Best-Effort Structuring
Best-Effort Structuring is the primary transitional rule for pre-cutover content processed after 15 November 2026: institutions SHALL extract <TwnNm> and <Ctry> from the original unstructured address where reliably derivable and place residual content in up to two <AdrLine> elements. The CUTOVER2026 keyword is the exception of last resort where extraction fails.
How Best-Effort Structuring works in practice
The rule applies to R-transactions and warehoused payments during the Period 4 stabilisation window (cutover plus a maximum of three months). After the CUTOVER2026 keyword is withdrawn, long-tail R-transactions must be handled with Best-Effort Structuring alone (§40.2).
Source: PMPG Hybrid Postal Address v1.12 §7 / §38 (§3.3-A, p42–43); §40.2; the ioNova Postal Address Specification v2.0 PART XIII, Appendix I Q3.
Parent reference: ISO 20022 deadline — the structured address mandate.
Sources
Standards & regulatory sources
- Hybrid Postal Address, Version 1.12 — Payments Market Practice Group (PMPG), 5 March 2026.
ioNova reference material
- ioNova ISO 20022 Postal Address — Requirements and Specifications v2.0, May 2026 — ioNova reference work consolidating the sources above. Request the specification in a demo.
See ioNova ARS in action
The complete ISO 20022 Postal Address — Requirements and Specifications Update 2026 consolidates the CPMI harmonisation requirements, the BIS PIE taskforce report, the PMPG Hybrid Postal Address whitepaper and the EPC address guidance into a single reference.
Book a demo