The payments industry is undergoing a standardization process to utilize the same message format across various payment systems. This format is referred to as ISO 20022. As a part of this process, in 2025 the format for domestic wires changed to ISO 20022. As this standardization process continues, there are changes coming in 2026 that you should be aware of, especially if you send wires.
Starting in late 2026, beneficiary and financial institution addresses can no longer be free form. Instead, there will be individual fields for different address elements, and some of those fields will be required.
Columbia Bank customers who use Commercial Online Banking will experience some changes related to this update that are important to understand.
Timeline for changes
There are two dates that Commercial Online Banking users who send wires should pay attention to. You will see changes to your wire workflows after each of these dates.
August 24, 2026
Starting on August 24, you will see the new address fields in Commercial Online Banking. If you enter a one-time wire or create a new template, you will need to use these new fields, including the required Street Name, City/Town, and Country. Please fill in the address information as completely as possible, as more address elements may become required in the future.
If you have existing templates, please start updating them after August 24th, so they will be ready for the next change, coming in October, which will require them to be updated. Templates that are missing the required structured address information will display an exclamation mark indicator, and templates selected for use will be labeled as using a non-compliant address format.
As you update your templates, you will have read-only access to the current information in the templates, with an area to fill in the new fields on the same screen. If there is a future-dated or recurring wire already approved and associated with the template, please be sure to re-approve it. You or a user with approval authority will see it in the approvals queue.
October 26, 2026
The new address format will be required in Commercial Online Banking starting on October 26, 2026. You will be required to update your template before you can send your associated wire. Keep checking this page for more information about changes coming in October.
Have questions about the Commercial Online Banking changes?
If you have questions or need assistance updating your wire templates or file formats, please contact your Treasury Management team at 866-563-1010. You can also use the “Let’s Chat” link available in Commercial Online Banking via the Help and Live Chat option.
The ISO 20022 standard – general information
With ISO 20022, there were changes to the terminology you are used to seeing when originating wires as well as the required information.
Beneficiary Bank and Recipient addresses were required starting July 2025. Addresses are moving to a structured format with designated fields for each piece of information, rather than freeform fields, with city/town, and country required in late 2026.
Field names for the sender and receiver of a wire transfer have also changed, though you will continue to see the legacy terms in some places. Below is a comparison of the legacy terms and the newer ISO 20022 names.
| Current field name | New ISO 20022 field name |
| Originator | Debtor |
| Sending institution | Instructing agent |
| Ordering institution | Debtor agent |
| Intermediary institution | Intermediary agent |
| Account with institution | Creditor agent |
| Beneficiary | Creditor |
| Sender to receiver information | Instruction for creditor agent |
| OBI | Remittance information |
| N/A | NEW - Ultimate debtor |
| N/A | NEW - Ultimate creditor |
FAQ
ISO 20022 is a global standard for financial messaging that enables banks and financial institutions to exchange payment information in a more consistent, detailed, and efficient format. By providing richer payment data and improved automation, ISO 20022 helps reduce payment errors, strengthen fraud detection, support compliance efforts, improve reporting and analytics, and deliver faster, more reliable payment processing and cash management.
For recipients, the required fields include Recipient Name, Street Name, City/Town, and Country. Additional address fields may also be available depending on the payment type and destination.
All banks that send wire payments through these networks must comply with ISO 20022 requirements. The difference is often in how and when each institution implements the changes or asks clients to update their information. Columbia Bank is communicating early so clients have ample time to prepare and avoid payment disruptions.
After November 16, 2026, non-compliant wire templates and wire instructions may no longer be usable and payments could be rejected.
Templates that are missing the required structured address information will display an exclamation mark indicator, and templates selected for use will be labeled as using a non-compliant address format. Clients can review and update these templates before October 25th, 2026, deadline to ensure they remain available for use.
Yes. Existing wire templates can continue to be used after August 23, 2026, even if they have not yet been updated to the new address format. However, all templates that require updates identified by Commercial Online Banking must be updated by October 25th, 2026. We encourage clients to update templates as early as possible to avoid disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.
Possibly. Wires that do not meet ISO 20022 requirements may experience delays, additional review, or rejection by financial institutions involved in processing the payment. Updating your templates and payment information helps ensure payments continue to process smoothly and efficiently.
If you have questions or need assistance updating your wire templates or file formats, please contact your Treasury Management team at 866-563-1010. You can also use the “Let’s Chat” link available in Commercial Online Banking via the Help and Live Chat option.
