Hi,
We would like to inform you about a recent change in Nordea’s payment infrastructure that may affect the processing of your payments.

As of September 7, Nordea has implemented enhanced OCR validation for both incoming and outgoing payments. This change means that payments to accounts with OCR control can only be processed if a valid OCR reference is provided. We have already identified examples of payments that have been rejected as a result of these new validation rules.

What does this mean?

• If you use a Bankgiro or Plusgiro account with OCR control, you can only receive payments that contain a valid OCR reference.
• Payments to OCR-controlled accounts can no longer be submitted using a text reference.
• Invalid or incorrect OCR references will result in the payment being rejected.

To avoid payment delays or rejections, we recommend that you:

• Ensure that all payment processes generating OCR references produce valid OCR numbers.
• Review any payment flows that currently use text references.
• Verify OCR references before sending payments whenever there is uncertainty.
• Ensure that outgoing payments to recipients with OCR-controlled accounts include a valid OCR reference.
• Information regarding payments to Ropo

Ropo’s own Bankgiro accounts are protected by OCR control, meaning that both end customers and clients must always provide a valid OCR reference when making payments to us. Payments submitted with a text reference or an invalid OCR number will be rejected.

Previously, some payments were able to pass through despite incorrect OCR references or the use of text references. Following Nordea’s introduction of enhanced OCR validation, this is no longer possible.

We have also submitted follow-up questions to Nordea regarding the recommended handling of certain outgoing payment scenarios. We will provide further information as soon as we receive clarification.

If you have any questions or would like assistance understanding how this change may affect your business, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,
Ropo