Sec. 42a-4A-103. Payment order; definitions.
Sec. 42a-4A-201. Security procedure.
Sec. 42a-4A-202. Authorized and verified payment orders.
Sec. 42a-4A-203. Unenforceability of certain verified payment orders.
Sec. 42a-4A-207. Misdescription of beneficiary.
Sec. 42a-4A-208. Misdescription of intermediary bank or beneficiary's bank.
Sec. 42a-4A-210. Rejection of payment order.
Sec. 42a-4A-211. Cancellation and amendment of payment order.
Sec. 42a-4A-305. Liability for late or improper execution or failure to execute payment order.
Sec. 42a-4A-103. Payment order; definitions. (a) In this article:
(1) “Payment order” means an instruction of a sender to a receiving bank, transmitted orally or in a record to pay, or to cause another bank to pay, a fixed or determinable amount of money to a beneficiary if: (i) The instruction does not state a condition to payment to the beneficiary other than time of payment, (ii) the receiving bank is to be reimbursed by debiting an account of, or otherwise receiving payment from, the sender, and (iii) the instruction is transmitted by the sender directly to the receiving bank or to an agent, funds-transfer system, or communication system for transmittal to the receiving bank.
(2) “Beneficiary” means the person to be paid by the beneficiary's bank.
(3) “Beneficiary's bank” means the bank identified in a payment order in which an account of the beneficiary is to be credited pursuant to the order or which otherwise is to make payment to the beneficiary if the order does not provide for payment to an account.
(4) “Receiving bank” means the bank to which the sender's instruction is addressed.
(5) “Sender” means the person giving the instruction to the receiving bank.
(b) If an instruction complying with subsection (a)(1) is to make more than one payment to a beneficiary, the instruction is a separate payment order with respect to each payment.
(c) A payment order is issued when it is sent to the receiving bank.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-103), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 18.)
History: P.A. 25-145 redefined “payment order” in Subsec. (a)(1), effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-201. Security procedure. “Security procedure” means a procedure established by agreement of a customer and a receiving bank for the purpose of (i) verifying that a payment order or communication amending or cancelling a payment order is that of the customer, or (ii) detecting error in the transmission or the content of the payment order or communication. A security procedure may impose an obligation on the receiving bank or the customer and may require the use of algorithms or other codes, identifying words or numbers, symbols, sounds, biometrics, encryption, callback procedures, or similar security devices. Comparison of a signature on a payment order or communication with an authorized specimen signature of the customer or requiring a payment order to be sent from a known electronic mail address, Internet protocol address or telephone number is not by itself a security procedure.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-201), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 19.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended section to add that security measure may impose an obligation on the receiving bank or the customer, add references to symbols, sounds and biometrics and add provision re payment order to be sent from known electronic mail address, Internet protocol address or telephone number is not by itself a security procedure, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-202. Authorized and verified payment orders. (a) A payment order received by the receiving bank is the authorized order of the person identified as sender if that person authorized the order or is otherwise bound by it under the law of agency.
(b) If a bank and its customer have agreed that the authenticity of payment orders issued to the bank in the name of the customer as sender will be verified pursuant to a security procedure, a payment order received by the receiving bank is effective as the order of the customer, whether or not authorized, if (i) the security procedure is a commercially reasonable method of providing security against unauthorized payment orders, and (ii) the bank proves that it accepted the payment order in good faith and in compliance with the bank's obligations under the security procedure and any agreement or instruction of the customer, evidenced by a record, restricting acceptance of payment orders issued in the name of the customer. The bank is not required to follow an instruction that violates an agreement with the customer, evidenced by a record, or notice of which is not received at a time and in a manner affording the bank a reasonable opportunity to act on it before the payment order is accepted.
(c) Commercial reasonableness of a security procedure is a question of law to be determined by considering the wishes of the customer expressed to the bank, the circumstances of the customer known to the bank, including the size, type, and frequency of payment orders normally issued by the customer to the bank, alternative security procedures offered to the customer, and security procedures in general use by customers and receiving banks similarly situated. A security procedure is deemed to be commercially reasonable if (i) the security procedure was chosen by the customer after the bank offered, and the customer refused, a security procedure that was commercially reasonable for that customer, and (ii) the customer expressly agreed in a record to be bound by any payment order, whether or not authorized, issued in its name and accepted by the bank in compliance with the bank's obligations under the security procedure chosen by the customer.
(d) The term “sender” in this article includes the customer in whose name a payment order is issued if the order is the authorized order of the customer under subsection (a), or it is effective as the order of the customer under subsection (b).
(e) This section applies to amendments and cancellations of payment orders to the same extent it applies to payment orders.
(f) Except as provided in this section and in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 42a-4A-203, rights and obligations arising under this section or section 42a-4A-203 may not be varied by agreement.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-202), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 20.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended Subsec. (b)(ii) by substituting “compliance with the bank's obligation under the security procedure” for “compliance with the security procedure”, substituting “agreement” for “written agreement” and by adding agreement be “evidenced by a record” and amended Subsec. (c)(ii) by substituting “record” for “writing” and by substituting “compliance with the bank's obligation under the security procedure” for “compliance with the security procedure”, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-203. Unenforceability of certain verified payment orders. (a) If an accepted payment order is not, under subsection (a) of section 42a-4A-202, an authorized order of a customer identified as sender, but is effective as an order of the customer pursuant to subsection (b) of section 42a-4A-202, the following rules apply:
(1) By express agreement evidenced by a record, the receiving bank may limit the extent to which it is entitled to enforce or retain payment of the payment order.
(2) The receiving bank is not entitled to enforce or retain payment of the payment order if the customer proves that the order was not caused, directly or indirectly, by a person (i) entrusted at any time with duties to act for the customer with respect to payment orders or the security procedure, or (ii) who obtained access to transmitting facilities of the customer or who obtained, from a source controlled by the customer and without authority of the receiving bank, information facilitating breach of the security procedure, regardless of how the information was obtained or whether the customer was at fault. Information includes any access device, computer software, or the like.
(b) This section applies to amendments of payment orders to the same extent it applies to payment orders.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-203), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 21.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by substituting “agreement evidenced by a record” for “written agreement”, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-207. Misdescription of beneficiary. (a) Subject to subsection (b), if, in a payment order received by the beneficiary's bank, the name, bank account number, or other identification of the beneficiary refers to a nonexistent or unidentifiable person or account, no person has rights as a beneficiary of the order and acceptance of the order cannot occur.
(b) If a payment order received by the beneficiary's bank identifies the beneficiary both by name and by an identifying or bank account number and the name and number identify different persons, the following rules apply:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), if the beneficiary's bank does not know that the name and number refer to different persons, it may rely on the number as the proper identification of the beneficiary of the order. The beneficiary's bank need not determine whether the name and number refer to the same person.
(2) If the beneficiary's bank pays the person identified by name or knows that the name and number identify different persons, no person has rights as beneficiary except the person paid by the beneficiary's bank if that person was entitled to receive payment from the originator of the funds transfer. If no person has rights as beneficiary, acceptance of the order cannot occur.
(c) If (i) a payment order described in subsection (b) of this section is accepted, (ii) the originator's payment order described the beneficiary inconsistently by name and number, and (iii) the beneficiary's bank pays the person identified by number as permitted by subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, the following rules apply:
(1) If the originator is a bank, the originator is obliged to pay its order.
(2) If the originator is not a bank and proves that the person identified by number was not entitled to receive payment from the originator, the originator is not obliged to pay its order unless the originator's bank proves that the originator, before acceptance of the originator's order, had notice that payment of a payment order issued by the originator might be made by the beneficiary's bank on the basis of an identifying or bank account number even if it identifies a person different from the named beneficiary. Proof of notice may be made by any admissible evidence. The originator's bank satisfies the burden of proof if it proves that the originator, before the payment order was accepted, signed a record stating the information to which the notice relates.
(d) In a case governed by subdivision (1) of subsection (b), if the beneficiary's bank rightfully pays the person identified by number and that person was not entitled to receive payment from the originator, the amount paid may be recovered from that person to the extent allowed by the law governing mistake and restitution as follows:
(1) If the originator is obliged to pay its payment order as stated in subsection (c), the originator has the right to recover.
(2) If the originator is not a bank and is not obliged to pay its payment order, the originator's bank has the right to recover.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-207), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 22.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended Subsec. (c) by making technical changes and substituting “signed a record” for “signed a writing” in Subdiv. (2), effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-208. Misdescription of intermediary bank or beneficiary's bank. (a) This subsection applies to a payment order identifying an intermediary bank or the beneficiary's bank only by an identifying number.
(1) The receiving bank may rely on the number as the proper identification of the intermediary or beneficiary's bank and need not determine whether the number identifies a bank.
(2) The sender is obliged to compensate the receiving bank for any loss and expenses incurred by the receiving bank as a result of its reliance on the number in executing or attempting to execute the order.
(b) This subsection applies to a payment order identifying an intermediary bank or the beneficiary's bank both by name and an identifying number if the name and number identify different persons.
(1) If the sender is a bank, the receiving bank may rely on the number as the proper identification of the intermediary or beneficiary's bank if the receiving bank, when it executes the sender's order, does not know that the name and number identify different persons. The receiving bank need not determine whether the name and number refer to the same person or whether the number refers to a bank. The sender is obliged to compensate the receiving bank for any loss and expenses incurred by the receiving bank as a result of its reliance on the number in executing or attempting to execute the order.
(2) If the sender is not a bank and the receiving bank proves that the sender, before the payment order was accepted, had notice that the receiving bank might rely on the number as the proper identification of the intermediary or beneficiary's bank even if it identifies a person different from the bank identified by name, the rights and obligations of the sender and the receiving bank are governed by subdivision (1) of this subsection, as though the sender were a bank. Proof of notice may be made by any admissible evidence. The receiving bank satisfies the burden of proof if it proves that the sender, before the payment order was accepted, signed a record stating the information to which the notice relates.
(3) Regardless of whether the sender is a bank, the receiving bank may rely on the name as the proper identification of the intermediary or beneficiary's bank if the receiving bank, at the time it executes the sender's order, does not know that the name and number identify different persons. The receiving bank need not determine whether the name and number refer to the same person.
(4) If the receiving bank knows that the name and number identify different persons, reliance on either the name or the number in executing the sender's payment order is a breach of the obligation stated in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 42a-4A-302.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-208), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 23.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by substituting “signed a record” for “signed a writing” and making a technical change, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-210. Rejection of payment order. (a) A payment order is rejected by the receiving bank by a notice of rejection transmitted to the sender orally or in a record. A notice of rejection need not use any particular words and is sufficient if it indicates that the receiving bank is rejecting the order or will not execute or pay the order. Rejection is effective when the notice is given if transmission is by a means that is reasonable in the circumstances. If notice of rejection is given by a means that is not reasonable, rejection is effective when the notice is received. If an agreement of the sender and receiving bank establishes the means to be used to reject a payment order, (i) any means complying with the agreement is reasonable and (ii) any means not complying is not reasonable unless no significant delay in receipt of the notice resulted from the use of the noncomplying means.
(b) This subsection applies if a receiving bank other than the beneficiary's bank fails to execute a payment order despite the existence on the execution date of a withdrawable credit balance in an authorized account of the sender sufficient to cover the order. If the sender does not receive notice of rejection of the order on the execution date and the authorized account of the sender does not bear interest, the bank is obliged to pay interest to the sender on the amount of the order for the number of days elapsing after the execution date to the earlier of the day the order is cancelled pursuant to subsection (d) of section 42a-4A-211 or the day the sender receives notice or learns that the order was not executed, counting the final day of the period as an elapsed day. If the withdrawable credit balance during that period falls below the amount of the order, the amount of interest is reduced accordingly.
(c) If a receiving bank suspends payments, all unaccepted payment orders issued to it are deemed rejected at the time the bank suspends payments.
(d) Acceptance of a payment order precludes a later rejection of the order. Rejection of a payment order precludes a later acceptance of the order.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-210), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 24.)
History: P.A. 25-145 substituted “to the sender orally or in a record” for “to the sender orally, electronically, or in writing”, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-211. Cancellation and amendment of payment order. (a) A communication of the sender of a payment order cancelling or amending the order may be transmitted to the receiving bank orally or in a record. If a security procedure is in effect between the sender and the receiving bank, the communication is not effective to cancel or amend the order unless the communication is verified pursuant to the security procedure or the bank agrees to the cancellation or amendment.
(b) Subject to subsection (a), a communication by the sender cancelling or amending a payment order is effective to cancel or amend the order if notice of the communication is received at a time and in a manner affording the receiving bank a reasonable opportunity to act on the communication before the bank accepts the payment order.
(c) After a payment order has been accepted, cancellation or amendment of the order is not effective unless the receiving bank agrees or a funds-transfer system rule allows cancellation or amendment without agreement of the bank.
(1) With respect to a payment order accepted by a receiving bank other than the beneficiary's bank, cancellation or amendment is not effective unless a conforming cancellation or amendment of the payment order issued by the receiving bank is also made.
(2) With respect to a payment order accepted by the beneficiary's bank, cancellation or amendment is not effective unless the order was issued in execution of an unauthorized payment order, or because of a mistake by a sender in the funds transfer which resulted in the issuance of a payment order (i) that is a duplicate of a payment order previously issued by the sender, (ii) that orders payment to a beneficiary not entitled to receive payment from the originator, or (iii) that orders payment in an amount greater than the amount the beneficiary was entitled to receive from the originator. If the payment order is cancelled or amended, the beneficiary's bank is entitled to recover from the beneficiary any amount paid to the beneficiary to the extent allowed by the law governing mistake and restitution.
(d) An unaccepted payment order is cancelled by operation of law at the close of the fifth funds-transfer business day of the receiving bank after the execution date or payment date of the order.
(e) A cancelled payment order cannot be accepted. If an accepted payment order is cancelled, the acceptance is nullified and no person has any right or obligation based on the acceptance. Amendment of a payment order is deemed to be cancellation of the original order at the time of amendment and issue of a new payment order in the amended form at the same time.
(f) Unless otherwise provided in an agreement of the parties or in a funds-transfer system rule, if the receiving bank, after accepting a payment order, agrees to cancellation or amendment of the order by the sender or is bound by a funds-transfer system rule allowing cancellation or amendment without the bank's agreement, the sender, whether or not cancellation or amendment is effective, is liable to the bank for any loss and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by the bank as a result of the cancellation or amendment or attempted cancellation or amendment.
(g) A payment order is not revoked by the death or legal incapacity of the sender unless the receiving bank knows of the death or of an adjudication of incapacity by a court of competent jurisdiction and has reasonable opportunity to act before acceptance of the order.
(h) A funds-transfer system rule is not effective to the extent it conflicts with subdivision (2) of subsection (c).
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-211), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 25.)
History: P.A. 25-145 substituted “to the receiving bank orally or in a record” for “to the receiving bank orally, electronically, or in writing”, effective January 1, 2026.
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Sec. 42a-4A-305. Liability for late or improper execution or failure to execute payment order. (a) If a funds transfer is completed but execution of a payment order by the receiving bank in breach of section 42a-4A-302 results in delay in payment to the beneficiary, the bank is obliged to pay interest to either the originator or the beneficiary of the funds transfer for the period of delay caused by the improper execution. Except as provided in subsection (c), additional damages are not recoverable.
(b) If execution of a payment order by a receiving bank in breach of section 42a-4A-302 results in (i) noncompletion of the funds transfer, (ii) failure to use an intermediary bank designated by the originator, or (iii) issuance of a payment order that does not comply with the terms of the payment order of the originator, the bank is liable to the originator for its expenses in the funds transfer and for incidental expenses and interest losses, to the extent not covered by subsection (a), resulting from the improper execution. Except as provided in subsection (c), additional damages are not recoverable.
(c) In addition to the amounts payable under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, damages, including consequential damages, are recoverable to the extent provided in an express agreement of the receiving bank, evidenced by a record.
(d) If a receiving bank fails to execute a payment order it was obliged by express agreement to execute, the receiving bank is liable to the sender for its expenses in the transaction and for incidental expenses and interest losses resulting from the failure to execute. Additional damages, including consequential damages, are recoverable to the extent provided in an express agreement of the receiving bank, evidenced by a record, but are not otherwise recoverable.
(e) Reasonable attorney's fees are recoverable if demand for compensation under subsection (a) or (b) is made and refused before an action is brought on the claim. If a claim is made for breach of an agreement under subsection (d) and the agreement does not provide for damages, reasonable attorney's fees are recoverable if demand for compensation under subsection (d) is made and refused before an action is brought on the claim.
(f) Except as stated in this section, the liability of a receiving bank under subsections (a) and (b) may not be varied by agreement.
(P.A. 90-202, S. 1(4A-305), 3; P.A. 25-145, S. 26.)
History: P.A. 25-145 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by substituting “agreement of the receiving bank, evidenced by a record,” for “written agreement of the receiving bank,” and further amended Subsec. (c) by making a technical change, effective January 1, 2026.
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