ABA File Format

 

1. Definitions


Commonly used terms associated with file formatting and their definitions are as follows:

  1. Left justified - start input in the first character position of that field
  2. Right justified - end input in the last character position of that field
  3. Blank filled - fills the unused portion of that field with blank spaces
  4. Zero filled - fills the unused portion of that field with zeros
  5. Unsigned - used in amount fields. Amounts will not be specified as debit or credit.




2. Header Record Definition ('0' record) (just the first line):
































































Character Position Field size Field description Specification
1 1 Record Type 0 Must be '0'
2-18 17 Blank Must be blank filled.
19-20 2 Reel Sequence Number Must be numeric
commencing at 01. Right justified. Zero filled
21-23 3 Name of User's Financial
Institution
Must be approved
Financial Institution abbreviation. Westpac's abbreviation is "WBC".
24-30 7 Blank Must be blank filled.
31-56 26 Name of User supplying file
Must be User Preferred
Specification as advised in Application. Left justified, blank filled. All
coded character set valid. Must not be all blanks.
57-62
6 Number of User supplying
file

Must be User
Identification Number which is allocated by APCA. Must be numeric, right
justified, zero filled.
63-74 12 Description of entries on
file e.g. "PAYROLL"

All coded character set
valid. Must not be all blanks. Left justified, blank filled.
75-80 6 Date to be processed
(i.e. the date transactions are released to all Financial Institutions)


Must be numeric in the
format of DDMMYY. Must be a valid date. Zero filled.
81-120 40 Blank
Must be blank filled.





3. Detail Record ('1' record)






























































































Character Position Field size Field description Specification
1 1 Record Type 1 Must be '1'
2-8 7 Bank/State/Branch Number Must be numeric with a
hyphen in character position 5. Character positions 2 and 3 must equal
valid Financial Institution number. Character position 4 must equal a
valid State number (0-9).
9-17 9 Account number to be
credited/debited
Numeric, hyphens and blanks
only are valid. Must not contain all blanks or zeros. Leading zeros which
are part of a valid account number must be shown, e.g. 00-1234. Westpac
recommends that (except in the above example), ALL hyphens are edited out.
Where account number exceeds nine characters, edit out hyphens. Right
justified, blank filled.
18 1 Indicator "N" -for new or varied
Bank(FI)/State/Branch number or name details, otherwise blank filled.
Withholding Tax Indicators: "W" -dividend paid to a resident of a country
where a double tax agreement is in force. "X" -dividend paid to a resident
of any other country. "Y" -interest paid to all non-residents The amount
of withholding tax is to appear in character positions
113-120. Note: Where withholding tax has been deducted the appropriate
Indicator as shown above is to be used and will override the normal
indicator.
19-20 2 Transaction Code Must only be valid
industry standard trancodes (see list). Only numeric valid.
21-30 10 Amount Only numeric valid. Must
be greater than zero. Shown in cents without punctuations. Right
justified, zero filled. Unsigned.
31-62 32 Title of Account to be
All coded character set
valid. Must not be all blanks.
credited/debited Left justified, blank
filled. Desirable format: - surname (period) blank
- given names with blank
between each name
63-80 18 Lodgement Reference All coded character set
valid. Reference as submitted by the User indicating details of the origin
of the entry e.g. Payroll number, invoice, contract number.
Left justified, blank
filled. Must not contain all blanks.
81-96 (81-87) 16 Trace Record (-BSB Number
in format XXX-XXX)
Bank(FI)/State/Branch and
account number of User to enable retracing of the entry to its source if
necessary. Only numeric and hyphens valid. Character positions 81 & 82
must equal a valid Financial Institution number. Character position 83
must equal a valid State number (0-9). Character position 84 must be a
hyphen.
(88-96) 9 (-Account Number) Right justified, blank
filled.
97-112 16 Name of Remitter Name of originator of the
entry. This may vary from Name of the User. All coded character set valid.
Must not contain all blanks. Left justified, blank filled.
113- 8 Amount of Numeric only valid. Show
in cents without punctuation.
120 Withholding Tax Right justified, zero
filled. Unsigned.



4. File Total Record ‘7’ (Trailer)


























































Character
Position
Field size Field description Specification
1 1 Record Type 7 Must be '7'.
2-8 7 BSB Format Filler Must be '999-999'.
9-20 12 Blank Must be blank filled.
21-30 10 File (User) Net Total Amount
Numeric only valid. Must
equal the difference between File Credit & File Debit Total Amounts.
Show in cents without punctuation. Right justified, zero filled. Unsigned.
31-40 10 File (User) Credit Total
Amount
Numeric only valid. Must
equal the accumulated total of credit Detail Record amounts. Show in cents
without punctuation. Right justified, zero filled. Unsigned.
41-50 10 File (User) Debit Total
Amount
Numeric only valid. Must
equal the accumulated total of debit Detail Record amounts. Show in cents
without punctuation. Right justified, zero filled. Unsigned.
51-74 24 Blank Must be blank filled.
75-80 6 File (User) count of
Records Type 1
Numeric only valid. Must
equal accumulated number of Record Type 1 items on the file. Right
justified, zero filled.
81-120 40 Blank Must be blank filled.


5. Direct Entry Transaction Codes











































13 Externally initiated
debit items
50 Externally initiated
credit items with the exception of those bearing Transaction Codes
51-57 inclusive
51 Australian Government
Security Interest
52 Family Allowance
53 Pay
54 Pension
55 Allotment
56 Dividend
57 Debenture/Note Interest