What to write in the payment instructions Sberbank Online

Why do you need to indicate the purpose of payment?

The service found out that the purpose of the payment is the client’s clarification about the purposes for which the payment is made. The client selects a service or payment direction, fills in the details, and specifies the purpose - in any form.

This form is used only if it is indicated by the specific organization in favor of which the payment is made. Sberbank of Russia, being the operator responsible for the operation, has nothing to do with this. Purpose is not a mandatory requirement for every case.

It may be required for the following operations:

• Payment for services with an individual entrepreneur or individual.
• Topping up accounts on third-party resources.
• Payment according to contracts.
• Charity.
• Transfers to bank accounts.

The purpose of the payment helps the recipient of the transfer understand what exactly the payment was for. For loan agreements, such clarification is not required, since in most cases the presence of the agreement number among the required details is sufficient. The money is transferred to the client’s account without clarification or comment.

How to correctly fill out the payment instructions when transferring between a personal and current account as an individual entrepreneur

In the situation with an individual entrepreneur, when filling out the payment instructions, not everything is as obvious and unambiguous as for legal entities. The law does not oblige an entrepreneur to open a current account, but only grants him such a right (Article 11 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation). However, when making non-cash payments for business purposes, using a personal account is not allowed. In some cases, individual entrepreneurs have to pay by bank transfer:

To transfer money from a current account to a personal account, an entrepreneur, like a legal entity, needs to issue a payment order.

What to include in the payment instructions

If there is a form for clarifying the details of the transaction, then it can be empty - for personal completion by the client, or filled out - if the recipient organization filled out the form automatically.

Payment details are indicated in a form in which the recipient can understand in which direction to credit the funds. This is important when a company/organization operates in several directions. Most often, clarification is required to transfer money to various non-profit organizations and charitable foundations. A certain number of characters are allocated for explanation. As you can see from the example above, no more than 250 characters.

How to indicate VAT in the purpose of payment in a payment order

When formulating the purpose of payment in a payment order, it is necessary to reflect the essence of the service being paid (supply of goods, provision of services, performance of work), indicate the document on the basis of which the settlement is made between the payer and the recipient of funds, the type of payment (advance or subsequent payment). Standard language allows for the inclusion of other relevant information.

The phrase about the purpose of payment ends with a mention of the amount of VAT included in the amount paid, or the absence of tax. The requirement to highlight VAT in settlement documents as a separate line is contained in clause 4 of Art. 168 Tax Code of the Russian Federation. An exception is made for transfers for taxes and insurance fees, where VAT information is not indicated.

The maximum number of characters in the payment purpose is 210 characters. When a payment order is issued, VAT in the text may be indicated, for example, like this:

1. “For installation work performed under contract No. 55 dated January 12, 2018, work completion certificate dated July 15, 2018, including VAT - RUB 15,855.00.”
2. “Prepayment for knitting machines according to invoice No. 655 dated July 12, 2018, incl. VAT (18%) – RUB 25,857.88.”
3. “The charitable contribution under agreement No. b/n dated July 18, 2018 is not subject to VAT”
4. “Replenishment of the current account. Without VAT"

Read also: How to calculate VAT

Transfers of money to individuals to Sberbank Online

If the transfer is made to a private person, the owner of the Sberbank card follows a strict sequence. In the web version and mobile application, transfers are made using a similar algorithm.

Payment to a Sberbank client or to a card of another bank

In the indicated directions, the transfer is carried out using the same algorithm. The sequence of actions is as follows:

• In the “Recipient” field, enter the card number or phone number of the transfer recipient.
• In the “Debit Account” field, select the card or account from which the transfer is made.
• In the “Amount” field, indicate the transfer amount.

When transferring to individuals through a mobile application, the sender has the opportunity to add a comment to the payment. This is an analogue of purpose that acts as an explanation for the recipient - for example, “repayment of a debt” or “birthday gift.”

Transfer from Sberbank card to Yandex.Money

Transfers to electronic wallets are made by phone number or wallet number. Algorithm for performing a transaction: indicate the amount and the card (account) from which the money will be debited.

If the transfer is made by phone number, then in the “Write a message to the recipient” field you can leave a comment on the payment. The sender’s message arrives on the transfer recipient’s phone - for example, “I’m returning 500 rubles that I borrowed last week.”

Transfer from Sberbank card to bank account

Sberbank card holders can make transfers to individuals to bank accounts. This type of operation is somewhat different from the others, as it requires entering additional details. Sequencing:

• In the “Account number” field, enter the bank account number of the transfer recipient.
• In the “TIN” field, enter the taxpayer identification number.
• Next, enter the recipient’s full name and permanent residence address.

To select the name of a credit institution, you can use the Sberbank directory. As a result of searching the fields “BIC” and “Corr. account" are filled in automatically. This functionality greatly simplifies the procedure for filling out transfer details.

Next: indicate the debit account, the amount, enter the purpose of the payment - the purpose for which the payment is made. For example, this could be a charitable contribution or an anniversary gift. Before sending money, it is recommended to check the recipient's details.

What does purpose of payment mean in Sberbank Online?

Purpose of payment - the column of the payment order, which is required from the sender of funds to identify the purpose of the operation. For example, when making a payment for a tax, the sender will need to fill out not only the details fields, but also specify what tax he is paying for. If the transaction does not require clarification, the destination line will not appear on the form the sender fills out. The operation name is required only in the following cases

SberBank, Lit. No. 1481

SberCard Cashback

SberBank, Lit. No. 1481

Apply for a card

• if the recipient is an organization providing services in several areas.
• when paying to budget organizations.
• if the recipient is a private person.
• if the transaction takes place between accounts opened in different financial institutions.

If the line is filled out incorrectly, the payment may be cancelled.

Therefore, when creating a transfer through bank services, it is important to know what exactly can be written in this line and what data the system will not miss.

Answers to questions on the topic:

1. What should I write in the “payment purpose” column?

The sender provides information in any form. In this case, it is necessary to keep within the established volume and not use prohibited symbols. The main thing is that the recipient must correctly identify the payment.

2. In Sberbank Online there is no form with the purpose of payment, how to make a transfer?

If there is no field with the purpose of payment in the details, the payment is identified by the recipient automatically. No further clarification is required. If difficulties arise, you can contact the payee to clarify the information.

3. If the payment purpose field is filled in by default, how can I change it?

The payment information field, filled in automatically, cannot be changed or supplemented. This means that the recipient company has set the appropriate condition in the agreement with Sberbank.

4. Is this information verified by tax or other executive authorities?

No. The purpose of the payment is purely informational in nature, and this data has nothing to do with the tax authorities.

5. What to do if the payment purpose is indicated incorrectly?

To solve the problem, you should contact the recipient of the transfer and clarify the information.

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about the author

Irina Rusanova - higher education at the International East European University in the direction of "Banking". Graduated with honors from the Russian Economic Institute named after G.V. Plekhanov with a major in Finance and Credit. Ten years of experience in leading Russian banks: Alfa-Bank, Renaissance Credit, Home Credit Bank, Delta Credit, ATB, Svyaznoy (closed). He is an analyst and expert of the Brobank service on banking and financial stability. [email protected]

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Comments: 2

Your comment (question) If you have questions about this article, you can tell us. Our team consists of only experienced experts and specialists with specialized education. We will try to help you in this topic:

Author of the article Irina Rusanova

Consultant, author Popovich Anna

Financial author Olga Pikhotskaya

1. Natalia
   04/19/2021 at 17:24 Good afternoon! I refinanced at Sberbank to close my credit card with Tinkoff. On April 16, the money arrived at Tinkoff Bank, but they don’t credit it to my credit card account. They say that there was an error in your registration; the card agreement number was indicated incorrectly. Then they ask what was indicated in the payment instructions. And they don’t give me clear answers why they don’t enroll. What to do in such a situation, interest payments will already be due on 24.
   Reply ↓ Olga Pikhotskaya
   04/19/2021 at 18:07

   Natalya, good afternoon. You need to contact the support service through your personal account in the mobile application or Sberbank Online Internet bank, by short number 900 or in chat on the bank’s official website.

   Reply ↓

How to fill out the column

Since the line “Purpose of payment” requires arbitrary filling, the user can provide information in any form. The main thing is that this helps Sberbank, the service provider or the recipient of the transfer identify the sender. In this case, a situation may well arise that, due to an incorrectly filled in field, the payment will need to be recalled and reissued. This cannot be done through the online version, so you will have to contact the nearest Sberbank branch and waste extra time. Please note that the text must not exceed 210 characters with spaces and delimiters. There are several algorithms for filling this line. So, what can you write:

When transferring to your account

If the field is marked with a red asterisk, then you simply need to enter “Transfer of personal funds” or “Transfer of own funds”. If mandatory filling is not required, then simply skip the column to avoid unnecessary confusion.

When paying for housing and communal services and other services

The payer has the right to write the following in the payment instructions:

1. Enter the name or content of the operation (payment for gas, electricity, water, electricity, housing and communal services, rent, goods, etc.).
2. Indicate the month of payment (payment for February, etc.).
3. Set the type of payment (advance payment, additional payment, debt repayment, etc.).
4. Enter the contract number (personal account, apartment, ID, etc.).
5. Enter the apartment address.
6. Write the full name of the owner.

When transferring to another person to Sberbank

If it is just a transfer to a friend, relative, etc., then we simply indicate “private non-commercial transfer” or “non-trade transfer”. If you make a purchase through Sberbank Online and transfer funds to a private person, you must indicate that this is a commercial transfer. Although in such cases, persons engaged in various unregistered trading activities are asked to leave the field blank so that their accounts are not blocked. In addition, Sberbank Online has the right to refuse to carry out a suspicious transaction.

When transferring to another bank

It is best to simply include the recipient's account number on this line unless you are sure that any other information will do. When transferring from Sberbank Online to any other bank, a commission is charged and in case of an error it will not be returned. You will need to complete the transfer again and pay a commission.