ISO 20022 standard
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ISO 20022

What does this mean for your payments?

Kredyt handlowy
WHAT IS THE ISO 20022 STANDARD?

ISO 20022 is a global, open communication standard for financial institutions, established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – an independent, non-governmental standards body. It is a language based on a business dictionary that unifies many existing, fragmented standards.

NEW STANDARD, NEW POSSIBILITIES
WHAT DO THESE CHANGES MEAN FOR YOUR COMPANY?

The global migration to the ISO 20022 standard introduces changes in two key areas of daily work with the bank: ordering transfers and statements received from the bank. Below we explain what is worth paying attention to in each of these processes.

Changes in ordering transfers
Recipient's address

With the introduction of the ISO 20022 standard, precise preparation of data in payment orders becomes crucial. The most important change from your perspective concerns the way information about the recipient is recorded, particularly their address. Below we explain what this change involves and how to prepare for it.

 
 Recipent's Address

How is it now?

 What will change soon?

The recipient's address is entered as one continuous text (the so-called unstructured address). This structure makes it difficult for systems to interpret its individual parts. This format will be discontinued.

The address will have to be divided into separate fields. The minimum required is city and country. The remaining address data may also be provided in separate fields (together forming the so-called structured address). Alternatively, one continuous address field will still be available, but even in this variant it will still be necessary to provide at least the city and country separately (forming the so-called hybrid address). Both of these forms will be supported. As a result, key data will be unambiguous, ensuring faster and more automated payment processing.

How to prepare?

  • Review of data in ERP/accounting systems: if you use data from your own systems (ERP/accounting) to order transfers, please ensure that the address data of your counterparties contains at least the city and country, and that your system is able to correctly transfer this data to the payment file.
  • Updating templates in CitiDirect: if you use templates/preformats saved in CitiDirect, please review them and supplement them with the missing address data once it becomes available.
  • Planning and conducting tests: We encourage you to plan and carry out tests early.

Changes concerning individual types of payments

Although the general principle regarding data structuring is common, the deadlines for its introduction and other detailed requirements differ depending on the type of payment.

 
Domestic Payments (PLN)

How is it currently on the market?

What will change soon on the market?
  • The basic domestic payment system, Elixir, operates on unchanged rules, i.e., it is not based on ISO 20022.
  • The instant payment system, Express Elixir, also operates on unchanged rules, i.e., it is not based on ISO 20022.
  • The high-value payment system, SORBNET, was migrated to the ISO 20022 standard in September 2025.
  • Work is underway to migrate the Elixir system to the ISO 20022 standard. We do not expect changes significantly affecting your processes until mid-2027. 
  • The Express Elixir system is not currently being migrated to the ISO 20022 standard. 
  • The SORBNET system is regularly updated. The next change, planned for November 2026, will result in the withdrawal of support for the unstructured address. A structured and hybrid address will be available.

How is it currently at Citi Handlowy?

What will change soon at Citi Handlowy?
  • If you order payments by filling in the domestic transfer form in CitiDirect, you can complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments by importing flat files into the CitiDirect system, you can also complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments via XML messages through CitiConnect, you have the option to indicate the recipient's address by completing the <AdrLine> field.
  • Providing the recipient's address will still not be mandatory, but if you do provide it, from November 2026 it will be required to provide at least the city and country in the relevant fields. 
  • The domestic transfer form in CitiDirect, as well as templates/preformats, will be enhanced with the fields: city and country. 
  • Flat files will be extended with the fields: city and country. 
  • XML messages will support both the hybrid and structured formats.

 

 
Euro Payments (SEPA)

How is it currently on the market?

What will change soon on the market?
  • The SEPA scheme was built based on the ISO 20022 standard and currently operates in this form.
  • The SEPA scheme is regularly updated. The next change, planned for November 2026, will result in the withdrawal of support for the unstructured address. A structured and hybrid address will be available.

How is it currently at Citi Handlowy?

What will change soon at Citi Handlowy?
  • If you order payments by filling in the SEPA transfer form in CitiDirect, you can complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments by importing flat files into the CitiDirect system, you can also complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments via XML messages through CitiConnect, you have the option to indicate the recipient's address by completing the <AdrLine> field. 
  • Providing the recipient's address will still not be mandatory, but if you do provide it, from November 2026 it will be required to provide at least the city and country in the relevant fields. 
  • The SEPA transfer form in CitiDirect, as well as templates/preformats, will be enhanced with the fields: city and country. 
  • Flat files will be extended with the fields: city and country. 
  • XML messages will support both the hybrid and structured formats.

 

 
 Foreing Payments (SWIFT)

How is it currently on the market?

What will change soon on the market?
  • Cross-border payments, carried out via the SWIFT network, were migrated between 2023-2025 from MT messages (e.g., MT103) to MX messages (e.g., pacs.008), based on the ISO 20022 standard. 
  • Currently, SWIFT supports all three forms of providing address data for message parties: unstructured, structured, and hybrid.
  • SWIFT message standards are regularly updated. The next change, planned for November 2026, will result in the withdrawal of support for the unstructured address. A structured and hybrid address will be available.

How is it currently at Citi Handlowy?

What will change soon at Citi Handlowy?
  • If you order payments by filling in the SEPA transfer form in CitiDirect, you can complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments by importing flat files into the CitiDirect system, you can also complete the recipient's address (in unstructured form). 
  • If you order payments via XML messages through CitiConnect, you have the option to indicate the recipient's address by completing the <AdrLine> field.
  • Providing the recipient's address will still not be mandatory, but if you do provide it, from November 2026 it will be required to provide at least the city and country in the relevant fields. 
  • Although the recipient's address is formally still optional, we recommend completing this data to ensure smooth payment processing. 
  • The foreign transfer form in CitiDirect, as well as templates/preformats, will be enhanced with the fields: city and country. 
  • Flat files will be extended with the fields: city and country. 
  • XML messages will support both the hybrid and structured formats.
Changes in statements received

Migration to the ISO 20022 standard is a revolution in the way you receive information about transactions on your accounts. Traditional statements in MT940 (daily) and MT942 (intraday) formats are being replaced by their modern, much more advanced equivalents: camt.053 and camt.052. This is not merely a technical change of file format – it is a fundamental improvement in the quality and availability of data.

Limitations of the existing MT formats

Traditional statement formats (MT940/942) had fields of limited length and a predetermined structure. In the era of the ISO 20022 standard, when the sending bank sends a payment in a data-rich MX format, our bank, when generating a statement for you in the old MT format, must adapt this extensive information to its narrow constraints.

In practice, this leads to the loss of some data, e.g., through the truncation of long payment titles or the loss of detailed transaction information.

Capabilities of the new camt formats

The new statement formats (camt.053 and camt.052) are natively compliant with the ISO 20022 standard. Their structure allows the full scope of data received from the sending bank in the MX message to be transferred, without any loss or truncation.

What this means in practice:

  • Full content of information: if the sending bank sent the payment in MX format, your camt statement will show the complete, unmodified payment title, containing, e.g., full invoice numbers and detailed descriptions.
  • Structured data, e.g., on returns: in the case of transactions carried out in accordance with the ISO 20022 standard (e.g., foreign payments), the return information (pacs.004) contains a standardized reason code (e.g., AC04 – Account closed). This precise information is carried over to the camt statement, which makes it easier to identify the problem. Please note that, for example, in the case of domestic Elixir payments, the return mechanism currently remains unchanged.

Receiving full, structured data on the statement paves the way for better automation of accounting processes on your side.

Recommended actions:

  • Verification of the ERP/accounting system: please contact your finance and accounting software provider to confirm that the system is able to import and process files in the camt.053 and camt.052 formats.
  • Change of statement format: please contact your relationship manager at Citi Handlowy to request a change of the generated statement format from MT to camt.

The table below shows how key traditional MT messages are being replaced by their new MX (ISO 20022) format equivalents in the SWIFT network. The messages have been grouped according to their role in the payment process.

 

 
Porcess Stage MT Format MX Format Desc

1. Payment initiation by the client

MT101

pacs.008

Customer payment – sent between banks on behalf of the client

2. Payment processing

MT103

pacs.008

Customer payment – sent between banks on behalf of the client

MT202/205

pacs.009

Bank/financial institution payment – transfer of own funds between financial institutions

MT204

pacs.010

Direct debit instruction between financial institutions

3. Reporting and statements (for the client)

MT940/950

camt.053

End-of-day statement

MT941/942

camt.052

Intraday statement (during the day)

MT900/910

camt.054

Confirmation of credit / debit to the account

4. Management and exceptions

 MT192

camt.056

Confirmation of credit / debit to the account

MT103/202 ret

pacs.004

Payment return (e.g., due to incorrect data. This is a new, dedicated message for handling returns, much more structured than previous methods)

-

pacs.002

Payment status report (new message informing, e.g., of a payment rejection)

Migration to the ISO 20022 standard is a process spread over several years. To give you a full picture of the transformation, the table below presents the key milestones – both those that have already taken place and those still ahead of us.

 
Date Payment System Description of Changes

March 2023

SWIFT

Start of the transition period. Banks worldwide are required to be able to receive messages in MX format.

September 2025

SORBNET

Migration of the system to a new platform based on the ISO 20022 standard.

November 2025

SWIFT

End of the transition period. MT messages from groups 1xx and 2xx are discontinued. The MX format becomes mandatory for interbank communication.

November 2026

SWIFT / SEPA / SORBNET

Introduction of a new version of the MX standard. The key change is the withdrawal of support for the unstructured address.

2027 (planned)

Elixir

Planned implementation of the first version of the system based on XML messages (not yet fully compliant with ISO 20022).

After 2027 (planned)

Elixir

Planned implementation of full compliance with the ISO 20022 standard.

Further in the future

Express Elixir

Possible future changes (Express Elixir is not currently included in the ISO 20022 migration plan).