Generate BMO payment files without an ERP
Bank-ready BMO 1464 and EFT 80-byte payment files from a CSV. Built for small businesses, bookkeepers, and finance teams running BMO payment runs without treasury software.
If you’re sending vendor or payroll payments through BMO and don’t have an ERP — or your ERP doesn’t speak EFT to BMO — your options usually come down to three: re-enter each run in BMO Online Banking for Business (you can save EFT templates, but every variance from the saved list is a manual edit through the portal UI), license desktop EFT software you’ll use once a week, or stitch together a payment file in a spreadsheet and hope BMO accepts it.
PayFile Pro is the fourth option. Drop a CSV of payees in, get back a bank-ready BMO payment file. No subscription, no payment data sent to our servers, credits that never expire.
Scope
PayFile Pro generates BMO credit files (vendor and payroll disbursements). Debit files for pre-authorized debit (PAD) collections aren’t currently supported — email us if that’s something you need.
Two BMO payment file formats. Which one do you need?
BMO supports two batch payment file formats. PayFile Pro generates both. Which one you submit depends on how your BMO business banking profile is set up.
| BMO 1464 | BMO EFT 80-byte | |
|---|---|---|
| Format basis | BMO-specific 1464-byte layout | BMO-specific 80-byte layout |
| Currency | CAD or USD (one currency per file) | CAD or USD (one currency per file) |
| When to use | The most common BMO setup. Default unless your BMO contact has told you otherwise | Alternate format. Use only if BMO has confirmed your setup specifically requires the 80-byte layout |
| Generator | Open BMO 1464 generator → | Open BMO EFT 80-byte generator → |
If you’re not sure which one you need: ask the BMO contact who set up your business banking profile. The format you submit must match the format your account is configured to accept. Sending the wrong format is one of the most common reasons BMO rejects a file.
How it works
First time: a few minutes
- 1. Pick your BMO format (BMO 1464 or BMO EFT 80-byte) and download the Excel (.xlsx) template. The template has every column pre-formatted as text, so leading zeros in transit numbers and account numbers stay intact.
- 2. Fill in your originator details and your payee list. Originator details are what BMO needs to identify you as the file submitter: your Originator ID, your destination data centre (a BMO-assigned routing code), your file creation number, and the transit and account number of the funding account BMO will debit. The payee list is everyone you might pay this month — full vendor list, not just this run.
- 3. Save the filled-out template as CSV, then upload to PayFile Pro. Open with Excel, edit, and use Save As → CSV (Comma delimited). PayFile Pro previews the file and validates it against BMO’s format spec before generation. If anything’s off, you see it before the bank does. Hit generate, download your file, upload it through BMO Online Banking for Business.
Why XLSX as the working file, CSV for upload?
Excel will silently strip leading zeros from typed-in numeric fields, which breaks transit/account number formatting. The XLSX template is pre-formatted as text to prevent this. CSV is what PayFile Pro reads — saving from your XLSX preserves the formatting you already locked in.
Every run after: under a minute
Open last week’s XLSX (not the CSV — the XLSX preserves your text formatting). Update the date, file number, and amounts. Save as CSV. Upload, generate, done. Originator details and payee list stay put.
Skipping a vendor this run? Leave the amount blank — that row is automatically skipped and stays in your template for next week. Adding a new vendor? Add a row with their banking details once; they’re part of your reusable template from then on. The XLSX is your living payee list — you maintain it in one place and reuse it forever.
Files are generated entirely in your browser. Your account numbers, amounts, and payee list never touch our servers, our disk, or anything else.
When you’d reach for this instead of the alternatives
vs. BMO Online Banking for Business. BMO’s portal will let you save EFT templates — that’s not where the time savings live. The difference is what happens when a run varies from the template. In the portal, skipping a vendor means actively excluding them from this run; adding a new vendor means filling in their banking details through the portal UI. Both actions are stateful — undone or repeated for every run that varies. With PayFile Pro, your Excel sheet is the template: skip a vendor by leaving the amount blank, add one by adding a row. The spreadsheet is the state; each run is just what’s in the amount column. PayFile Pro doesn’t replace BMO Online Banking for Business — it sits in front of it. You generate the file here, you submit it there.
vs. an ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Sage, QuickBooks Enterprise). If you already have an ERP doing AP, use it. If you don’t, an ERP is overkill to solve “send 30 EFT payments every two weeks.” PayFile Pro is for the gap between “the bank’s portal isn’t enough” and “we have an ERP.”
vs. desktop ACH/EFT software (Treasury Software’s ACH Universal, etc.). This is the closest competitor for a small business doing BMO payment files without an ERP. ACH Universal handles US ACH/NACHA and Canadian EFT and integrates with QuickBooks. Where it differs from PayFile Pro: it’s installed Windows software (Mac users need an emulator like Parallels), licensing is annual subscription rather than prepaid credits, and the workflow is QuickBooks-tied rather than CSV-first. PayFile Pro generates BMO’s bank-specific formats (1464 and EFT 80-byte) with native templates and bank-specific validation built directly against each format’s spec. If you do US ACH, want phone support, and are already deep in QuickBooks, ACH Universal is a serious option — it’s been around since 1999 and is a NACHA Preferred Partner. If you want a browser-based tool that works on any OS, no subscription, and native templates built directly against BMO’s specific formats, PayFile Pro is the tighter fit.
vs. a hand-built spreadsheet that outputs BMO 1464 by hand. This works until it doesn’t. BMO will reject files for a missing leading zero, a wrong record sequence, an incorrect destination data centre, a date in the wrong format, or any of two dozen other things. PayFile Pro validates against the spec before generation, so you find out the file is malformed in your browser, not from a bank rejection email three days later.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between BMO 1464 and BMO EFT 80-byte?
BMO supports two batch payment file formats: 1464 (BMO-specific 1464-byte layout, the most common setup) and EFT 80-byte (BMO-specific 80-byte layout, used when your BMO profile is provisioned for it specifically). Which one you submit depends on how your BMO business banking profile is set up. If you’re not sure, ask the BMO contact who set up your account — using the wrong format for your profile is one of the most common reasons a file gets rejected. PayFile Pro generates both.
Do I need to be a BMO business banking customer to use PayFile Pro?
To submit a generated file, yes — your business needs to be set up with BMO for batch payment origination. PayFile Pro generates the file; your BMO business banking profile is what authorizes you to upload it. If you’re not sure whether your profile supports EFT origination, your BMO business banking contact can confirm and provision it if needed.
What is an Originator ID, and how do I get one?
An Originator ID — also called a Customer Number, Originator Number, or Service Agreement number depending on where you encounter it in BMO’s system — is a unique identifier BMO assigns to your business banking profile when your account is provisioned for EFT origination. It identifies you as the file submitter and goes on every payment file you generate. BMO also assigns a destination data centre code, which routes your file to the correct BMO processing centre — it’s a separate value, also specific to your account, and required for both the 1464 and EFT 80-byte formats. BMO won’t post either of these on a self-serve page — they’re specific to your business banking profile. Ask your BMO business banking contact for them.
Can I send USD payments through BMO EFT?
Yes — BMO supports EFT credits in both CAD and USD. PayFile Pro lets you choose the currency per file. One currency applies to the entire file — you can’t mix CAD and USD payments in the same generation. If you need both, generate two files. Both BMO 1464 and BMO EFT 80-byte support either currency.
Will this work with BMO Online Banking for Business?
Yes. PayFile Pro generates the payment file; BMO Online Banking for Business is what you use to submit it. They’re complementary tools. You upload the file PayFile Pro generates directly to BMO’s payment file upload feature — no integration or API connection required.
How is this different from saving a payment template in BMO's portal?
BMO Online Banking for Business lets you save EFT templates, which is genuinely useful — that’s not the differentiator. The difference is what happens when a run varies from the template. In the portal, skipping a vendor means actively excluding them from this run, and adding a new vendor means filling in their banking details through the portal UI. Both actions are stateful and have to be undone or repeated for the next run. With PayFile Pro, your Excel sheet is the template. Leave an amount blank to skip a vendor — their row stays in next week’s template. Add a row to add a vendor — they’re part of your reusable template from then on. The spreadsheet is the state; each run is just what’s in the amount column.
Is my payment data secure?
Yes. PayFile Pro generates files entirely in your browser. Account numbers, amounts, and payee lists never leave your machine — no upload to our servers, no storage on our disk, no transmission anywhere. The only data we store is your account info: email, company name, primary bank, credit balance.
What if BMO rejects the file I generate?
PayFile Pro validates files against the format spec before generation, which catches most common rejection causes (wrong field length, missing required fields, invalid characters, malformed dates). If BMO still rejects a file after generation, the most likely causes are: the wrong format for your profile (1464 vs EFT 80-byte), an incorrect Originator ID or destination data centre, or a rare edge case we haven’t seen yet. Email hello@payfilepro.com with the rejection message and we’ll help you debug.
Can PayFile Pro generate BMO debit files (PADs)?
Not currently. PayFile Pro generates BMO credit files — vendor payments, payroll, supplier disbursements. Pre-authorized debit (PAD) collections aren’t supported. If debit file generation is something you need, email hello@payfilepro.com — it’s on the roadmap and customer demand is what moves it up.
How much does it cost to generate a BMO payment file?
PayFile Pro uses prepaid credits. One credit per generated file. Credits never expire. Packs start at $10 USD for 5 credits ($2.00 per file) and scale to $1.50 per file at 50 credits. No subscription, no monthly minimum, no auto-renewal. Buy credits when you need them.
Ready to generate your first BMO file?
Free preview before you buy — see the parsed file before you spend a credit.
Not sure which? See the format comparison above or email us.
Sending payments through other banks?
Canadian banks
- RBC payment file generator → CPA005 and Standard 152
- TD payment file generator → EFT 80-byte
- CIBC payment file generator → CPA005, 1464, and EFT 80-byte
- Scotiabank payment file generator → CPA005 and ScotiaConnect EFT Import
- ATB Financial payment file generator → EFT 1464 (CPA005)
- Credit Unions payment file generator → CPA005 1464 (PaymentStream AFT)
US banks
- US ACH (any bank) payment file generator → NACHA ACH (PPD + CCD)
- JPMorgan Chase payment file generator → NACHA ACH (PPD + CCD)
- Bank of America payment file generator → NACHA ACH (PPD + CCD)
- Wells Fargo payment file generator → NACHA ACH (PPD + CCD)
- U.S. Bank payment file generator → NACHA ACH (PPD + CCD)
PayFile Pro is an independent software product. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Bank of Montreal. BMO, BMO Bank of Montreal, BMO Online Banking for Business are trademarks of their respective owners.