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Batch Payments - Export file in a Santander-compatible format

The repsonse to my support case was to be told to post the bug here... seems a weird request, but sure...
"The best way to get our product team to consider this would be to create a new product Idea on this, which is submitted to our product team who then go ahead and make changed based in priority."

The santander batch file does not follow the santander format. In the past Santander used to accept the file anyway but they have now started rejecting it.

Bills > Make Payment > Pay from (santander), Method = Create Payment File
Batch Payment > Export Batch File > "Santander Connect BACS payments"
A file is generated (date).TXT with content like this:
PAYMENT,HEADER,25112024,,1
PAYMENT,MULTIBACS,09066612345678,mysupplier,401904,12345678,214.60,25112024,paymentref
PAYMENT,TRAILER,,

The import fails on Santander with message: Invalid Record Total information.

Modifying the file to include the total value of all transactions and the number of transactions solves this problem. This file works:

PAYMENT,HEADER,25112024,,1
PAYMENT,MULTIBACS,09066612345678,mysupplier,401904,12345678,214.60,25112024,paymentref
PAYMENT,TRAILER,214.60,1

note after the trailer 214.60 = total and 1 = number of transaction lines in this file.

See also: I've attached the Santander specification for the file format. See page 3, reference to column C and Column D.

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Steve R shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
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  • Jonnie Adamson commented  ·   ·  Report

    I agree, this needs to be looked at as adding significant time to a previoulsy quick process. Thanks.

  • Amy Brincoveanu commented  ·   ·  Report

    URGENT ATTENTION REQUIRED FROM XERO

    Santander implemented a mandatory change to its bulk payment import specification effective 12th January.

    As a result, the existing “Santander Connect Standard bulk payments” file exported by Xero is no longer compatible with Santander’s live banking platform and cannot be imported without manual amendment.

    Specifically, Santander now requires:

    - Removal of the trailing empty line at the end of the file
    - Inclusion of a debit account reference on the first line (after 08,,,,,)
    -There may be additional adjustments required. Xero should check this with Santander.

    This is not a feature request or enhancement. It is a loss of compatibility in a bank format that Xero explicitly supports for UK organisations. Customers cannot meet Santander’s mandatory requirements using the current Xero export without manual intervention.

    This should be treated as a bank-driven regression / supported integration fix, rather than a new product idea. Maintaining alignment with current bank file specifications is a fundamental requirement of supported payment templates.

    Please confirm whether:

    - Xero intends to update and continue supporting this Santander bulk payment format, or
    - Xero no longer supports it, so customers can take appropriate action.

  • Amy Brincoveanu commented  ·   ·  Report

    URGENT ATTENTION REQUIRED FROM XERO

    Further to Howard Thompson's message below. This requires urgent attention from Xero.

    Santander implemented a mandatory change to its bulk payment import specification effective 12th January.

    As a result, the existing “Santander Connect Standard bulk payments” file exported by Xero is no longer compatible with Santander’s live banking platform and cannot be imported without manual amendment.

    Specifically, Santander now requires:

    - Removal of the trailing empty line at the end of the file
    - Inclusion of a debit account reference on the first line (after 08,,,,,)

    This is not a feature request or enhancement. It is a loss of compatibility in a bank format that Xero explicitly supports for UK organisations. Customers cannot meet Santander’s mandatory requirements using the current Xero export without manual intervention.

    This should be treated as a bank-driven regression / supported integration fix, rather than discretionary roadmap work. Maintaining alignment with current bank file specifications is a fundamental requirement of supported payment templates.

    Please confirm whether:

    - Xero intends to update and continue supporting this Santander bulk payment format, or
    -Xero no longer supports it, so customers can take appropriate action.

  • Howard Thompson commented  ·   ·  Report

    There is a bug in the current batch payment files.

    I have done batch payments to santander for years, In December it stopped working.
    The total is missing from the batch file and you have to update manually.

  • Don Wiid commented  ·   ·  Report

    I'm experiencing the same, after 9 years of it working. Fairly trivial change, but involves manual intervention and introduces the chance of errors.

    Thanks for posting the solution and specification!