Bank Country Key/Bank Key/Bank Control Key

[Former Member]

Hi there,

I am a contractor working with a client who is using SAP. I'm having some difficulty understanding some of the terminology. Can anyone tell me what a Bank Country Key means? And what the Bank Country Key is for the UK?

My client also asks for a Bank Key - is this a separate key? If so, what does this translate to? Is it a swift/bic code, or a sort code?

Finally, my client asks for a Bank Control Key - what does this mean?

I hope someone can help!

Best regards,

Soph

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Sophie,

- Bank Country Key

Indentifies the country in which the bank in located.

In this case, if you bank is in UK, bank country key is GB.

- Bank Key

In this field, you specify the bank key under which bank data from the respective country is stored.

When you define the country key, you also specify the country-specific definition of the bank key.

Normally, you manage banks using their bank number. The bank number in the control data for the bank is then displayed twice, that is, as the bank key too.

In certain countries, the bank account number takes on this function; then there are no bank numbers and the bank data is managed using the account number.

For data medium exchange, you may find it useful to be able to enter foreign business partners without a bank number, even if there are bank numbers in the country in question. In this case, the bank key can be assigned internally.

To manage bank data using another key, for example, the SWIFT code, external number assignment can also be used.

- Bank Control Key

Use Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy

This field contains a key for checking the combination of bank number and bank account number.

Use USA

In the USA, this field determines whether you are dealing with a savings or checking account (if you do not enter a value, then 01 is taken as the default):

• 01 Checking Account

• 02 Savings Account

• 03 Loan

• 04 General Ledger

Use Japan

  In Japan, the content of the field specifies the type of account. This information is transferred to the payment medium by the payment medium print program. For example, the following account types are used: 

• 01 FUTSU (broadly equivalent to a savings account)

• 02 TOUZA (broadly equivalent to a checking account)

• 04 CHOCHIKU (broadly equivalent to an assets account)

• 09 Other bank accounts

Use South Africa

  In South Africa, the content of the field specifies the type of account. The information you enter here is forwarded to the bank that is to carry out the payment request. The following account types are allowed in ACB format: 

• 01 Current (Cheque) Account

• 02 Savings Account

• 03 Transmission Account

• 04 Bond Account

• 06 Subscription Share Account

Use Argentina

  In Argentina, the account type is specified: 

• CC Current Account (Cuenta corriente)

• CA Savings Account (Caja de ahorro)

• CE Special Savings Account (Caja de ahorro especial)

• CS Salary Account (Cuenta sueldos)

Use Venezuela

  In Venezuela, the account type is specified: 

• CC Checking Account (Cuenta corriente)

• CA Savings Account (Cuenta de ahorro)

• CE Special Savings Account (Cuenta de ahorro especial)

• CS Salary Account (Cuenta sueldos)

Use Mexico

  In Mexico, this field contains a two-character key that classifies the bank account, for example, as a savings or checking account; checking accounts have bank-specific definitions. 

Use Indien

In India this field specifies the bank account category of the employee. The account categories are defined as follows:

• 10 Savings account

• 11 Checking account

Note

In the countries that are not listed here, you can use the field for account-specific information.

In system, you can go to tcode FI01 to create Bank key and FI12 to set up your house bank, assign your bank key and create bank accounts in each house bank.

Bank key for UK has Bank country key GB, and the length of bank key is 6.

In the detail, you can specify name, city, branch, swift code also.

Hope it's helpful to you.

Julie

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Julie,

Thank you for your helpful contribution.

Through an additional source I found that the Bank Key for the UK is the 6 digit sort code; and the Bank Control Key (for UK accounts) is the 6 digit sort code and the 8 digit account number combined to SSSSSSAAAAAAAA (much like an IBAN number).

I'm not sure what you mean by tcode, but I hope I have the correct information to give to my client.

Thanks,

Soph

[eduardo_hinojosa · Accepted solution]

Hi Sophie,

Tcode is transaction (I am sorry, it's a 'deformation' that cames from ABAP, ie: sy-tcode, it's a system variable).

If you go to transaction OY17 for country GB

you can see the same number of digits.

For further info, see this link:http://help.sap.com/saphelp_470/helpdata/en/54/e7efd5127a11d2953c00a0c9426c73/frameset.htm

I hope this helps you

Regards

Eduardo

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Sophie,

Tcode is Transaction code in system.

About the bank key length, it depends on legal requirement and you can manage in system.

As Eduardo mentioned, in SAP, when you enter transaction code OY17, choose GB (it means United Kingdom), you will see:

- Bank account number: 8

- Bank number length: 6

And Bank key is Bank number.

Here is example for you:

- Create Bank key in system via transaction code FI01.

Your search is correct "Through an additional source I found that the Bank Key for the UK is the 6 digit sort code"

For bank country GB, the bank key length is only 6, because of setting in OY17.

- Create House bank and assign bank key via transaction code FI12

- Then,  you can create bank account for each house bank by choosing tab Bank Accounts

The bank account length is only 8, because of setting in OY17 also.

- And, when you click on detail of bank account, click on IBAN, you will see the IBAN will be like that (it combines Bank country, bank key, and bank account...)

For IBAN information, you can read more at:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/45/c28b18ccc247f3e10000000a114a6b/content.htm

Hope it's helpful to you.

Regards,

Julie

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Julie,

Thanks - that puts it into perspective a little more! I've submitted the details to my client now.

Thanks for your help.

Sophie

[former_member822775 · Accepted solution]

What is the bank key for the United States? I am having the same struiggle?

TYIA

Kristin

[eduardo_hinojosa]

Hi

An additional comment to Julie. The bank key is ruled by settings in tcode OY17 (it links bank country and bank key).

I hope this helps you

Regards

Eduardo

[Former Member]

Eduardo,

Thank you - as mentioned above, I don't know what tcodes are, but I hope I have found the correct information as detailed above.

Thanks,

Soph

[eduardo_hinojosa]

Hi Sophie,

I forgot before. There function groups for validating the digit controls. See function group FB02 (program name SAPLFB02)

Regards

Eduardo

PD: to know what is the bank key, read the documentation (F1) for this field

[Former Member]

Thanks, Eduardo! I'll work with my client to find out more details on this - we don't use SAP in our company as we are quite small, so I'm just trying to use my client's - very challenging!

Thank you again

Sophie