Effective Dates: 02/12/2018 - Present Previous | Next

TN 68 (05-16)

GN 02402.381 Coding Tunisia 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 Tunisia. 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 a Tunisia direct deposit and allows us to route benefit payments through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Tunisia 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:

  • •

    Blank check;

  • •

    SSA-1199-OP54; or

  • •

    Any document containing 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 Tunisia has a prefix of 68 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN).

C. Overview of IDD for Tunisia

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

D. Description of Tunisia IDD bank data

The data for coding IDD for Tunisia comes from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary by his or her FI. The IBAN for Tunisia consists of 24 characters. The bank data reflected on the MBR also consists of 24 characters including Tunisia’s country code of F.

E. Procedure for coding Tunisia 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 Tunisia, 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 and Society for Worldwide Internet Financial Telecommunication-Business Identifier Code (SWIFT-BIC). 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 4 business days.

The SWIFT code consists of the following 8 to 11 alphanumeric characters:

  • •

    First four characters - bank code (only letters);

  • •

    Next two characters - ISO 3166-1 alpha-two country code (only letters);

  • •

    Next two characters - location code (letters and digits) (passive participant have "1" in the second character); and

  • •

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

1. Initial award processing

Secure the full IBAN and SWIFT-BIC coding from the beneficiary 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.

2. Adding or updating bank data using SSA systems

You must enter the full IBAN and SWIFT-BIC bank information into 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.). Enter all POS direct deposit changes according to normal procedures. When coding IDD bank data in an SSA system for Tunisia within 4 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 TND account in Tunisia? If no, STOP.

REASON: Beneficiaries in Tunisia can only receive IDD payments in TND accounts.

If yes, go to step 4

4

 

To derive the nine-digit RTN for Tunisia, code as follows:

  • •

    Code the prefix of 68, (the multi-country prefix SSA and FRBKC designated to use for IDD to Tunisia).

  • •

    Code a filler zero, “0”

  • •

    Code the two-digit bank code

  • •

    Code three-digit branch code

  • •

    Code the one-digit check code (obtain through Title II Interactive Comps)

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 Tunisia as follows:

  • •

    Start with a country code of F designated for Tunisia

  • •

    Code the 13-digit Customer Account Number.

7

 

You must take action on the same business day to update the full IBAN and SWIFT into ITS.gov.

If you do not have access to ITS.gov, ask a co-worker who has access to update the required information into ITS.gov. FRBKC will need all of 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 Tunisia direct deposit

The customer provides us with the IBAN TN5910006035183598478831.

NOTE: The first two characters of a Tunisian IBAN are “TN,” which represents the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country code. 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 fifth and sixth characters of the IBAN represent the bank code. The seventh through ninth characters represent the branch code. The next 13 characters represent the account number. The last two digits are check digits.

The technician should take the following actions:

  1. 1. 

    Derive the RTN as follows:

    • •

      Code the prefix of 68

    • •

      Code a filler zero “0”

    • •

      Code the two-digit bank code, “10”

    • •

      Code the three-digit branch code “006”

    • •

      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 “F” designated for Tunisia;

    • •

      Code the “0351835984788” digit Account Number

The technician obtains the following:

IBAN: TN5910006035183598478831

RTN: 680100067

Checking

DAN: F0351835984788

The coding in an SSA System reflects the following information:

DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 680100067

ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C

DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: F0351835984788

CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

The MBR reflects the following information:

RTN-680100067 DAN- CF0351835984788

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202402381
GN 02402.381 - Coding Tunisia Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) - 02/12/2018
Batch run: 07/09/2019
Rev:02/12/2018