With a valid VAT number from another EU country we charge no VAT (reverse charge). Without a VAT number we charge the statutory VAT, currently 21% Dutch VAT: €18.09 per repair, €119.79 for the annual licence. Customers outside the EU are not charged VAT. The annual licence does not renew automatically. You pay via Mollie and receive the invoice by email.
Check your SEPA XML file
Check your direct debit or credit transfer file before you upload it to your bank. Within seconds you see whether the file follows the SEPA rules and, for every error, the transaction concerned.
- 1Uploaden
- 2Resultaat
- 3Herstellen
Stap 1: bestand uploaden
Bestand herstellen
Wij zetten uw bestand om naar de nieuwe berichtversie met correcte adresgegevens. Aantallen en totaalbedragen blijven gelijk en het resultaat wordt opnieuw gecontroleerd tegen het officiële schema.
Incasseert u maandelijks? Met de herstelt u onbeperkt.
Jaarlicentie aanschaffen
Onbeperkt SEPA-bestanden herstellen gedurende 12 maanden, voor incasso's (pain.008) én overboekingen (pain.001). €99 excl. btw per jaar (€119,79 incl. 21% btw). U ontvangt de licentiecode direct na betaling op het scherm en per e-mail, met factuur.
- Free, no sign-up
- Your file is not stored permanently
- Server in the Netherlands (EU)
By uploading a file you accept our terms and conditions, including the data processing agreement (Annex 1). How we handle your file is explained in our privacy policy.
What the check finds
The check covers the most common reasons why banks reject files or individual direct debits.
- Format and schemaThe file version and validation against the ISO 20022 XML schema: pain.008.001.02 and pain.008.001.08 for direct debits, pain.001.001.03 and pain.001.001.09 for credit transfers. We also recognise the old German formats pain.008.003.02 and pain.001.003.03.
- IBAN and BICThe check digits of every IBAN, the BIC format and whether the account is in the SEPA area.
- Direct debit dataCreditor identifier, mandate reference, mandate signature date, sequence type (first or recurring) and collection date.
- TotalsNumber of transactions and control sum per batch and for the whole file.
- AddressesWhether an address is mandatory because a bank outside the EEA is involved, for example in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, and whether it is structured.
- Characters and lengthsCharacters that are not allowed and values that are too long in names, remittance information and references.
- Check report membership-fees-2026-11.xml
- Direct debit file pain.008.001.02, 1 batch, 214 direct debits, EUR 8,560.00
- Item 37IBAN DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 01: check digits wrongError
- Item 112Mandate: signature date is in the futureError
- Item 190Address in free-text lines, still allowed for nowNote
- Batch 1Count 214 and control sum 8,560.00 matchOK
- FileValid against XML schema pain.008.001.02OK
- Result: 2 errors. Your bank will probably reject this file.
Repair errors automatically
If the check finds errors that can be fixed automatically, we repair the file for €14.95 excl. VAT. You receive a ZIP file with
- the repaired XML file, ready to upload to your bank,
- a change report (PDF) and
- an overview of all changes (CSV).
The repair converts the file to the current version: pain.008.001.08 for direct debits, pain.001.001.09 for credit transfers. This also applies to files in the old German format pain.008.003.02 or pain.001.003.03.
For payments within the EEA an address is not required, so by default the repair leaves it out. Mandatory addresses, when a bank outside the EEA is involved, are always converted to the structured form. On request we structure all addresses. We check addresses against public registers: the OpenPLZ API for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Base Adresse Nationale for France, the BAG for the Netherlands and postcodes.io for the United Kingdom. We only add what is unambiguous; if in doubt we add nothing and flag the address in the change report.
Counts and totals stay the same. The repaired file is validated against the ISO 20022 XML schema again. If it is not valid, you receive no file and pay nothing.
Some errors cannot be fixed automatically, such as a wrong IBAN or missing mandate data. The check shows you which ones; you change them in the software you use to create the file.
How a repair works
- You check your file for free.
- You choose “Repair file” and enter your invoice details.
- You pay via Mollie or enter your licence code.
- You download the ZIP file. You can download it once; after that we delete the file immediately.
Prices
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Check one file | free |
| Repair one fileDirect debit or credit transfer file, with change report | €14.95 excl. VAT |
| Annual licenceUnlimited repairs for 12 months, on the website and in the extension | €99 excl. VAT |
Buy the annual licence Check a file for free
For associations, property managers and accountants
Associations collect membership fees by direct debit, property managers collect service charges and businesses collect their invoices. One wrong detail can make the bank reject individual direct debits or the whole file. The check shows you such errors before you upload the file.
Accountants and bookkeepers can also use the annual licence to repair files for their clients. Because the files contain personal data, Annex 1 of our terms and conditions covers data processing under Art. 28 GDPR, including confidentiality for those bound by professional secrecy, such as tax advisers and lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the check free?
Yes. The check costs nothing and you do not need an account. You only pay if you order a repair or the annual licence.
What happens to my file?
The file is sent encrypted to our server in the Netherlands and processed in memory only, not stored on disk. It is deleted after you download the repaired file, and no later than 30 minutes after upload. File contents, names and IBANs are not written to logs. Details are in our privacy policy.
Which files can I check?
XML files for SEPA direct debits (pain.008) and SEPA credit transfers (pain.001) up to 5 MB, in versions pain.008.001.02, pain.008.001.08, pain.001.001.03 and pain.001.001.09, and the old German formats pain.008.003.02 and pain.001.003.03. We do not check other formats, such as national formats like the German DTAZV. If you prepare your direct debits in Excel, check the XML file your software creates from it; we cannot check Excel files themselves.
My bank rejects the file, but the check finds no error. Why?
Banks sometimes have their own requirements, for example on cut-off times, special characters or the versions they accept. Read your bank's error message carefully and ask your bank which requirement is not met. Common causes are described on our pages on SEPA versions and structured addresses.
How much does a repair cost?
A repair costs €14.95 excl. VAT, the annual licence €99 excl. VAT for 12 months. With a valid VAT number from another EU country we charge no VAT (reverse charge). Without a VAT number we charge the statutory VAT, currently 21% Dutch VAT. Customers outside the EU are not charged VAT.
Do I get an invoice?
Yes, by email straight after payment. With a valid VAT number from another EU country, the invoice shows no VAT and states “VAT reverse charge”.
Can accountants use the annual licence for their clients?
Yes. With the annual licence you can repair any number of files, including files for your clients, customers or members. You must not share the licence code with third parties. Data processing under Art. 28 GDPR and confidentiality for those bound by professional secrecy are covered in Annex 1 of our terms and conditions.
Is the check also available as a browser extension?
Yes, for Microsoft Edge: the SEPA File Check extension checks your file in your browser without uploading it. The file is only sent to us if you choose a repair. A version for Google Chrome is in preparation.
Do structured addresses become mandatory on 15 November 2026?
No, that date has been postponed. The European Payments Council withdrew it on 9 September 2026; a new date has not been set yet. More on the page Structured address.
Who is behind SEPA File Checker?
SEPA File Checker is a service of Bedrijfsboekhouder.com, an accounting firm in Rijswijk (the Netherlands), registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) under no. 78320550. Details are in the legal notice.
- SEPA return codes: what codes such as AM04, MD06 and MS03 mean for returned direct debits.
- SEPA XML versions: how to find the version of your file and switch to pain.008.001.08.
- Structured address: the current status after the postponement of the 15 November 2026 deadline.