An Australian Banking Association (ABA) file is a standard file format used by Australian Banks so customers can make multiple payments by uploading a file to their Internet Banking. It's also commonly known as a Direct Entry file or a Cemtext file. Click here for the ABA Format File Details.
Below are the steps to create a new Company Bank Account. If your organisation is changing bank accounts, you can create a new one, after which you will have to update all applicable employees to use the new Company Bank Account. Alternatively, you can edit your existing bank account and the change will flow through to your employees.
Bank accounts are created in EFT Parameters to either pay salary and wages or creditors. To pay both, you will need to create two separate records. One without Creditor Payments ticked, which you select in employee records. And the other with Creditor Payments ticked, to attach to payroll companies and super funds for creditor payments.
We recommend taking a backup before completing these changes and another backup after the update.
To create a test file:
Take a backup.
Create one transaction for one employee, generate the EFT file and send it to your bank representative (not the banking portal) to verify the file is correct.
Once verified, restore the backup taken before generating the test transaction.
Proceed with your maintenance and transactions.
Create the Company Bank Account
Go to Payroll, Maintenance, General, EFT Parameters.
Click Add.
Select or enter the following fields:
EFT Parameters:
Code - enter a unique alphanumeric code of up to 10 characters.
Institution Name - contains the name of the financial institution.
Creditor Payments - is ticked to link the EFT to Creditors.
Identification Information:
Company Name - identifies the company's payroll information and relates to your EFT identification number. The default value is the Company Name in Common, Company Details, but a different Company Name can be entered.
Remitter Name - is issued by the bank. It is generally an abbreviation of your Company Name and is included in the EFT file.
BSB Number - Select a BSB or if it is not in the list, right-click and Add New.
Bank Account Name - is the name of the account.
Bank Account Number - contains the account number. Do not include the BSB number.
Abbr. Bank Name - identifies a bank's name using an alpha abbreviation.
EFT ID Number - enter the number issued by your bank. The EFT ID Number is included in the EFT File and is used by the bank to identify your payment information.
File Information:
Self-Balancing Disk - Tick if required by the bank. This will add both debit and credit totals to the end of the EFT file.
EFT File Processing Method - inserts a flag in the file's header record that determines how the file is processed, e.g. if you choose Standard, there will be an 'S' after the date. The bank will advise you which method to use. The options are:
Standard
Trickle
Pre-Process
None
General Description of Entries - contains the text that you would like to appear on your employee's bank statement. For example, wages, salary etc.
EFT File Path - must contain both the drive and the directory path where the EFT File is created. The path can be typed in or use Browse.
EFT File Name - enter the name of the EFT file. The file extension .ABA is added automatically when the file is generated. Your bank will advise if the EFT File name must follow a specific format.
Add the EFT Parameter to the Employee record.
This is the Company Bank account you want to pay your employee from. You will need to follow these steps for each applicable employee and bank account, i.e. if an employee has a bank split you will need to change the EFT for each bank account in the employee's record.
Go to Payroll, Maintenance, Employee, Employee.
Edit the Employee.
Select Bank Details.
Edit the bank account.
Select the new bank account in EFT.
Click OK and OK again to complete the process.
If you are using creditor payments
Go to Payroll, Maintenance, General, Payroll Companies.
Edit the Payroll Company.
In EFT Institutions select the new bank account for Creditors.
Click OK.