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EDIFACT message guide · Finance

AUTHOR Authorization

The UN/EDIFACT message a customer, or a party with authority over its payments, sends a bank to authorize a financial transaction.

Sent by
Ordering customer, its agent or an authorized third party
Received by
Ordered bank
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT AUTHOR message?

AUTHOR is the UN/EDIFACT authorization message. The directory defines it as a message sent by the ordering customer, or a payer or agent on its behalf, or by a third party with authority over the customer's payments, to the ordered bank, authorizing the bank to execute a given financial transaction.

Authorization separates the creation of a payment from its approval. A company can send payment orders from one system and authorize them from another, for example when a treasury or a second signatory must approve payments before the bank releases them. The authorization references the payment messages it approves.

How the EDIFACT AUTHOR message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT AUTHOR Authorization message. Ordering customer, its agent or an authorized third party sends it to ordered bank. It usually follows PAYMUL, PAYORD and PAYEXT. It is usually followed by BANSTA. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and body and segment groups: the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item). 8 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT AUTHOR message worksAuthorization: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSPAYMULMultiple payment orderPAYORDPayment orderPAYEXTExtended paymentorderAUTHORSENDEROrdering customer, itsagent or an authorizedthird partyRECEIVEROrdered bankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBANSTABanking status2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage AUTHORUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG4 · repeats up to 9,999LINLine item+ 8 conditional groups, starting with:RFFFIINADSEQAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for AUTHOR. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT AUTHOR message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT AUTHOR Authorization message. Ordering customer, its agent or an authorized third party sends it to ordered bank. It usually follows PAYMUL, PAYORD and PAYEXT. It is usually followed by BANSTA. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and body and segment groups: the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item). 8 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT AUTHORmessage worksAuthorization: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSPAYMULMultiple payment orderPAYORDPayment orderPAYEXTExtended payment orderAUTHORSENDEROrderingcustomer, itsagent or anauthorized thirdpartyRECEIVEROrdered bankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBANSTABanking status2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message AUTHOR (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG4 · repeats upto 9,999LINLine item+ 8 conditional groups, starting with:RFFFIINADSEQAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for AUTHOR.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends AUTHOR, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around AUTHOR and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Approving payment files sent earlier
  • Applying dual control to outgoing payments
  • Authorizing payments prepared by a service provider

Where it fits in the message flow

Usually follows PAYMUL Multiple payment orderPAYORD Payment orderPAYEXT Extended payment order
This message AUTHOR Authorization
Usually followed by BANSTA Banking status

Structure

Mandatory segments in AUTHOR (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the AUTHOR message has 30 segment positions arranged in 9 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • SG4 (LIN)
  • UNT

Practical example

AUTHOR in practice

A group's shared service center prepares supplier payment files for its subsidiaries and sends them to the bank as PAYMUL messages. Each subsidiary's treasurer reviews the payments and sends the bank an AUTHOR message approving the file. Only then does the bank execute the payments and report their status with BANSTA.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for AUTHOR

  • Define who may authorize which payments and record it with the bank.
  • Reference the exact payment messages being authorized.
  • Secure the authorization channel separately from the payment channel.
  • Monitor payments waiting for authorization near cut-off times.

How ECOM helps

Automate AUTHOR with ECOM

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

Industry

Financial Services

Secure file transfer and B2B integration for banks and financial institutions.

Solution

Procure-to-Pay Automation

Automate purchasing, receiving and supplier invoicing across EDI, portals and documents.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related finance messages

All 37 finance messages

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