An MT103 is the standard SWIFT message a bank sends to execute a single customer credit transfer, and the copy you receive is the universally accepted proof of payment. If you have been given a document titled "MT103", this page explains what it is, what each field means, and how to use it to track the payment.
A bank-to-bank instruction. MT103 is SWIFT message type 103: one bank instructing another to credit a customer. Every international wire used to travel as one.
Accepted proof of payment. The customer copy shows amount, date, sender, beneficiary and charges, and is recognised by banks and courts worldwide.
A tracking key inside. Field 121 carries the UETR, the 36-character reference that follows the payment through every bank in the chain.
Issued by the sending bank. Only the bank that dispatched the payment can produce the MT103. Beneficiaries should ask the sender to request it.
Succeeded by pacs.008. Since November 2025 banks exchange the ISO 20022 pacs.008 instead, but still print MT103-style confirmations. The fields map one to one.
Useful immediately. With the UETR, reference, amount and date from an MT103 you can check where the payment is right now, in the form above.
Every MT103 carries a fixed set of structured fields. For tracking, these five matter most:
:121: UETR: a 36-character unique end-to-end transaction reference. The single best identifier to use with any tracker. Full UETR guide:20: Sender's reference: a free-form transaction reference assigned by the originating bank.:32A: Value date, currency, and amount.:50K: / :50A: Ordering customer (payer).:59: Beneficiary customer (payee).A full annotated example of a SWIFT MT103 form with every field labelled.
Step-by-step guide to tracking an international wire using the UETR and reference number from your MT103.
The 36-character unique end-to-end transaction reference that identifies every SWIFT payment.
ISO 20022 replaces MT103 with pacs.008. Key differences, migration timeline, and tracking implications.
An MT103 is the standard SWIFT message a bank sends to another bank to execute a single customer credit transfer (an international wire). The copy your bank gives you is the universally accepted confirmation of that payment: it shows the amount, date, sender, beneficiary and the references needed to trace it.
Ask the bank that SENT the payment; only the sending bank can issue the MT103. Most banks provide it on request through online banking, a branch or your relationship manager, sometimes for a small fee. If you are the beneficiary, ask the sender to request it from their bank.
Yes, an MT103 is accepted worldwide as proof that the sending bank dispatched the payment. It does not prove the money has arrived: a payment can still be delayed or returned by an intermediary. To confirm arrival, track the payment status; ACCC means the beneficiary account was credited. Track yours above or see the full list of status codes.
Most SWIFT transfers arrive within minutes to 2 business days; payments crossing several correspondent banks, currencies or compliance checks can take 3 to 5 business days. Tracking the UETR from field 121 of the MT103 shows which bank currently holds the payment. How correspondent banks affect timing
On the SWIFT network itself, MT103 was replaced by the ISO 20022 message pacs.008 in November 2025. Banks still print MT103-style confirmations for customers because the format is familiar, and the fields map one to one. The UETR works for tracking in both formats. Full pacs.008 guide
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