# SWIFT message types > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SWIFT_message_types > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SWIFT_message_types.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIFT_message_types > Source revision: 1296147799 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) International banking protocol messages **SWIFT message types** are the format or schema used to send messages to financial institutions on the [SWIFT](/source/SWIFT) network. The original message types were developed by SWIFT and a subset was retrospectively made into an [ISO standard](/source/International_Organization_for_Standardization), [ISO 15022](/source/ISO_15022). In many instances, SWIFT message types between custodians follow the ISO standard.[1] This was later supplemented by a [XML](/source/XML) based version under [ISO 20022](/source/ISO_20022). ## Composition of MT number SWIFT messages consist of five blocks of data including three headers, message content, and a trailer. Message types are crucial to identifying content. All SWIFT messages include the literal "MT" (message type/text).[2] This is followed by a three-digit number that denotes the message *category*, *group* and *type*. Consider the following two examples. **Example 1** MT304 - The first digit (3) represents the category. A category denotes messages that relate to particular financial instruments or services such as precious metals (6), treasury (3), or traveller's cheques (8). The category denoted by 3 is treasury markets - The second digit (0) represents a group of related parts in a transaction life cycle. The group indicated by 0 is a financial institution transfer. - The third digit (4) is the type that denotes the specific message. There are several hundred message types across the categories. The type represented by 4 is a notification. A MT304 message is considered an "Advice/Instruction of a Third Party Deal" and it used to advise of or instruct the settlement of a third party foreign exchange deal.[3] For example, an asset manager who executed a FX transaction with a broker would send a MT304 instruction to the custodian bank of the client. **Example 2** [MT103](/source/MT103) - The first digit (1) represents the category. The category denoted by 1 is customer payments and cheques. - The second digit (0) represents a group of related parts in a transaction life cycle. The group indicated by 0 is a financial institution transfer. - The third digit (3) is the type that denotes the specific message. There are several hundred message types across the categories. The type represented by 3 is a notification. A MT103 message is considered a "Single Customer Credit Transfer" and is used to instruct a funds transfer.[3] ## Overview of SWIFT MT categories The table below shows the different categories and the message type descriptions. Category Message type Description Number of message types 0 MT0.. System messages - 1 MT1.. Customer payments and cheques 19 2 MT2.. Financial institution transfers 18 3 MT3.. Treasury markets 27 4 MT4.. Collection and cash letters 17 5 MT5.. Securities Markets 60 6 MT6.. Treasury markets – metals and syndications 22 7 MT7.. Documentary credits and guarantees 29 8 MT8.. Traveller's cheques 11 9 MT9.. Cash management and customer status 21 ## ISO 15022 MT Although [ISO 15022](/source/ISO_15022) message types are different in their structure from the SWIFT MT, the naming convention remains the same. ## Legal status The [Courts in England and Wales](/source/Courts_of_England_and_Wales) have held that the header of a SWIFT message amounts to a valid form of [electronic signature](/source/Electronic_signature).[4] ## See also - [Delivery versus payment](/source/Delivery_versus_payment) - [ISO 9362](/source/ISO_9362) (standard format for SWIFT IDs) - [MT202 COV](/source/MT202_COV) - [MT940](/source/MT940) ## External links - Message standards supported by the SWIFT network: ["Standards MT & MX Equivalence Table"](https://www2.swift.com/uhbonline/books/public/en_uk/stdsmt_mt_mx_eq_tbl/stdsmt_mt_mx_eq_tbl.pdf) (PDF). SWIFT. 28 July 2017. - Message types defined in ISO15022 ["ISO15022 Data Field Dictionary - Index of Messages"](https://www.iso20022.org/15022/uhb). ISO. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** McGill, R.; Patel, N. (2008). *Global Custody and Clearing Services*. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Springer. p. 27. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781349282883](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781349282883). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** swift.com [*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include)*] 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-list_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-list_3-1) ["List of all SWIFT Messages Types"](https://www.paiementor.com/list-of-all-swift-messages-types/). *Paiementor*. Retrieved 2020-01-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gill, C., [Law Commission report on electronic signatures](https://www.walkermorris.co.uk/comment-opinion/law-commission-report-on-electronic-signatures/), *Walker Morris*, published on 26 September 2019, accessed on 18 June 2025 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SWIFT message types](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIFT_message_types) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWIFT_message_types?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.