EISCD Data File Specification

This file specification of the Extended Industry Sort Code Directory (EISCD) explains in detail what each field means and the possible results for each sort code in the database. The data file is updated weekly by the banks and maintained by Vocalink.

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For more information, please contact sales@unifiedsoftare.co.uk

GRPFieldField DescriptionSizeData type
GENERAL1Sort Code6Int
2BIC – bank8Char
3BIC – branch3Char
4Sub branch suffix2Int
5Short Branch title27Char
6Short name of
owning bank
20Char
7Full name of
owning bank – line
1
35Char
8Full name of
owning bank – line
2
35Char
9Bank Code of
Owning bank
4Int
10National
Central Bank
Country Code
2Char
11Supervisory Body1Char
12Deleted Date10Char
13Date of last
change
20Char
14Print Indicator1Int
BACS15Status1Char
16Date of last
change
10Char
17Date Closed in
BACS clearing
10Char
18Redirection
from flag
1Char
19Redirected to Sort
Code
6Int
20BACS Settlement
Bank
4Int
21Settlement section2Int
22Settlement Subsection2Int
23Handling bank4Int
24Handling Bank
stream
2Int
25Account
numbered flag
1Char
26DDI Voucher flag1Char
27Transactions
disallowed – DR
2Char
28Transactions
disallowed – CR
2Char
29Transactions
disallowed – CU
2Char
30Transactions
disallowed – PR
2Char
31Transactions
disallowed – BS
2Char
32Transactions
disallowed – DV
2Char
33Transactions
disallowed – AU
2Char
34Transactions
disallowed – Spare
N/AN/A
35Transactions
disallowed – Spare
N/AN/A
36Transactions
disallowed – Spare
N/AN/A
37Spare fieldN/AN/A
CHAPS £38Return Indicator1Char
39Status1Char
40Effective date of
last change
10Char
41Date closed in
CHAPS £ clearing
10Char
42CHAPS £
settlement
member
3Int
43CHAPS £ routing
BIC – bank
8Char
44CHAPS £ routing
BIC – branch
3Char
CHAPS E45Status1Char
46Effective date of
last change
10Char
47Date closed in
CHAPS Euro
clearing
10Char
48CHAPS Euro
routing BIC –
bank
8Char
49CHAPS Euro
routing BIC –
branch
3Char
50CHAPS Euro
settlement
member
3Int
51Return indicator1Char
52SWIFT data5Char
53Spare fieldN/AN/A
C&CCC54Status1Char
55Effective date of
last change
10Char
56Date closed in
C&CCC clearing
10Char
57C&CCC
Settlement bank
4Int
58Debit agency sort
code
6Int
59Return indicator1Char
60GB/Northern
Ireland
Indicator
20Char
61Status1Char
62Effective date of
last change
10Char
63Date closed in
Faster Payments
clearing
10Char
64Redirection
from flag
1Char
65Redirection
to sorting
code
6Char
66FPS settlement
bank – connection
type
2Char
67Padding2Char
68FPS settlement
bank – bank code
4Char
69Handling bank –
connection type
2Char
70Padding2Char
71Handling bank –
bank code
4Char
72Accounts
numbered flag
1Char
73Agency type1Char
74Spare fieldN/AN/A
PRINT75Branch type
indicator
1Char
76Sort Code of main
branch
6Int
77Major
Location Name
30Char
78Minor
Location Name
30Char
79Branch Name or
Place
35Char
80Second entry
indicator
1Char
81Branch name for
second entry
35Char
82Full Branch title –
part 1
35Char
83Full Branch title –
part 2
35Char
84Full Branch title –
part 3
35Char
85Address – line 135Char
86Address – line 235Char
87Address – line 335Char
88Address – line 435Char
89Address – Town30Char
90Address – County30Char
91Post Code – major
part
4Char
92Post Code – minor
part
4Char
93Telephone 1, area10Char
94Telephone 1,
number
10Char
95Telephone 2, area10Char
96Telephone 2,
number
10Char

Further information
If for have any queries about the Extended ISCD or the business processes that it is used for, please
contact support@unifiedsoftware.co.uk

Notes (referenced by field number)
Some field names are self explanatory and have been omitted from these notes.
1: Sort codes are allocated to every branch involved in CHAPS Sterling, Bacs and Cheque and Credit
clearings.
2 & 3: BICS are allocated to branches for international payment using SWIFT
4: Sub-branch suffix allows a branch to be identified where it belongs to a cluster of branches. 9:
Identification code of owning bank (as opposed to branch).
11: Supervisory body.
A = Bank of England
B = Building Society Commission,
C = Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man authorities,
D = Other.
12: Date from which branch will no longer be used in any clearing. From 31.3.2006 this field will no
longer be populated.
13: Date on which last change was made to any clearing groups or print information.
14: Print indicator. Not applicable. Production of printed copies of the ISCD is forbidden under the
terms and conditions of sale.
15: Bacs clearing status.
M = Bacs Member that accepts Bacs payments,
A = Agency that accepts Bacs payments,
N = does not accept Bacs payments.
16: Date on which Bacs data group was last changed.
18: Banks can ask for payments for a particular sort code to be redirected by Bacs to another sort
code. This is usually used in conjunction with the closure flag i.e. the branch stays on the Bacs
system with another sort code quoted against it to which payments will be directed. This field,
when set, indicates that it has been quoted as the redirection sort code of another branch. In other
word, this sort code will receive payments originally destined for one or more other sort codes.
19: This is the other end of the “from” flag. When present it specifies the sort code to which Bacs
should redirect payments if addressed to this sort code. This field and the preceding one should
never be set together.
20: The Bacs Settlement Bank is the bank that will settle payments for this branch.
21 & 22: Data required for Bacs to perform its settlement.
23: Bacs generated bank code that defines the member that will take the Bacs output for this
branch.
24: For internal use by the handling bank.
25: Some (very few) branches do not have numbered accounts. In such cases, this flag is set to
‘N’, otherwise ‘Y’.
26: Some bank branches are unable to accept electronic lodgment of Direct Debit instructions. A
value of ‘Y’ in this field indicates such a branch. A paper voucher is required in this case.
27 – 36: Transactions disallowed. Some branches cannot accept all Bacs transaction types. These
flags indicate which transaction types are disallowed, if set. So a branch that can accept all
transaction types will have NONE of these flags set.

CodeMeaningTransaction types disallowed if set
DRDirect Debits01, 17, 18, 19
CRBACS Credits99
BSBuilding Society CreditsZ4
DVDividend interest paymentsZ5
AUDirect Debit Instructions0N, 0C, 0S
CUClaims for Unpaid Cheques13
PRWill be NULL

38: Every CHAPS GBP member must specify one office to which returned payments should be sent.
This office will be identified with an “R” in this field
39: Indicates whether the branch can accept CHAPS sterling payments and whether or not it is a direct
office i.e. one of the member BICs which are part of the SWIFT closed user group.
‘D’ = Direct Office (i.e. CUG member) of a CHAPS GBP member that accepts CHAPS GBP payments
‘I’ = Indirect Office of a member or agency bank that accepts CHAPS GBP payments
‘N’ = Does not accept CHAPS GBP payments
40: Date on which CHAPS data group was last changed.
42: CHAPS ID of member that will settle payments for this branch.
43 & 44: SWIFT group to which CHAPS sterling payments to this branch should be routed.
45 – 51: Similar meaning to corresponding fields in CHAPS sterling data group, but applied to CHAPS
euro transactions.
52: This field contains two ‘sub-fields’ separated by a “/” character as follows

RTGS IndicatorThis indicator will be set to ‘Y’ if
CHAPS Euro is the preferred
RTGS system to be used for
payments to that office.
Otherwise, the indicator will be
set to ‘N’
Target StatusThis indicator gives the Target
direct / indirect status for an
office. If the owning bank of an
office is a CHAPS Euro Member
bank AND the Country Code
part of the BIC is ‘GB’, then the
status will be set to ‘CHP’.
Otherwise, the status will be set
to ‘CH+’

If an office is in CHAPS Euro, then this field will always contain data e.g. ‘Y/CHP’, ‘Y/CH+’, ‘N/CHP’, ‘N/CH
+’
54: Cheque and Credit Clearing Company Status.
‘M’ = Branch of a CCCC member,
‘F’ = full agency bank branch,
‘D’ = debits only,
‘N’ = not in CCCC clearing.
55 – 59: Similar meaning to corresponding fields in CHAPS sterling data group, but applied to CCCC
transactions.
60: Indicates whether office is in mainland Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
61: Indicates status of bank office in the Faster Payments clearing

MIndicates bank office of FPS
member, accepts FPS
payments
AIndicates bank office of FPS
agency bank, accepts FPS
payments
NIndicates bank office does not
accept FPS payments. See field
63.

75: Branch Type Indicator.
‘M’ = main branch,
‘S’ = sub branch, i.e. within a cluster but sort code as main
‘L’ = linked, i.e. within a cluster but sort code different to main
76: Set for linked branches in a cluster. It identifies the main branch for the cluster.
77-96: Applies to printed directory only.

Frequently Asked Questions

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