BAI2 file format

BAI2 (Cash Management Balance Reporting Specifications, Version 2)

By Isaac Oduh · Last updated 27 October 2026

US and Canadian banks send BAI2 files to corporate treasury teams, ERPs and treasury management systems. Some banks elsewhere, such as Westpac and NAB in Australia, also offer it for cash positioning and bank reconciliation.

File structure

Key codes

Sample file

Synthetic example with a fictional bank and account. Real files vary by bank.

01,FICTBANK,ACMEPAYCO,261026,0700,1,80,,2/
02,ACMEPAYCO,FICTBANK,1,261025,,USD,2/
03,0001234567,USD,010,1500000,,,015,1620000,,,040,1450000,,,045,1570000,,/
88,100,250000,2,,400,130000,1,/
16,195,150000,0,WIRE0001,INV1001,INCOMING WIRE ACME TRADING LTD
16,142,100000,0,ACH0002,,ACH CREDIT REFUND
16,495,130000,0,WIRE0003,PO7788,OUTGOING WIRE TO SUPPLIER
88,BENEFICIARY REF PO7788 OCTOBER SETTLEMENT
49,6900000,7/
98,6900000,1,9/
99,6900000,1,11/

Reading balances

Read the 03 record together with any 88 records that continue it. Pair each type code with the amount after it. 010 is opening ledger, 015 closing ledger, 040 opening available and 045 closing available. Intraday files usually report 030 current ledger and 060 current available instead. Apply implied decimals from the account currency before use.

Parsing and reconciliation pitfalls

• Join 88 continuation records to the record above before splitting fields. An 88 can continue an 03 summary list or the free text of a 16.
• Amounts have no decimal point. Most banks imply two decimals, but some tie it to currency, so confirm rules for zero-decimal currencies such as JPY.
• A text field ends a 16 record without a slash terminator and may itself contain commas or slashes. Split only the fixed fields, then keep the remainder as text.
• Funds type changes the field count in a 16 record. V adds value date and time fields, so references shift position. Check other funds types against your bank guide.
• Check the 02 as-of-date modifier. Value 3 means interim same-day data, so balances are provisional and can change before the final file.

How it compares

BAI2 is a flat, comma-delimited format with numeric type codes, common in North America. MT940 uses SWIFT tags and real decimals. camt.053 is structured XML with richer remittance and party data. ASC X9 succeeded BAI2 with BTRS (X9.121), which BAI2 readers cannot always parse.

Polynopsis reads statement files like this one through a forwarding inbox and turns them into a live position alongside your API-connected accounts. See how it works.

Other formats

• MT940
• MT942
• camt.053
• camt.052

Sources

1. BAI2 statement format (BankRec) · Westpac
2. BAI2 Information Reporting Specifications · HSBC
3. BAI2 Reporting Reference Guide · East West Bank
4. ScotiaConnect BAI2 Export File Specification · Scotiabank
5. Balance and Transaction Reporting Standard (BTRS) X9.121-2012 overview · Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (Remittance Coalition)