TN 34 (08-08)

International Direct Deposit (IDD) for Panama (along with Poland and Hungary) requires more digits than are available in the SSA direct deposit (RTN and DAN) fields. Full information must be on ITS.gov so the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) can add the extra digits before sending the payments to Panama’s banks. All bank accounts in Panama are U.S. dollar accounts. The U.S. Embassy in Panama City reviews all completed forms for correct data. The Federal Benefit Unit (FBU) in San Jose, Costa Rica, makes the inputs to ITS.gov . Procedures vary according to the office that receives the IDD request. Panamanian IDD enrollment forms are available at the end of this section.

NOTE: U.S. domestic (i.e., non-border) field offices (FOs) should not attempt to process an IDD request for this country. U.S. domestic FOs must forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, Division of International Operations (OEIO, DIO) for processing (For more information on forwarding IDD information, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C).

A. Introduction to coding Panamanian bank data

This section describes how to code bank data for International Direct Deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Panama. SSA stores the bank data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) in the same fields as U.S. direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as IDD for Panama and allows benefit payments to be routed through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the contractor bank to the beneficiary's FI.

B. Policy for IDD to Panama

1. Where to find the data for coding

The data for coding may come from a check, a signup form for Panama (see GN 02402.342G.), or the equivalent information received by mail, phone, fax, or email.

NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025.

2. Currency

IDD payments to Panama are sent in U.S. dollars. All bank accounts in Panama are in U.S. dollars. The Panamanian balboa is on a par with the U.S. dollar and is available only in coins. The balboa is mainly for use in vending machines.

3. Coding IDD for Panama

Any IDD coding for Panama that is on the MBR must also be on ITS.gov Although the MBR cannot accept all of the digits for Panamanian banking, complete bank information must be on the website for the International Treasury Services (ITS.gov) for each beneficiary.

C. Description of Panamanian bank data

1. Bank and account codes

The IDD coding for Panamanian bank data consists of 27 digits, as follows:

• A 9-digit bank code. (This must have all 9 digits.)

• An 18-digit account number. (This must have all 18 digits.)

2. Panamanian bank data on the MBR and ITS.gov

Because there are not enough total spaces for Panamanian bank data in the Routing and Transit Number (RTN) and the Depositor Account Number (DAN) fields on the MBR, only a portion of the full code goes on the MBR. However, the full code must be on ITS.gov , a Department of the Treasury Internet-based program developed by FRBKC for IDD.

D. Process for applying Panamanian bank data

1. Applying Panamanian bank data to the MBR

The FBU in Costa Rica keys the complete bank data to ITS.gov . FRBKC then sends a portion of the bank data to SSA through Automated Enrollment (Quick$tart). The data takes at least two days to post to the MBR. SSA's MBR doesn’t have enough spaces in the RTN and DAN fields to accept all of the coding for Panama, so the final 4 digits (from the record on ITS.gov ) are not sent to SSA.

When the cutoff for direct deposit is near, the FBU in Costa Rica codes the full data to ITS.gov and codes the correct data for the MBR. When DIO makes an input for Panamanian IDD, DIO then faxes the enrollment form or request to the Embassy in Panama City for review, with a note that it has been input to ITS.gov and the MBR.

2. Applying the remainder of the bank data before payment

When a payment for Panama arrives at FRBKC, FRBKC checks it against the information for that beneficiary on ITS.gov If the information matches, FRBKC adds the remaining 4 digits from ITS.gov to complete the account number. If the two sets of information do not match, FRBKC contacts the Embassy in Panama City to resolve the difference.

3. Routing a completed enrollment form

In general, beneficiaries mail completed enrollment forms to the U.S. Embassy in Panama City. The Embassy verifies that the coding is complete and accurate and sends the completed forms to the FBU in San José, Costa Rica, for input. If the beneficiary calls to enroll, or if the form is incomplete, the Embassy completes the form and sends it to the San José FBU.

E. Procedure for coding routing and account numbers for International Direct Deposit (IDD) to Panama

1. Instructions for the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, Panama

2. Instructions for DIO or the FBU in San José, Costa Rica

3. Instructions for an FBU that is not in Panama or Costa Rica

4. Instructions if you are in an FO or RO in the U.S., or a consular office that is not in Panama or Costa Rica

F. Examples of coding Panamanian direct deposit

1. Example 1

The FBU in San José, Costa Rica, receives a completed enrollment form for a checking account in Panama. The bank data is given as follows:

123456789 123456789012345678

The FBU codes the full information on ITS.gov In three days, the following information appears on the MBR, having been sent from FRBKC through Auto Enroll:

RTN: 641234565

DAN: C12345678901234

(The system has placed the C in the DAN field because the FBU selected checking in Type of Account. The coder should never code a C in the DAN field.)

2. Example 2

Three days before the cutoff date for direct deposit, DIO receives an enrollment form from Mr. Sanchez in Panama. The form contains the following information:

The DIO technician begins the RTN field with 64, then codes the first six digits of the Bank Code (123456). He adds the U.S. check digit (5), at the end, making the RTN 641234565.

He then begins the DAN field with the final three digits of the bank code (789). He finishes with the first 14 digits of the Account Number, 12345678901234.

The DAN for the MBR is now 78912345678901234.

The technician then codes the full information from the enrollment form to ITS.gov annotates the date of input on the form, and faxes the enrollment form to the U.S. Embassy in Panama City for review of the bank data.

3. Example 3

Mr. S, a retired Federal employee living in Panama who is visiting his son in Minneapolis, MN, goes to a small field office in that area to request direct deposit of his wife’s Social Security, for which he is her representative payee. The service rep prints form SSA-1199-OP21 and asks Mr. S to complete it. He completes the form.

The service rep faxes the completed form to the paperless fax number at OEIO.

G. Exhibit of Form SSA-1199-OP21

You can print the IDD enrollment form for Panama, SSA-1199-OP21 from here. The form is also available from DIO, the U.S. Embassy in Panama City, or the FBU in San José, Costa Rica.

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