The Application Header of a FIN message provides information about the message itself.

It differs according to whether the message is a GPA or a FIN message and whether the Application Header is part of an input or an output message. A message sent from the user's application to SWIFTNet will be an INPUT message, and a message received from SWIFTNet will be an OUTPUT message.

Input

For input messages, the Application Header describes the type of message, its addressee and how it should be sent.

The following is an example of an input header:

(a) Block Identifier
The Block Identifier for an Application Header Block is always '2:'.

(b) Input/Output Identifier
For an input message, the Input/Output Identifier consists of the single letter 'I'.

(c) Message Type
The Message Type consists of 3 digits which define the MT number of the message being input. The example used above is for an MT 103 Customer Transfer.

(d) Receiver's Address
This address is the 12-character SWIFT address of the receiver of the message, but with a LT Code of 'X'. It defines the destination to which the message should be sent.
The system will replace the 'X' with a specific LT Code on delivery of the message according to the delivery control exercised by the receiving user.
The Branch Code is mandatory and will be validated. The default of 'XXX' may be used, as in the example above.

(e) Message Priority
This character, used within FIN Application Headers only, defines the priority with which a message is delivered. The possible values are:
S = System
U = Urgent
N = Normal

(f) Delivery Monitoring
Delivery monitoring options apply only to FIN user-to-user messages.
The chosen option is expressed as a single digit:
1 = Non-Delivery Warning
2 = Delivery Notification
3 = Non-Delivery Warning and Delivery Notification.

If the message has priority 'U' then the user must request delivery monitoring option '1' or '3'. If the message has priority 'N', the user can request delivery monitoring option '2', or, by leaving the option blank, no delivery monitoring.

(g) Obsolescence Period
The obsolescence period defines the period of time after which a Delayed Message (DLM) trailer is added to a FIN user-to-user message when the message is delivered. For urgent priority messages, it is also the period of time after which, if the message remains undelivered, a Non-Delivery Warning is generated. The values for the obsolescence period are:
003 (15 minutes) for 'U' priority, and
020 (100 minutes) for 'N' priority.

Output

For output messages, the output Application Header defines the type of message, who sent it and when, and when it was delivered.
The following is an example of an output Application Header, as it might appear at the top of a user-to-user message, output within FIN.

(a) Block Identifier
The Block Identifier for an Application Header Block is always '2:'.

(b) Input/Output Identifier
For an output message, the Input/Output Identifier consists of the single letter 'O'.

(c) Message Type
The Message Type consists of 3 digits which define the MT number of the output message. The example used is for an MT 103 Customer Transfer.

(d) Input Time
The Input Time (HHMM) is expressed in the sender's local time.
If the message is a system message, the input time is the time the message was generated by the system, according to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

(e) MIR
Every input message is assigned a unique MIR. This is a string of 28 characters which consists of the date, local to the sender, when the message was input, and the sender's full SWIFT address, Session Number and ISN.

If the output message is system generated, the system MIR will show a Pseudo-Logical Terminal (PLT) address, for example, DYLRXXXXXXXX, identifying as the sender the particular suite of programs which generated the message within the system. The date given in the system MIR is the generation date, according to GMT.

(f) Output Date
The Output Date (YYMMDD) is the date, local to the receiver, on which the message is delivered to the receiver.

(g) Output Time
The Output Time (HHMM) is the time, local to the receiver, at which the message is actually delivered to the receiver.

(h) Message Priority
The Message Priority, for FIN messages only, is repeated in the FIN output Application Header.
GPA output Application Headers are similar to their FIN equivalent except that for GPA the Message Priority is not included.