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EDIFACT message guide · Finance

PAYORD Payment order

The UN/EDIFACT message a customer sends its bank to debit an account and pay a specified amount to one beneficiary.

Sent by
Ordering customer (payer) or its agent
Received by
Ordered bank
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT PAYORD message?

PAYORD is the UN/EDIFACT payment order. The directory defines it as a message sent by the ordering customer, or a payer or agent on its behalf, to the ordered bank, instructing the bank to debit an account it services for the customer and to arrange payment of a specified amount to the beneficiary in settlement of the referenced business transactions.

PAYORD carries a single payment with limited remittance information. Companies use PAYEXT when they need detailed remittance and PAYMUL for many payments at once; PAYORD suits individual, often urgent, payments.

How the EDIFACT PAYORD message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT PAYORD Payment order message. Ordering customer (payer) or its agent sends it to ordered bank. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by BANSTA and DEBADV. 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 MOA (Monetary amount). 7 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT PAYORD message worksPayment order: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangePAYORDSENDEROrdering customer(payer) or its agentRECEIVEROrdered bankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBANSTABanking statusDEBADVDebit advice2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage PAYORDUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG2 · repeats up to 1MOAMonetary amount+ 7 conditional groups, starting with:RFFFIINADINPGEIDOCAUTBlue 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 PAYORD. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT PAYORD message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT PAYORD Payment order message. Ordering customer (payer) or its agent sends it to ordered bank. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by BANSTA and DEBADV. 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 MOA (Monetary amount). 7 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT PAYORDmessage worksPayment order: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangePAYORDSENDEROrderingcustomer(payer) or itsagentRECEIVEROrdered bankCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYBANSTABanking statusDEBADVDebit advice2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message PAYORD (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG2 · repeats upto 1MOAMonetary amount+ 7 conditional groups, starting with:RFFFIINADINPGEIDOCAUTBlue 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 PAYORD.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

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

  • Making an individual or urgent payment
  • Paying a single beneficiary outside a payment run
  • Transferring funds between own accounts

Where it fits in the message flow

This message PAYORD Payment order
Usually followed by BANSTA Banking statusDEBADV Debit advice

Structure

Mandatory segments in PAYORD (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the PAYORD message has 33 segment positions arranged in 8 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 (MOA)
  • UNT

Practical example

PAYORD in practice

A company must pay a customs duty bill the same day to release a shipment. Its treasury system sends the bank a PAYORD with the amount, the customs authority's account, the value date and the reference the authority requires. The bank executes the payment and confirms the debit with a DEBADV.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for PAYORD

  • Apply the same approval controls as for payment runs.
  • Check bank cut-off times for same-day payments.
  • Include the reference the beneficiary needs to apply the payment.
  • Reconcile status and debit advices with the order.

How ECOM helps

Automate PAYORD 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

Need help with PAYORD?

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