Create a flexible BACS format file

You can set up the BACS file format by entering the details to describe the BACS format into the Flexible BACS Base File. To download a blank Flexible BACS Base File from our website, click here.

You can use this blank file to create a flexible BACS format file. A BACS file has an optional header and footer line and a single line per payment. The output format can be fixed-length fields, or a comma-separated file.

For example, if you want the following BACS format —

Sortcode,Account Number,Payee Name,Reference,Value

112233,12345678,Joe Smith,8765432,1013.56

— you can set up the format in the Flexible BACS Base File as follows:

<ARGUMENTS>

<HEADER_LINE></HEADER_LINE>

<FIELD_1_NAME>SORT_CODE</FIELD_1_NAME>
<FIELD_1_LENGTH>6</FIELD_1_LENGTH>
<FIELD_1_TRIMMED>Y</FIELD_1_TRIMMED>
<FIELD_1_PADDED>Y</FIELD_1_PADDED>
<FIELD_1_PADDED_WITH> </FIELD_1_PADDED_WITH>

<FIELD_2_NAME>ACCOUNT_NUMBER</FIELD_2_NAME>
<FIELD_2_LENGTH>8</FIELD_2_LENGTH>
<FIELD_2_TRIMMED>Y</FIELD_2_TRIMMED>
<FIELD_2_PADDED>Y</FIELD_2_PADDED>
<FIELD_2_PADDED_WITH>0</FIELD_2_PADDED_WITH>
<FIELD_2_JUSTIFY>R</FIELD_2_JUSTIFY>
<FIELD_2_PREFIX>,</FIELD_2_PREFIX>

<FIELD_3_NAME>ACCOUNT_NAME</FIELD_3_NAME>
<FIELD_3_LENGTH>30</FIELD_3_LENGTH>
<FIELD_3_TRIMMED>Y</FIELD_3_TRIMMED>
<FIELD_3_PREFIX>,</FIELD_3_PREFIX>

<FIELD_4_NAME>ROLL_NUMBER</FIELD_4_NAME>
<FIELD_4_LENGTH>7</FIELD_4_LENGTH>
<FIELD_4_TRIMMED>Y</FIELD_4_TRIMMED>
<FIELD_4_PADDED>Y</FIELD_4_PADDED>
<FIELD_4_PADDED_WITH>0</FIELD_4_PADDED_WITH>
<FIELD_4_JUSTIFY>R</FIELD_4_JUSTIFY>
<FIELD_4_PREFIX>,</FIELD_4_PREFIX>

<FIELD_5_NAME>VALUE</FIELD_5_NAME>
<FIELD_5_LENGTH>10</FIELD_5_LENGTH>
<FIELD_5_PENCE>N</FIELD_5_PENCE>
<FIELD_5_TRIMMED>Y</FIELD_5_TRIMMED>
<FIELD_5_PREFIX>,</FIELD_5_PREFIX>

<FOOTER_LINE></FOOTER_LINE>

</ARGUMENTS>

After you create the flexible BACS format file, you can import it for use. For information, refer to Set up a transfer template for BACS.