TN 273 (07-24)

GN 02402.344 Coding India Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)

A. Background for coding India 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 India. We store India bank account data on the MBR in the same fields used for U.S. direct deposit. Benefit payments, routed through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and a contractor bank to the beneficiary's FI, use special coding to identify the data as IDD for India.

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.

  • GN 02402.205 Direct Deposit Enrollment Outside the U.S.

  • GN 01010.255 Adjudication of Foreign Claims

  • 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:

  • Blank check;

  • SSA-1199-IN International Direct Deposit Signup Form for India; or

  • Any document that contains required banking information.

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

  • GN 00203.020 Identity of Claimants

  • GN 02402.025 Direct Deposit Post Entitlement Interview

The beneficiary must provide complete information to DIO or the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) for input. DIO will fax incomplete forms to the FBU that serves India. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.

C. Description of India direct deposit data

The IDD coding for India bank data consists of up to 28 characters, including the country code of “I”:

  1. 1. 

    An 11-digit India Financial System Code (IFSC), including:

    • A 5-character alphanumeric bank code (last character is always a zero); and

    • A 6-character alphanumeric branch code; and

  2. 2. 

    An account number which begins with the letter “I” and contains up to 16 digits.

D. Processing India bank data

1. Reviewing India bank data

The Veterans Administration Regional Office (VARO) in Manila reviews the forms and returns them for additional information or correction if necessary. Route all completed enrollment forms for review and input to one of the following addresses:

Federal Benefits Unit

US Embassy

1201 Roxas Boulevard

Ermita, Manila 0930

Philippines

Or

Social Security Administration

Office of Earnings and International Operations

PO Box 17769

Baltimore, MD 21235-7769, USA

Direct any questions about the validity of any bank data for an India FI to the servicing Embassy, Consulate General, or Consulate in India.

If routing information for the selected bank is not yet on the list at FRBKC, the beneficiary must obtain the full name and address of the bank, and its Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) code. If a bank or branch uses another bank to route its direct deposits, provide all routing information for that bank.

2. Applying India bank data to the MBR

VARO examines the bank data to see if it is already on the list of India banks that FRBKC can reach with payments. If not, VARO asks the FRBKC to add the data to their internal list.

The VARO staff keys the approved data into Treasury’s ITS.gov. FRBKC then sends the data to SSA through Automated Enrollment for input to the MBR.

If DIO receives the documents, they input the data through the applicable SSA software or ITS.gov. If it is within 4 days of the cutoff for direct deposit, DIO must code the data directly to the MBR.

NOTE: 

When the Depositor Account Number (DAN), including the alpha code of “I” is longer than 17 characters, you must use ITS.gov to code the full banking information, as the MBR cannot house over 17 characters in the DAN field.

E. Procedure for coding India bank data

The FRBKC relies on SSA to provide them with the entire bank information to ensure correct posting of payments to a customers’ bank account. If the information is incomplete, the FRBKC rejects the payment and returns it to SSA. The preferred method for coding bank data for direct deposit in India is through ITS.gov. However, DIO technicians can use the procedure outlined below to code IDD of Title II benefits to the MBR for accounts in India if:

  • the direct deposit cutoff is within 4 days, or

  • you are unable to code the information directly into ITS.gov .

You cannot use ITS.gov if the direct deposit cutoff is within 4 days. Technicians must use an SSA system to code the data directly to the MBR.

NOTE: 

Any time an account number is longer than 5 digits, DIO must also input the bank information into ITS.gov.

STEP

ACTION

1.

Are you coding an initial claim?

  • If yes, go to step 3.

  • If no, go to step 2.

2.

Is the beneficiary's address on the MBR in a foreign country (PCOC = 8)?

  • If yes, go to step 3

  • If no, STOP.

REASON: The MBR does not accept IDD information if the beneficiary has a U.S. address. You must change the U.S. address to the beneficiary's address outside the country, and input the direct deposit the following day.

3.

The Routing Transit Number (RTN) is 660000000 for India. It contains the:

  • Multi-country prefix of “66” for India IDD;

  • U.S. check digit code of “0” at the end of the RTN for all IDD accounts in India.

No need to obtain the check digit code from Title II Interactive Comps.

4.

Code the account type (on the SSA screen) as Checking or Savings. There is no default in India. SSA needs to know specifically whether the account is a Checking or Savings accounts.

5.

For the first character of the DAN field, code an “I” for an India Rupee account.

NOTE: 

SSA does not have IDD for U.S. dollar accounts in India.

6.

Code the IFSC (see GN 02402.344C) and the entire account number.

NOTE: 

Code only the first 5 digits of the account number to the MBR. If the account number has more than five characters, you will also need to input the entire account data into ITS.gov on the same business day on the same business day. The FRBKC cannot ensure that the payment will deposit to the correct account without the full account number.

F. Examples of coding India direct deposit

Example 1

Three days before the cutoff, DIO receives a completed enrollment form for India for a Rupee Savings Account. The IFSC is A12B025CT35 (bank code is A12B0 and branch code is 25CT35), and the account number is 67890.

The technician processes the enrollment via POS, by completing the fields as follows:

  • Code an RTN of 660000000

  • Account Type field of “S”, for savings account

  • Dan of “I” (for India Rupee) A12B0 (the 5-character alphanumeric bank code), 25CT35 (the 6-character alphanumeric branch code), and 67890 (the first 5 digits of the account number

The coding in POS will reflect the following information:

  • DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 660000000 ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): S

  • DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: IA12B025CT3567890

  • CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

  • DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

The MBR will reflect the following information:

  • RTN- 660000000

  • DAN- SIA12B025CT3567890

Since the MBR is able to house all of the bank info in this example, there is no need to update ITS.gov. The information coded on the MBR will interface with ITS.gov.

Example 2

Three days before the cutoff, DIO receives a completed enrollment form for India for a Rupee Checking Account. The bank is A12B0, the branch is 25CT35, and the account number is 6789012345.

The technician processes the enrollment via POS by completing the fields as follows:

  • Code the RTN with 660000000;

  • The Account Type Field of “C”, for checking account; and

  • The DAN of “I” (for India Rupee), A12B0 (the 5-character alphanumeric bank code), 25CT35 (the 6-character alphanumeric branch code), and the first 5 digits of the account number of 6789012345.

NOTE: 

You need to enter the bank information into ITS.gov on the same business day since the account number is over 5 digits long.

The coding in POS will reflect:

  • DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 660000000 ACCOUNT TYPE: (C/S): C

  • DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1A12B025CT3567890

  • CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

  • DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

The MBR will reflect the following information:

  • RTN- 660000000

  • DAN- CIA12B025CT3567890

G. References

  • 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/0202402344
GN 02402.344 - Coding India Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) - 07/01/2024
Batch run: 07/01/2024
Rev:07/01/2024