The EFT File Creation Number in Canada
A four-digit number in every CPA-005 file that goes up by one with each new file, so the bank can tell a new file from one it has already processed.
Updated November 3, 2026
What EFT Rails does
You pay through EFT Rails without building files or keeping a File Creation Number sequence. Send each payment through the API or in the dashboard. The API reference documents the payment endpoints.
Each payment carries a bank reference you can quote and your own reference, which is returned unchanged.
What the number is for
The File Creation Number helps the receiving bank confirm that it received all the files a sender created and that none was missed or processed twice. It increases by one for every file created and rolls over from 9999 to 0001. A duplicated number, other than at roll-over, gets the file rejected.1
Where it sits in the file
The number and its creation date identify the file and connect its records. In the A record, which opens the file, the File Creation Number is four digits at positions 21 to 24. It follows the originator's ID at positions 11 to 20 and comes before the creation date at positions 25 to 30.2 The CPA-005 file format guide covers the full record layout.
Every other record carries the same originator's ID and File Creation Number in its origination control data at positions 11 to 24. If that data is invalid, the file is rejected.3
The creation date is written as 0yyddd: a zero, the last two digits of the year and the day number within the year. A file whose creation date is more than 7 calendar days before the bank checks it may be rejected.4
How the bank checks it
The receiving bank checks the number against its processing record before accepting the file. It keeps a record of the last 30 Canadian dollar File Creation Numbers it processed, and a number that does not conform to the file standard is cause for rejection.5
When a bank rejects a file, its notice names the File Creation Number, the creation date and the reason.6 A duplicate outside roll-over produces a rejection because the number no longer distinguishes the file from one already processed.1
Read about EFT reject versus return and EFT returns and reconciliation for what comes back after files and payments are processed.
Running the sequence
Keep one sequence for all files you send. Record each number with its creation date and file totals, so you can answer a rejection notice from your own record.
A file sent again after a rejection is a new file, so it gets the next number. Correct the cause of the rejection before creating that file. A file that cannot be sent again in the same exchange may go in a later one.6
Your bank's specification may add its own checks on file numbers and its own numbering for test files. It is the authority for that channel.
Sources (6)
- Standard 005, Data Element Dictionary, "File Creation Number" ↩
- Standard 005, Section D, Type A ↩
- Standard 005, Data Element Dictionary, "Origination Control Data"; Standard 005, Section D, Type D ↩
- Standard 005, Data Element Dictionary, "Creation Date" ↩
- Rule F1, Part IV, "Retention of File Creation Numbers" ↩
- Rule F1, Part II, "AFT Initial File Edit and Rejected Files" ↩
Questions
What is a File Creation Number?
It is a four-digit number that helps the receiving bank confirm that all files created by a sender arrive and that none is missed or processed twice. It increases by one for every file created.1
What happens after 9999?
The File Creation Number rolls over from 9999 to 0001. The sequence then continues to increase by one with each new file.1
Why was my file rejected for a duplicate File Creation Number?
A duplicated File Creation Number gets the file rejected unless the duplication results from roll-over.1 The receiving bank keeps a record of the last 30 Canadian dollar File Creation Numbers it processed and checks conformity with the file standard.2
Does a corrected file need a new number?
Yes. A file sent again after a rejection is a new file, so assign it the next number in your sequence. The number increases by one for every file created.1