Category 7: Documentary credits, guarantees and standby letters of credit
MT742 Reimbursement Claim
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The MT742 is the reimbursement claim under a documentary credit. The paying, accepting or negotiating bank sends it to the bank authorised to reimburse it, usually the reimbursing bank named in the credit, to claim the amount it paid or negotiated plus any allowed extras and charges.
- Message type
- MT742
- Category
- 7
- Status
- In the current standard
- ISO 20022
- No direct equivalent
What MT742 is used for
The flow starts with the issuing bank’s MT740 authorisation. After honouring a complying presentation, the nominated bank sends an MT742 to the reimbursing bank quoting the credit number (field 21) and the issuing bank (field 52a). Field 32B is the principal, which reduces the balance of the credit; field 33B any additional amount allowed by the credit; field 71D charges; and field 34a the total, the sum of the three.
Field 57a or 58a tells the reimbursing bank where to pay. A claim that does not match the authorisation is answered with an MT744. The nominated bank usually also tells the issuing bank, with an MT754, that it has paid and claimed reimbursement.
- Sent by
- The paying, accepting or negotiating bank (the claiming bank)
- Sent to
- The reimbursing bank
MT742 format: sequences and fields
Message text (block 4)Mandatory
No sequences and no network validated rules.
| Tag | Name | Status | Format | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Claiming Bank's Reference | M | 16x | The claiming bank’s own reference for the claim. |
| 21 | Documentary Credit Number | M | 16x | The credit number given by the issuing bank in its authorisation to reimburse. |
| 31C | Date of Issue | O | 6!n | The date the issuing bank considers the credit issued (YYMMDD). |
| 52a | Issuing BankOptions A or D | M | A: [/1!a][/34x] 4!a2!a2!c[3!c] D: [/1!a][/34x] 4*35x | The bank that gave the authorisation to reimburse. |
| 32B | Principal Amount Claimed | M | 3!a15d | The principal claimed, the amount to be deducted from the balance of the credit. If it is in another currency than the credit, the conversion goes in 72Z. |
| 33B | Additional Amount Claimed as Allowed for in Excess of Principal Amount | O | 3!a15d | Extra amounts the credit allows, such as those in field 39C of the MT700. |
| 71D | Charges | O | 6*35z | Charges added or deducted by the claiming bank, as narrative or coded lines. |
| 34a | Total Amount ClaimedOptions A or B | M | A: 6!n3!a15d B: 3!a15d | The total claimed from the reimbursing bank: 32B plus 33B plus charges. With option A the date is the value date of the claim. |
| 57a | Account With BankOptions A, B or D | O | A: [/1!a][/34x] 4!a2!a2!c[3!c] B: [/1!a][/34x] [35x] D: [/1!a][/34x] 4*35x | The bank, if not the receiver, where the reimbursing bank should pay the total in favour of the claiming bank. |
| 58a | Beneficiary BankOptions A or D | O | A: [/1!a][/34x] 4!a2!a2!c[3!c] D: [/1!a][/34x] 4*35x | The branch or affiliate of the claiming bank to be credited, or the specific account when there are several relationships. |
| 72Z | Sender to Receiver Information | O | 6*35z | Further instructions, for example the reimbursing bank’s own reference or currency conversion details. |
Format notation: n digits, a upper-case letters, c upper-case letters and digits, x any character of the Swift character set, d a decimal number with a comma, ! fixed length, [ ] optional, 4*35x up to 4 lines of 35 characters. M mandatory, O optional, C conditional (a rule decides).
ISO 20022
No ISO 20022 equivalent in general use for the claim. The money the reimbursing bank sends in response is a bank-to-bank transfer, which is ISO 20022 on Swift since November 2025.
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