UETR: the Unique End-to-end Transaction Reference

A UETR is a 36-character code that identifies one SWIFT payment across every bank it passes through. It looks like eb6305c4-3e7a-4b29-9a1f-8d2ce5a71b30 and has traveled with every SWIFT payment since November 2018: field 121 of an MT103, the UETR element of a pacs.008. Enter yours below to see where your transfer is.

Track by UETR, free

What does a UETR look like?

What does a UETR look like?

Technically, a UETR is a UUID version 4: a random identifier with about 5.3 undecillion possible values, which is why no two payments ever share one. SWIFT requires it in lowercase.

UETR format diagram: 36-character unique end-to-end transaction reference split into five groups of 8, 4, 4, 4 and 12 lowercase hexadecimal characters, with the version digit 4 and the variant marker highlighted
The five segments of a UETR. Only the version and variant positions are fixed; everything else is random.

Quick validity check: 36 characters, four hyphens, third group starts with 4. If your code fails any of these, it is not a UETR.

Not a UETR? A 16-character code is usually a reference number (field 20). Track by reference number instead

IBAN is different: an IBAN identifies an account, not a payment. More about IBAN tracking

One code, every bank in the chain

Reference numbers change at every hop; the UETR does not. The sending bank generates it once, and every correspondent bank passes it forward unchanged while reporting status updates against it. That is what makes end-to-end tracking possible.

ACSP means the payment is in progress, ACCC means the beneficiary was credited. Full list of SWIFT gpi status codes · How correspondent banks route your payment

Where to find your UETR

On an MT103: field 121
{1:F01COBADEFFAXXX…}
{2:O103…CHASUS33XXXX…}
{3:{111:001}
  {121:eb6305c4-3e7a-4b29-9a1f-8d2ce5a71b30}}
{4:
:20:REF2026X1142
:32A:260116USD75000,00
…

Block 3 of the message header. Some bank PDFs label it simply UETR or gpi reference. Full MT103 guide

In a pacs.008: the UETR element
<CdtTrfTxInf>
  <PmtId>
    <InstrId>EXMB924…</InstrId>
    <EndToEndId>INV-2026…</EndToEndId>
    <UETR>eb6305c4-3e7a-4b29-9a1f-8d2ce5a71b30</UETR>
  </PmtId>
  …

Inside the payment identification block, next to the end-to-end ID. Full pacs.008 guide

On receipts and bank portals
Payment confirmation
Amount: USD 75,000.00
Value date: 2026-01-16
UETR: eb6305c4-3e7a-4b29-…
Status: processing

Look for UETR, gpi reference or end-to-end reference. Cannot find it? The sender can always request it from their bank. Where to find payment references

How to track a payment by UETR

1
Copy the UETR from your confirmation

All 36 characters, including the hyphens. The tracker is case-insensitive.

2
Add the amount, currency and date

These confirm the match, so a typo in the UETR cannot show you someone else's payment.

3
Get the latest SWIFT status

We consolidate tracking data from several major banks and show the most recent status: in progress (ACSP), credited (ACCC), rejected (RJCT) and more.

4
No UETR? Upload your confirmation instead

Our scanner reads MT103 and pacs.008 confirmations (PDF or photo) and extracts the references automatically.

Why UETR beats every other reference for tracking: it is the only identifier that stays identical at the sending bank, every correspondent and the beneficiary bank. Reference numbers are re-assigned at each hop.

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UETR vs other payment references

  UETR Reference number (field 20) End-to-end ID IBAN
Identifies One payment, globally One payment leg at one bank The business context (e.g. invoice) A bank account
Assigned by Sending bank (automatically) Each bank in the chain The ordering customer The account-holding bank
Changes between banks? Never Usually Never (but not always populated) Not applicable
Format 8-4-4-4-12 hex Up to 16 characters, free format Up to 35 characters Up to 34 characters, country-specific
Good for tracking? Best Works, with amount and date Reconciliation, not tracking No, but helps validate the route

Only have a reference number? Track by transaction reference number or learn where to find each reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

A UETR looks like eb6305c4-3e7a-4b29-9a1f-8d2ce5a71b30: five groups of lowercase hexadecimal characters in an 8-4-4-4-12 pattern, 36 characters in total. The third group always starts with 4 and the fourth group starts with 8, 9, a or b, because a UETR is a UUID version 4.

Look at the payment confirmation your bank gave you. On an MT103 it is field 121 in the message header. In a pacs.008 (ISO 20022) it is the UETR element inside the payment identification block. Many bank receipts print it as UETR, gpi reference or end-to-end reference. If it is not on your receipt, the sending bank can always provide it. See visual examples above.

An MT103 is the whole payment message (the document that instructs the transfer), while the UETR is one field inside it: the 36-character reference in field 121 that uniquely identifies the payment. The modern ISO 20022 equivalent of the MT103 is pacs.008, and it carries the same UETR. More: MT103 guide · pacs.008 guide

No. A transaction reference number (field 20) is assigned by the sending bank and can change at every bank in the chain. The UETR is generated once when the payment is created and stays identical end to end, which is what makes it the reliable tracking key. Track by reference number

Often yes. Banks in the SWIFT gpi network can locate a payment by UETR alone. Trackers typically ask for the amount, currency and date as well, to confirm the match and protect the payment data. Ohmyfin uses the UETR plus those details to show the latest available SWIFT status. Try it now

The sending bank generates the UETR when it creates the payment instruction. Every intermediary must pass it on unchanged. A UETR identifies exactly one payment and is never reused; if a payment is returned and sent again, the new instruction gets a new UETR.

Your UETR is the key. Use it.

Stop waiting on hold with your bank. Enter the UETR and see the latest SWIFT status of your transfer in seconds.

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