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EDIFACT message guide · Statistics and reporting

BOPINF Balance of payment information from customer

The UN/EDIFACT message a customer sends its bank with balance of payments information about external payments it has received.

Sent by
Bank customer
Received by
Customer's bank
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT BOPINF message?

BOPINF is the UN/EDIFACT balance of payment information from customer message. The directory defines it as a message from a customer to its bank, informing the bank of information about one or more external payments received in settlement of transactions with non-residents.

Banks must report cross-border payments to the balance of payments compiler, but for incoming payments they often do not know the economic purpose. The customer supplies it with BOPINF, and the bank includes the data in its reporting, for example with BOPCUS.

How the EDIFACT BOPINF message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT BOPINF Balance of payment information from customer message. Bank customer sends it to customer's bank. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by BOPCUS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG2 loop with NAD (Name and address). 2 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT BOPINF message worksBalance of payment information from customer: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marksmandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeBOPINFSENDERBank customerRECEIVERCustomer's bankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBOPCUSBalance of paymentcustomer transactionreport2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage BOPINFUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG2 · repeats up to 9NADName and address+ 2 conditional groups, starting with:RFFBlue 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 BOPINF. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT BOPINF message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT BOPINF Balance of payment information from customer message. Bank customer sends it to customer's bank. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by BOPCUS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG2 loop with NAD (Name and address). 2 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT BOPINFmessage worksBalance of payment information from customer:who sends it, where it fits and what thedirectory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeBOPINFSENDERBank customerRECEIVERCustomer'sbankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBOPCUSBalance of payment customertransaction report2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message BOPINF (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG2 · repeats upto 9NADName and address+ 2 conditional groups, starting with:RFFBlue 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 BOPINF.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends BOPINF, 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 BOPINF 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

  • Providing purpose codes for incoming foreign payments
  • Supplying balance of payments data the bank must report
  • Correcting previously reported information

Where it fits in the message flow

This message BOPINF Balance of payment information from customer
Usually followed by BOPCUS Balance of payment customer transaction report

Structure

Mandatory segments in BOPINF (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the BOPINF message has 17 segment positions arranged in 4 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
  • DTM
  • SG2 (NAD)
  • UNT

Practical example

BOPINF in practice

An exporter receives payments from customers abroad. For each payment above the reporting threshold, its treasury system sends the bank a BOPINF with the payment reference, the transaction type, such as goods exports, and the counterparty country. The bank uses the information in its monthly report to the central bank.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for BOPINF

  • Check reporting thresholds and deadlines in the national scheme.
  • Use the compiler's transaction type codes.
  • Reference the incoming payment precisely.
  • Automate classification from sales data where possible.

How ECOM helps

Automate BOPINF with ECOM

Industry

Financial Services

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

Solution

Financial Document Automation

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

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

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

Related messages

Related statistics and reporting messages

All 8 statistics and reporting messages

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