ISO 20022 message guidelines have been published following international approval from the senior global registration body, the ISO 20022 Registration Management Group. They are seen as an important stepping stone to global interoperability for real-time payments systems.

The published guidelines, on interbank payment messages, are the first in a series of guidelines for all ISO 20022 messages used for real-time payments.

The new guidelines were developed by the ISO Real-Time Payments Group (RTPG) and facilitated by Payments UK.

“Message guidelines for real-time payments in ISO 20022 have been developed to reflect the global nature of financial services. The UK payments industry has an excellent track record of leading in this work. Both the industry and its customers benefit from well designed and consistently applied standards. This critical work maintains the UK’s position as a leader on the global stage,” said Maurice Cleaves of Payments UK.

Payments UK is calling for industry stakeholders to get involved with the review process by getting in touch with the organisation, to “ensure a truly representative and global standard”.