Effective Dates: 12/12/2023 - Present Previous | Next

TN 246 (12-23)

GN 02402.302 Coding Germany Bank Data for the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)

A. Background for coding Germany bank data

This section describes how to code bank data for international direct deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Germany. We store IDD bank data on the MBR in the same fields that are used for U.S. direct deposit.

Special coding identifies the data as Germany direct deposit. This allows to route benefit payments through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Germany to the beneficiary's local FI.

If you receive an IDD request in a U.S. domestic (i.e, non-border) field office (FO), forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, (OEIO), Division of International Operations (DIO) to process.

For detailed instructions on IDD requests and forwarding information, see

  • •

    GN 02402.201 Background and Policy for Direct Deposit Outside the U.S.

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    GN 02402.205 Direct Deposit Enrollment Outside the U.S.

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    GN 01010.255 Adjudication of Foreign Claims

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    GN 01702.310C Routing of Claims for U.S. Benefits Involving Totalization

B. How we receive IDD bank data

We receive requests to input bank data by mail, phone, or fax in the following formats:

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    Blank check;

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    SSA-1199-GE International Direct Deposit Form for Germany; or

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    any document that contains the required banking information.

If you receive information with discrepancies, see the following instructions:

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    GN 00203.020 Identity of Claimants

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    GN 02402.025 Direct Deposit Post Entitlement Interview

C. Multi-country contract

The processor bank for Germany will have a prefix of 52 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN).

D. Overview of IDD for Germany

IDD payments sent to Germany must be in Euro accounts at local FIs. The beneficiary must provide complete information to DIO or the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) for input. DIO faxes incomplete forms to the FBU that serves Germany. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.

E. Description of Germany IDD bank data

The data for coding IDD for Germany will come from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary from their FI. The IBAN will be 22 characters. However, the bank data reflected on the MBR will consist of 21 characters. Technicians will use the IBAN to derive the RTN and DAN when processing an IDD request.

F. Procedure for coding Germany bank data

The FRBKC relies on SSA to provide the complete bank data to ensure correct posting of payments to a customer’s account. If the information is incomplete, the FRBKC rejects the payment and returns the funds to our agency.

You may establish or change IDD bank data for Germanyusing an SSA system (i.e. Modernized Claims System (MCS), Manual Adjustment Credit and Award Data Entry (MACADE).).

You must then go to ITS.gov to enter the following data:

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    account ownership

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    account type

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    account number

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    beneficiary address

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    beneficiary phone number

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    country

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    enrollment status

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    first and last name of the beneficiary

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    payee indicator

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    reclamation country

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    bank address

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    IBAN

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    Society for Worldwide Internet Financial Telecommunication-Business Identifier Code (SWIFT-BIC)

1. Obtain Swift-Bic code from the FI

The SWIFT code consists of 8 to 11 alphanumeric characters. When an 8-digit code is given, it refers to the primary office:

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    First 4 characters - bank code (only letters)

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    Next 2 characters - ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (only letters, DE for Germany).

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    Next 2 characters - location code (letters and digits)

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    Last 3 characters - branch code, optional ('XXX' for primary office) (letters and digits)

2. Process initial award

Secure IBAN and SWIFT-BIC coding from the beneficiary at the time of filing. The FBU inputs an initial IDD claim if the beneficiary elects the option of direct deposit. All initial IDD claims that an FBU takes for Germany require input into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE) on the same day. You must complete all initial claims that the International Benefits Office (IBO) takes. You must input all initial claims involving German IDD into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE) on the same day.

NOTE: If there is dire need or hardship involved, advise the beneficiary of the option of initiating payment via a paper check. Inform the beneficiary that the bank may charge for cashing the check. If the beneficiary chooses the option of paper check, the FBU documents and processes the initial claim.

3. Add or update bank data using SSA systems

When you add or update IDD bank data using SSA system (e.g. Post Entitlement Online System (POS), MACADE), you must:

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    update ITS.gov on the same day;

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    enter all POS direct deposit changes according to normal procedures;

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    use procedures outlined in the following chart when processing within four business days of the current operational month (COM) cutoff date.

STEP

ACTION

1

Are you coding an initial claim?

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    If yes, go to step 3.

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    If no, go to step 2.

2

Is the beneficiary's address on the MBR in a foreign country (PCOC = 8)? If no, STOP.

REASON: The MBR will not accept the International Direct Deposit (IDD) information unless the address is in a foreign country.

If yes, go to step 3.

3

Is the beneficiary's account a U.S. dollar account in Germany?

If no, STOP.

REASON: Beneficiaries in Germany can only receive IDD payments in Euro accounts.

If yes, go to step 4.

4

Code the RTN (9 digits total) as follows:

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    Start with 52, the prefix SSA has designated for German IDD.

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    Code the first 6 digits of the 8-digit Bank Code (Bankleitzahl).

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    Code the U.S check digit, which you will obtain through Title II Interactive Comps.

NOTE: The final digit is the U.S. check digit Code and is subject to change. Obtain check digit code through the Title II Interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16.

5

Code the account type:

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    “S” for savings or

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    "C" for checking.

If the beneficiary does not indicate an account type, use a “C” for checking account.

6

Code the DAN as follows:

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    Start with the last 2 digits of the 8-digit bank code Bankleitzahl.

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    Add the Account Number. Be sure the Depositor Account number contains 12 digits total. Do not code any alpha characters for German IDD.

REASON: An alpha character in any German payment record will cause the whole file to reject at the processor bank. The result will be delayed payments for thousands of beneficiaries.

7

You must take action on the same business day to enter into ITS.gov all the information listed in GN 02402.302F.

You must access ITS.gov or ask a co-worker to update the required information into ITS.gov.

REMINDER: When information is not available, FRBKC rejects the payment and returns it to our agency.

G. Example of coding Germany direct deposit

The customer provides us with a signup form for Germany containing the following information: "DE89370400440532013000".

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    The first 2 characters of the German IBAN are “DE,” the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country code.

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    The third and fourth characters of the IBAN are the IBAN check digits. The technicians should never code the IBAN country code or check digit to the MBR.

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    The next 8 characters represent the 8-digit bank identifier.

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    The next 10 characters of the IBAN represent the 10-digit account number.

1. Derive the RTN

The technician enters the information for the RTN.

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    Code the prefix of 52 (SSA designated prefix for IDD).

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    Code the first six digits of the eight-digit bank code “370400”;

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    Code the one-digit check code (i.e., 8) (obtained from the Title II interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16);

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    Code the type of account as a “C” for Checking or an “S” for Savings. If no account type indicated, use a “C” for Checking.

2. Derive the DAN

The technicians codes the DAN.

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    Code the last two-digits of the eight-digit bank code “44”

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    Code the 10-digit account number “0532013000”

3. Obtain the following information:

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    RTN: 523704008

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    Checking

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    DAN: 440532013000

a. POS reflects the direct deposit information

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    DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 523704008 ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C

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    DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: 440532013000

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    CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

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    DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

b. The MBR reflects the following information

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    RTN- 5263704008

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    DAN- C440532013000

H. References

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    GN 00203.020 Identity of Claimants

  • •

    GN 01010.255 Adjudication of Foreign Claims

  • •

    GN 01702.310C Routing of Claims for U.S. Benefits Involving Totalization

  • •

    GN 02402.025 Direct Deposit Post Entitlement Interview

  • •

    GN 02402.201 Background and Policy for Direct Deposit Outside the U.S.

  • •

    GN 02402.205 Direct Deposit Enrollment Outside the U.S.

  • •

    ITS.gov International Treasury Services (U.S. Treasury system)

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202402302
GN 02402.302 - Coding Germany Bank Data for the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) - 12/12/2023
Batch run: 01/29/2024
Rev:12/12/2023