File Processing
Electrum will handle all file processing with BankservAfrica on your (the bank's) behalf.
This page serves only to provide context about what that file processing entails.
EFT transactions are not processed individually – payment instructions are bundled into files and transferred between the banks and BankservAfrica. Electrum processes files according to BankservAfrica specifications.
There are different file types for the different sub-services (e.g., SDV, one-day, two-day) and for the direction in which the transaction flows (i.e., to or from BankservAfrica). Files are identified by application identifiers in the file name.
| Transaction Direction | Sub-Service | File Application Identifier |
|---|---|---|
| From originating bank to BankservAfrica | Same-day | ES |
| One-day | EN | |
| Two-day | EJ | |
| Recall | EX | |
| SEC request | EC | |
| From BankservAfrica to homing bank | Same-day | EV |
| One-day | EO | |
| Two-day | EK | |
| Recall | EH | |
| SEC request | ED |
Transactions with different destination (homing) banks can be grouped into the same file before it is sent to BankservAfrica. Debit and credit transactions from the same sub-service can be grouped into the same file.
There may be multiple files submitted per sub-service per day. An originating bank can decide whether to:
- Send files at pre-defined intervals (e.g., submit a file every 4 hours, no matter the number of transactions contained within the file).
- Split files by volume (e.g., a file may contain a maximum of 5000 transactions; thereafter a new file must be created).
Electrum can support either of the file options above according to the bank’s preference.
Once an originating bank has submitted a file, the individual transactions are parsed, organised, and rewritten into new files at BankservAfrica before being transmitted to the homing bank.