What are the requirements for an EFT batch file?

EFT batch files require specific fields and information in order to process successfully. Understanding what the required information is and how to format the file is essential when using Batch Processing.

EFT files can only be used to transfer funds between bank accounts within Canada. This file format can not be used to transfer funds outside of Canada. 

Follow the requirements below when formatting your file for a successful upload.

Must know:

  • You need to have Batch Processing enabled on your account in order to upload these files. Please contact Customer Care to add this feature if you don’t currently have it available. 
  • All banking information and customer codes are mandatory.
  • To meet FINTRAC requirements, beneficiary address information is required for all credit EFT's exceeding $1000.00. We recommend that you submit beneficiary address information for all EFTs.
  • Do not mix customer codes from a Payment Profile and banking information, otherwise, transactions with banking information will not be processed.
  • A customer’s payment profile must be in Active status.
  • For text files, use a comma to separate the data for each field. If there is no data for a field, make sure you still enter a comma.

What are the requirements for an EFT batch file?

How do I use the EFT batch file template?
  1. Use our template spreadsheet for EFT batch file (below called: EFT_Batch_File_Template). 
  2. Enter your payment information in row 3 and below. 
  3. Once complete delete row 1-2 (the title and example data).
  4. Save the spreadsheet as a CSV.
How do I create my own file?
  1. Do not skip, reformat, or change the order of the fields below.
  2. The Column letters correspond to the columns in your spreadsheet file. 
  3. If you are using a text-file format (ex. Notepad), please use commas to separate the data.

EFT batch file requirements:

Line item entry

Description

E

Designates the type of batch file. E stands for electronic bank payment.

C or D

Indicates the type of bank payment being processed.

C – Credit a recipient bank account.

D – Debit an outside bank account and deposit the funds into your own account.

3 digit financial institution number

Enter the Financial Institution number from the cheque. See the link  below to help identify this number. 

5 digit bank transit number

Enter the bank Transit Number from the cheque. See the link  below to help identify this number. 

5-12 digit account number

Enter the bank Account Number from the recipient’s void cheque.

Transaction amount in pennies

Enter the total transaction amount in pennies. Do not include a decimal point. e.g. for $45.99 enter 4599

Optional reference number

You can create an internal reference number of up to 19 digits. If you do not want a reference number, enter 0 (zero).

Recipient Name

Full name of the person you are paying.

Customer Code

The 32-character customer code located in the payment profile. Do not populate bank account fields in the file when processing against a customer code.

Dynamic Descriptor

By default, the Bambora merchant company name will show on your customer's bank statement. You can override this default by populating the Dynamic Descriptor field.

Address1

Address line 1 for the recipient. This field is optional, with a maximum length of 64 characters

Address2

Address line 2 for the recipient. This field is optional, with a maximum length of 64 characters.

City

City for the recipient. This field is optional, with a maximum length of 32 characters.

Province

Province ID for the recipient. This field is optional, with a maximum length of 2 letters.

  • If the country ID is CA or US, the province ID must be populated with a valid province ID for the respective country.
  • If the country ID is provided and not set to a value of 'CA' or 'US' then Province Id must be empty.

 

Country

Country ID for the recipient. This field is optional and accepts two-letter ISO country codes. For guidance, please refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2.

Postal Code

Postal Code for the recipient. This field is optional, with a maximum length of 16 characters.

Sample Files
EBP File - Spreadsheet format with banking details

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EBP File - Text file format with banking details

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Sample EBP File - Spreadsheet format with customer code (SPP)

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Sample EBP File - Text file format with customer code (SPP)

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Good to know:

  • If you are using the API to process batches, please visit our Developer Docs.
  • Canadian cheques are typically formatted the same way. Please follow this guide for finding the appropriate information on a cheque. 
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