Modernisation of Swedish payments

What's changing?

As the infrastructure changes, a new version of account transfers will be available, to replace the account transfer (with or without notification) which is to be phased out between 14 April and 25 August 2026. You will be notified in District when they are available. One key difference is that it will be mandatory to include the beneficiary’s name when making payments.

What does this mean for your business?

The update of account transfers offers enriched payment data which can contribute to easier reconciliations, as payers can use structured references on account transfers, and include messages of up to 140 characters. Additionally, the Extended Remittance Information (ERI) including credit note numbers can be added on file-based payments.

Additional benefits include:

• Possibility to bulk debit account transfers
• Incoming payments will contain sender's name and address
• Enriched payment data
• Later cut-off times
  
  

What to do to prepare:

For outgoing payments

Make sure to include the beneficiary name when you make account transfers. And include the town and country if you’re using the structured address format for file-based payments. We also recommend that you reach out to your ERP system provider to ensure that references and messages are handled correctly on all outgoing payments.

For incoming payments

We recommend that you decide on how you want to use references going forward towards your customers and ensure to include town and country as well as a correct beneficiary name on your invoices. This will help sender's to ensure that the payment goes to the correct recipient.

What's changing?

It will be compulsory for all standing orders to include the beneficiary’s name. We recommend that you update your agreements as soon as possible. If the beneficiary name is not included in the standing order agreement, the payments will not be processed, and the standing order agreement will be deleted.

What does this mean for your business?

This change will make it clear who your standing orders are being paid to, making it easier for you to reconcile payments.

What to do to prepare:

For outgoing payments

We recommend that your business review all existing standing orders and update them with a beneficiary name as soon as possible. The beneficiary name field is available in District, so you can simply amend the existing standing orders.

For incoming payments

We also recommend that you ensure that your customers are aware of the upcoming change and provide them with the right beneficiary name for their standing order payments to you, to help mitigate any risks of your incoming payments not being processed.

What’s changing?

Between 14 April and 25 August 2026, it will be mandatory for all salary payments to include a beneficiary name, whether they are paid via files or entered manually in District. You will be notified in District when the updated salary payment options are available.

From 2 November 2026, there will be a change to the salary execution date in file payments. The salary execution date in the salary file will need to match the date on which the funds should be taken from your account, which is typically one banking day before the salary should be available on the beneficiary’s account.

What does this mean for your business?

Including the beneficiary name and the opportunity to include up to 140 characters of unstructured information in the reference for file-based payments offers enriched payment information. Another benefit of this change is a later cut-off time, which gives you more flexibility to align the salary payment process with your ways of working.

What to do to prepare:

We recommend that you contact your system provider to ensure that references and mandatory fields are handled correctly for your salary payments.

From 2 November 2026, if you pay salaries via file payments, it is important that you ensure that the date in the file corresponds to the date on which the payment should be debited from your account. In most cases, this is one banking day before the date on which the salary should be available on the beneficiary’s account. This change aligns with the standard rules for ISO 20022 XML payments.

Examples of different payment types are available in the Danske Bank guideline to payments in ISO 20022 XML format (pain.001.001.03).

What’s changing?

Extended remittance information (ERI) becomes available (ISO 20022 XML):

• From 25 August 2026 for account transfers
• From 27 November 2026 for Bankgiro and Plusgiro payments (Alias)
• Payment amount must be higher than zero
  
  

What does this mean for your business?

Invoice handling:

ERI allows up to 999 invoices in a single payment file, each with its own reference and amount, simplifying reconciliation and ensuring accuracy by validating that the sum of all invoices (including credit notes) equals the total payment amount, thereby reducing errors and supporting straight-through processing.

This means that your business can net multiple invoices, including credit invoices, in one payment, and provide all relevant reference information to the beneficiary, in turn reducing the need for email or paper notifications.

Please read more about reference support in our message implementation guide: pain.001.001.03 Appendix

Payment type compatibility:

• Bankgiro and Plusgiro payments (Alias): Accept OCR references, as well as structured codes like CINV (commercial invoice) and CREN (credit note)
• Account transfers: Only accept RF references, along with CINV and CREN codes

Rejection handling:

If the beneficiary’s bank does not support ERI, payments will be rejected with the message "Creditor bank does not accept Extended Remittance Information." Adjustments, such as splitting invoices and using either a single structured or unstructured reference for each invoice, will be needed to complete the payment.

What to do to prepare:

• Confirm with your system provider that ERI functionality is supported, including handling structured and unstructured references, multiple invoices, and validation of totals
• Update your payment processes to include references and remittance details in the correct formats (OCR, RF, CINV, or CREN) based on the payment type
• Check with your beneficiaries whether their banks support ERI to avoid payment rejection
• Be prepared to handle rejections by splitting invoices and adapting references when ERI is not supported by the receiving bank

What’s changing?

From 8 September 2026, OCR validation will apply to outgoing file-based payments, ensuring the accuracy of invoice references used in payments.

Structured references with the code SCOR will be validated by the bank. Payments with invalid OCR numbers or RF references will be rejected. OCR references with a code other than SCOR will not be validated.

What does this mean for your business?

• If your business sends payments using SCOR, you must ensure that the invoice references included in payments meet the requirements for OCR numbers or RF references to avoid payment rejection
• For businesses receiving payments with OCR, enabling OCR validation to your Bankgiro agreement can improve payment accuracy and reduce reconciliation errors
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What to do to prepare:

• Verify that your ERP system or payment processes use the correct invoice reference format (OCR number or RF reference) for outgoing payments
• Implement structured references with code SCOR in Remittance Information for payments initiated in ISO 20022 XML format
• Enable OCR validation for incoming payments and ensure references are clearly stated on invoices
• Review and update your payment templates and processes to meet the new validation requirements before 8 September 2026

What’s changing?

Between 8 September and 27 November 2026 all payment communication must go via the bank, not Bankgirot. Therefore, all current Bankgiro and Plusgiro payments (Alias) will need to be made through your bank. Please note, this change does not apply to file communication linked to Autogiro nor the service Kontofråga.

In addition, it will be mandatory to include the beneficiary name on all payments.

What does this mean for your business?

This change offers enriched payment data, which can contribute to making your reconciliation easier as payers can use structured references on payments and include messages of up to 140 characters. Additionally, the Extended Remittance Information of up to 999 references will be included for file-based payments, as well as offering improved references with enhanced OCR validation.

What to do to prepare:

For outgoing payments

Ahead of the change we recommend that you make sure to include the beneficiary name when you’re sending payments and include the town and country if you’re using the structured address format for file-based payments. We also recommend that you reach out to your ERP system provider to ensure that references and messages are handled correctly on all outgoing payments.

For incoming payments

If you want to make reconciliation easier, we recommend that you decide on how you want to use references and ensure to add the full address including town and country as well as a correct beneficiary name.

What’s changing?

By 27 November 2026 file communication needs to go through the bank, when it comes to incoming and outgoing payments (until further notice this does not apply to communication linked to Autogiro and service Kontofråga).

Swedish payment infrastructure is undergoing a major modernisation, which aims to become more secure, standardised and future-proof. As a part of this change, direct customer connections with Bankgirot will be phased out in 2026.

What does this mean for your business?

• Direct technical access to Bankgiro will no longer be possible
• All communication will go via your bank
• Payment processes will increasingly follow international standards (ISO 20022 XML)
  
  

What to do to prepare:

• Make sure you have direct connection with your bank.  

What changed?

As of 12 May 2026, supplier payments to Bankgirot in LB (Leverantörsbetalningar) format, including Utlands-LB and salaries, have been phased out and replaced with the ISO 20022 XML format.

What does this mean for your business?

• Improved overview in District
• No paper-based reporting
• Fewer rejected payments - in the new format, testing must be done before sending file payments and this will show potential errors
  
  

What to do to prepare:

• We recommend that you switch to the ISO 20022 XML format as soon as possible.
• Contact your software provider to confirm that your system supports Danske Bank’s version of the ISO 20022 XML format.
• Use our guides and technical specifications on ISO 20022 XML.
• Begin submitting your payment files in the new format. We are ready to process XML files immediately, and no new agreements are required.
  

To read more about the transition please refer to Moving from LB (Leverantörsbetalningar) to ISO 20022 XML: What You Need to Know

What’s changing?

Money orders created in District, will be phased out during the period from 14 April to 25 June 2026. After 8 September 2026, file-based money orders will no longer be supported in the new payment infrastructure.

What does this mean for your business?

With money orders closing, it’s important to explore alternative options. Digital solutions such as account transfers can be a good alternative, as the costs associated with sending and handling the payments are often lower when compared with paper-based payments.

What to do to prepare:

We recommend that you prepare your systems to make payouts to your customers digitally such as using account transfers to an account number or using the Swish payout solution. Swish Utbetalningar | Danske Bank

What’s changing?

From 15 November 2026, unstructured postal addresses will no longer be accepted in Swedish domestic payments. Addresses included in payments must comply with the structured or hybrid formats defined by the Nordic Payments Council (NPC).

What does this mean for your business?

• If your business includes postal addresses in payments, they must meet the new structured or hybrid address format requirements
• Otherwise, the address will be removed and the payment will be processed without any address information
  ​
  

What to do to prepare:

• Transition to the ISO 20022 XML format for initiating payments
• Ensure that postal addresses used in payments comply with the structured or hybrid format requirements:

  - For structured addresses, include 'Town Name' and 'Country' (mandatory), but do not include 'Address Line'
  - For hybrid addresses, include 'Town Name' and 'Country' (mandatory) and at least one 'Address Line'

• Review and update your payment processes and systems to ensure compliance with these requirements
• Refer to Appendix O in the document pain.001.001.03 Appendix for detailed examples of address formats

What’s changing?

After 27 November 2026, Bg Max (Bankgiro Inbetalningar - Bankgiro Receivables) can no longer be used. Bankgirot image files (Bildfil) - scanned pictures of the payment slips - will be discontinued from 10 October 2026.

By 8 September 2026, you must have camt.053 (ISO 20022 XML statement file) or camt.054 (ISO 20022 XML entry file) in place in order to receive detailed information about payments sent via the new payment infrastructure initiated to a Bankgiro number. After this date, customers that do not transition to camt.053 or camt.054 messages will need to perform manual reconciliation for payments processed via the new infrastructure.

Additionally, Bg Max files will only include payments processed on the old infrastructure after 8 September 2026. Payments processed on the new infrastructure will not be included in Bg Max files. Please ensure timely action to avoid disruptions.

What does this mean for your business?

• Improved overview in District
• No paper-based reporting
• Potential to improved automated reconciliation as a result of enriched data and better data structure, making it easier to identify payments
  
  

What to do to prepare:

• We recommend that you switch to the ISO 20022 XML format as soon as possible.
• Contact your software provider to confirm that your system supports Danske Bank’s version of the ISO 20022 XML format.
• Make sure you have camt.053 or camt.054 (ISO 20022 XML) in place by 8th September 2026 in order to receive detailed information about payments sent via the new payment infrastructure.

To read more about the transition please refer to Moving from Bg Max (Bankgiro Inbetalningar) to ISO 20022 XML: What You Need to Know