Effective Dates: 10/12/2022 - Present Previous | Next

TN 223 (10-22)

GN 02402.369 Coding Albania Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)

This section describes how to code bank data for international direct deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Albania. The Social Security Administration (SSA) stores IDD bank data on the MBR in the same fields used for United States (U.S.) direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as an Albanian direct deposit and allows us to route benefit payments through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Albania to the beneficiary's local FI.

NOTE: U.S. domestic (i.e., non-border) field offices (FOs) should not attempt to process an IDD request for this country. U.S. domestic FOs must forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, Division of International Operations (OEIO, DIO) for processing. For more information on forwarding IDD information, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C.

A. How we receive IDD bank data

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

  • •

    a blank check;

  • •

    an SSA-1199-OP48 (International Direct Deposit Signup Form for Albania) (For the link to the form see GN 02402.369G in this section); or

  • •

    any document that contains the required banking information.

NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025.

B. Multi-country contract

The processing FI for Albania has a prefix of 71 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN).

C. Overview of IDD for Albania

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 Albania. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.

D. Description of Albanian IDD bank data

The data for coding IDD for Albania will come from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary from his or her FI. The IBAN for Albania consists of up to 28 characters. However, the bank data reflected on the MBR will reflect up to 27 characters including the country code of S for Albania.

E. Policy for coding Albanian IDD 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 SSA. When establishing or changing IDD bank data for Albania, you can use an SSA system (i.e. Modernized Claims System (MCS), Manual Adjustment Credit and Award Data Entry (MACADE), etc.). However, you must go to ITS.gov to enter the full IBAN, bank name, bank address, beneficiary’s name, and beneficiary’s address. If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA. When using ITS.gov, bank data posts to the MBR within four business days.

NOTE: No P.O. box address is allowed when enrolling indivuduals in IDD for Albania

1. Initial award processing

Secure the beneficiary’s name, address, full IBAN, bank name, and bank address at the time of filing. If you are working on an initial award, you must update ITS.gov using the bank account information prior to processing the award to ensure that the beneficiary receives his or her payment. If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA.

NOTE: If there is dire need or hardship involved, tell 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 the initial claim.

2. Adding or updating bank data using SSA systems

You must update ITS.gov on the same day if you use an SSA system to add or update bank data on the MBR (i.e., Post Entitlement Online System (POS), MACADE, etc.). When coding IDD bank data in an SSA system for Albania within four business days of the current operational month (COM) cutoff date, use the procedure outlined in the following chart:

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 no, STOP.

REASON: The MBR does not accept the IDD information unless the address is in a foreign country.

If yes, go to step 3.

3

Is the beneficiary's account a USD account in Albania? If no, STOP.

REASON: Beneficiaries in Albania can only receive IDD payments in USD accounts.

If yes, go to step 4

4

Code the 9-digit RTN for Albania as follows:

  • •

    Code the prefix of 71, (the multi-country prefix SSA and FRBKC designated to use for IDD to Albania).

  • •

    Code the first 6 digits of the bank code

  • •

    Code the 1-digit check code (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 Type of Account as an “S” for savings or a “C” for checking. If no indicated account type, use a “C” for checking account.

6

Code the Depositor Account Number (DAN) for Albania as follows:

  • •

    Start with a country code of S designated for Albania

  • •

    Code the last 2 digits of the bank code

  • •

    Code the Customer Account Number (up to 14 digits).

7

You must enter the full IBAN, the bank name, the bank address, the recipient’s name, and recipient’s address into ITS.gov on the same business day.

If you do not have access to ITS.gov, ask a co-worker who has access to update the IBAN into ITS.gov. FRBKC will need this information in order to process the IDD payment. When this information is not available, FRBKC will reject the payment and return it to SSA.

F. Example of coding Albania direct deposit

The customer provides us with the IBAN AL47 2121 1009 0000 0002 3569 8741

NOTE: The first two characters of an Albanian IBAN are “AL,” which represents the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country code and the third and fourth characters of the IBAN are the IBAN check digits. The technicians should never code the IBAN ISO country code or the check digit to the MBR. The next 8 characters of the IBAN represent the 8-digit bank code. The last 16 characters represent the 16-digit account number.

  1. 1. 

    Derive the RTN as follows

    • •

      Code the prefix of 71

    • •

      Code the first 6 digits of the 8-digit bank code “212110”

    • •

      Code the 1-digit check code (i.e., 7) (obtained from the Title II interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16); and

    • •

      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. 2. 

    Derive the DAN as follows

    • •

      Start with a country code of S designated for Albania;

    • •

      Code the last 2 digits of the bank code “09”.

    • •

      Code the first 14 digits of the 16-digit Account Number “00000002356987”

    The technician obtains the following:

    IBAN AL47 2121 1009 0000 0002 3569 8741

    The coder will obtain the following:

    RTN: 712121107

    Checking

    DAN: S0900000002356987

    The coding in an SSA System reflects:

    DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 712121107

    ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C

    DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: S0900000002356987

    CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

    DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

    The MBR reflects the following information:

    RTN-712121107 DAN- CS0900000002356987

G. Exhibit of form SSA-1199–OP48, IDD Enrollment Form for Albania

To view this form, go to SSA-1199-OP48

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202402369
GN 02402.369 - Coding Albania Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) - 10/12/2022
Batch run: 10/12/2022
Rev:10/12/2022