MT700 Field 45A When Its Description Contradicts Other Fields

Introduction

SWIFT MT700 field 45A carries the description of goods and/or services. It is an optional narrative field (Option A, 100×65z) that records what the credit is financing. The SWIFT usage rules direct that trade terms such as FOB, CIF, and similar Incoterms-style expressions should be specified in this field. Because field 45A defines the subject matter of the entire credit, its contents are continually compared against every other field and every presented document.

This guide focuses on a specific failure pattern: field 45A contradicting other MT700 fields. When the goods description, Incoterm, quantity, or unit price in field 45A conflicts with fields such as 46A (documents required), 47A (additional conditions), 44B (place of delivery), or with the commercial invoice, the examining bank treats the conflict as a discrepancy. The analysis draws on the SWIFT MT700 field 45A specification and UCP 600 Articles 14 and 18.

Failure Mode Analysis

Failure Mode 1: Incoterm in Field 45A Conflicts with Field 44B Delivery Point

Field 45A states "FCA AMSTERDAM," meaning the seller delivers at a named place in Amsterdam. Field 44B (place of delivery) names a different city or country. The delivery obligation in the Incoterm conflicts with the place-of-delivery field, producing an internal credit contradiction that the examining bank flags.

Failure Mode 2: Quantity in Field 45A Exceeds the Documentary Evidence Capacity

Field 45A describes "400,000 BOTTLES OF BEER." Field 46A requires a packing list and a forwarding agent's certificate. If the documents evidence only 380,000 bottles, the goods quantity in the documents conflicts with field 45A under Article 14(d), and the presentation is discrepant.

Failure Mode 3: Goods Description in Field 45A Conflicts with Field 47A Additional Conditions

Field 45A describes "REFINED SUNFLOWER OIL." Field 47A imposes an additional condition referencing "crude oil inspection certificate." The document set implied by the goods description and the condition in 47A diverge, creating a contradiction the beneficiary cannot satisfy with a single coherent document package.

Failure Mode 4: Field 45A Delivery Term Conflicts with Field 46A Insurance Requirement

Field 45A states "EXW (Ex Works) BUYER'S WAREHOUSE," shifting insurance and freight responsibility to the buyer. Field 46A nevertheless requires a full insurance certificate in the beneficiary's name. The insurance requirement contradicts the risk allocation in the Incoterm, and the beneficiary cannot comply with both without an amendment.

Failure Mode 5: Unit Price or Currency in Field 45A Conflicts with the Commercial Invoice

Field 45A prices the goods at "EUR 2.10 PER BOTTLE." The commercial invoice shows "USD 2.10 PER BOTTLE." Under Article 18(c) and Article 14(d), the invoice goods description must correspond with the credit. A currency or price conflict is a discrepancy.

Deterministic Resolution Architecture

Step 1: Extract the Complete Field 45A Description

Record the full field 45A narrative — quantity, product, packing, Incoterm, and named place. Treat this as the canonical description of the credit's subject matter.

Step 2: Build a Field-to-Field Consistency Matrix

Lay field 45A alongside 44B, 46A, 47A, and the pricing fields. For each data point (Incoterm, quantity, place, currency), confirm the other fields do not impose a contradictory requirement.

Step 3: Reconcile the Incoterm with Field 44B and Field 46A

Verify that the Incoterm's delivery point matches field 44B and that field 46A's document requirements align with the risk allocation the Incoterm implies. Where they diverge, the credit is internally inconsistent and must be amended before the beneficiary prepares documents.

Step 4: Align the Commercial Invoice Against Field 45A

The invoice's goods description must correspond with field 45A under Article 18(c). Confirm quantity, unit, product wording, and currency match. The invoice need not repeat field 45A verbatim, but it must not conflict.

Step 5: Verify the Packing and Quantity Evidence

Confirm the packing list and any certificate evidence the same quantity and packing stated in field 45A. A difference between the described and evidenced quantity is a conflict under Article 14(d).

Step 6: Check Field 47A Conditions Against the Goods Description

Read every additional condition in field 47A and confirm it is consistent with the goods and Incoterm in field 45A. Where a condition implies a different product or obligation, resolve the contradiction with the issuing bank.

Step 7: Request Amendment for Any Internal Contradiction

If field 45A cannot be reconciled with another field, request a specific amendment — correcting the Incoterm, the place, the quantity, or the conflicting condition — rather than attempting to present a document set that satisfies both impossible requirements.

Step 8: Final Cross-Field Verification Before Presentation

Before submission, re-read fields 44B, 45A, 46A, 47A as a single block and confirm no data point conflicts. This final check catches contradictions that individual document checks miss.

Conclusion

Field 45A is the anchor description for the entire credit, and its data are continuously tested against the rest of the MT700 message and against the presented documents. A contradiction between field 45A and another field — whether an Incoterm conflicting with the delivery point, a quantity the documents cannot evidence, or a price in a different currency — is a discrepancy under Article 14(d) and Article 18(c). The resolution is structural: reconcile the field cluster before document preparation, and amend the credit where an internal contradiction cannot be cured at the document level.

FAQ

Q1: Must the commercial invoice repeat field 45A word for word?
No. Article 18(c) requires the invoice goods description to correspond with the credit; it need not be identical. The invoice may use a shortened form, but it must not introduce data that conflict with field 45A.

Q2: What if field 45A names an Incoterm that conflicts with field 44B?
The credit is internally inconsistent. The beneficiary should request an amendment to align the Incoterm's delivery point with field 44B before preparing documents, because the document set cannot satisfy both as written.

Q3: Can field 47A override a contradiction in field 45A?
No field overrides another by implication. If field 47A imposes a condition that conflicts with the goods description in field 45A, the contradiction stands and must be resolved by amendment.

Q4: Does a quantity difference between field 45A and the packing list always matter?
Yes, when the packing list evidences a different quantity than field 45A states. Under Article 14(d) the conflict is a discrepancy. A small tolerance may be addressed by the credit's own terms, but absent such terms the conflict stands.

Q5: Is field 45A mandatory?
No, field 45A is optional under the SWIFT MT700 specification. When it is blank, the goods description is drawn from other parts of the credit or the documents themselves, but most credits populate it because the invoice must correspond to a stated description.

Q6: Can an applicant waiver fix a field 45A contradiction after presentation?
A waiver can accept non-complying documents after presentation, but the examining bank is not required to take them up. The sounder approach is to amend the credit so field 45A and the conflicting field are consistent before documents are presented.

Source Notes

Context only: The source dossier for this guide contained the SWIFT MT700 field 45A specification (SWIFT SR2018, Category 7), including the usage rule that trade terms such as FOB and CIF should be specified in field 45A, and the UCP 600 article cross-reference (Articles 14(d) and 18). No text from those sources has been reproduced. This guide was composed from first principles using the SWIFT MT700 field specification, the UCP 600 article framework, and independent analysis of inter-field contradiction patterns.