MT104 — Direct Debit and Request for Debit Transfer
SWIFT message to instruct an international bank debit. Used for cross-border subscriptions, recurring B2B payments, institutional collections.
Purpose
MT104 transmits a direct debit order between banks. Unlike MT103 (credit transfer) where the sender instructs a debit on its own account, MT104 asks the receiving bank to debit a third-party debtor account (under a mandate).
Block 4 structure
| Tag | Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
:20: | Transaction Reference Number | Mandatory |
:23E: | Instruction Code (AUTH, NAUT, OTHR) | Optional |
:30: | Requested Execution Date (YYMMDD) | Mandatory |
:21: | Related Reference (mandate) | Mandatory (per sequence B) |
:32B: | Currency Code, Amount | Mandatory |
:50K: | Ordering Customer (creditor) | Mandatory |
:59: | Beneficiary (debtor) | Mandatory |
:70: | Remittance Information | Optional |
:71A: | Details of Charges (OUR / SHA / BEN) | Mandatory |
Real-world example
ACME SARL debits 1250 EUR from Hans Mueller GmbH under a mandate:
{1:F01BNPAFRPPAXXX0000000000}{2:I104DEUTDEFFXXXXN}{4:
:20:DD20260518001
:23E:AUTH
:30:260520
:21:MAND202401001
:32B:EUR1250,00
:50K:/FR7630006000011234567890189
ACME SARL
12 RUE DE LA SOIE
69001 LYON
:59:/DE89370400440532013000
HANS MUELLER GMBH
HAUPTSTRASSE 12
60311 FRANKFURT
:70:RECURRING SUBSCRIPTION MAY 2026
:71A:OUR
-}{5:{CHK:DEF456789012}}Common pitfalls
- Missing mandate — without tag
:21:referencing the mandate, the receiver may reject. - :71A: as BEN on a debit — inconsistent; a debit uses OUR or SHA.
- Past :30: date — the requested execution date must be future.
- Revoked mandate — the debtor bank may reject with an MT196.
MX equivalent
The ISO 20022 equivalent is pacs.003 (FI to FI Customer Direct Debit). MT104 between correspondent banks was replaced by pacs.003 in November 2025 on cross-border SWIFTNet.