pacs.004 payment return

EVERY ANNOTATED FIELD

GrpHdr/MsgId Message identification — mandatory

A unique reference for the return message itself — the return is a new settlement event with its own identity.

GrpHdr/CreDtTm Creation date and time — mandatory

When the return message was created.

GrpHdr/SttlmInf/SttlmMtd Settlement method — mandatory

How the return itself settles between the agents — the same choices as an outbound payment, applied in the reverse direction.

A return does not have to retrace the original route hop by hop, but it must settle somewhere real; the settlement information describes the return's own arrangement.

OrgnlGrpInf/OrgnlMsgId Original message identification — conditional

The MsgId of the message that carried the original payment.

Depending on message version and scheme profile, original-group references appear at message level, transaction level, or both — the profile in force decides.

TxInf/OrgnlEndToEndId Original end-to-end identification — conditional

The EndToEndId of the payment being returned, echoed unchanged.

⚠ A return that arrives without usable original references becomes unapplied cash on a suspense account — money nobody can match.

TxInf/OrgnlUETR Original UETR — conditional

The unique tracking identifier of the original payment, carried in the return so tracking systems connect the two events.

The strongest automatic matching key for returns — especially when a payment was returned weeks after settlement and internal references have gone cold.

TxInf/OrgnlIntrBkSttlmAmt Original interbank settlement amount — conditional

What settled originally — the baseline against which the returned amount is compared.

TxInf/RtrdIntrBkSttlmAmt Returned interbank settlement amount — mandatory

What actually comes back. It can be less than the original amount when the returning side deducts charges — scheme rules govern whether that is allowed.

⚠ Reconciliation that expects the original amount to the cent will fail on legitimate returns with deducted charges; match on references first, amounts second.

TxInf/ChrgsInf Charges information — optional

An itemisation of charges deducted on the return, explaining any gap between the original and returned amounts.

Transparent charge itemisation here is what prevents a follow-up investigation about the missing difference.

TxInf/RtrRsnInf/Rsn/Cd Return reason code — conditional

Why the money is coming back, coded from the ISO external return reason set — for example AC04 (account closed), AC06 (account blocked), or AM05 (duplication).

MS03 (reason not specified) exists because some jurisdictions' data-protection rules prevent naming the true reason; the EPC publishes guidance on reason-code usage in SEPA.

⚠ Choosing a convenient code instead of the accurate one corrupts everyone's return analytics and can route the case to the wrong follow-up process.

TxInf/RtrRsnInf/Orgtr Return originator — optional

Who initiated the return — the party, not just the reason.

Useful when distinguishing a bank-initiated return from one made at the request of the beneficiary or in response to a recall.