What is the difference between MT940 and MT942?

MT940 is the end-of-day statement of booked entries with opening and closing balances. MT942 is the interim transaction report a bank can send during the day. In ISO 20022 the two map to camt.053 and camt.052.

How do I convert an MT940 file to CSV?

A converter turns each :61: statement line into a row with its date, signed amount and reference, and takes the description from the :86: line after it. For 2Fin there is nothing to convert: import the MT940 file as it is, and each statement line becomes a transaction signed from its D or C mark.

Is MT940 being retired?

Not on one date for everyone. Banks are moving statement reporting to camt.053, and many offer both formats side by side while their customers switch, so check your own bank’s plans before relying on either format for years ahead.

Bank data & standards

MT940 (SWIFT customer statement)

The SWIFT end-of-day statement, in tagged plain text.

MT940 is the SWIFT customer statement message: a plain-text end-of-day bank statement made of numbered tags. :25: names the account, :60F: gives the opening balance, each :61: line is one transaction with its date, a D or C debit-credit mark and the amount, :86: adds the narrative, and :62F: gives the closing balance. Many banks still offer it beside camt.053.

It is the format camt.053 is replacing. Its fields have fixed lengths, so a long payer name or reference gets cut, and transaction codes vary by country and bank. Banks layer their own conventions on the :86: narrative, which is why MT940 parsers often need a dialect per bank.

Worked example

The line :61:2607050705C1240,00NTRFINV-1042//ABC123 reads: value date 5 July 2026, entry date 5 July, C for credit, 1,240.00 with a comma as the decimal separator, transaction type NTRF, the customer reference INV-1042 and the bank reference ABC123.

Common mistake

Reading the amount without the mark in front of it. MT940 amounts are unsigned: D is money out and C money in, with RD and RC marking reversals, so a parser that drops the mark turns every expense into income.

See it in 2Fin: The open connector reads MT940 statements →

Grounded in Deutsche Bank — ISO changes on account information messages guidance. Figures last checked 13 October 2026. General information, not tax advice.

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