment On Behalf Of) or COBO (Collection On Behalf Of).
• Conduct tests in collaboration with the payment service provider well in advance of the weekend of November 14 and 15, 2026, to verify that payment orders meet all new requirements.