Variable Symbol Settings

Variabilný symbol (VS) je identifikátor transakcie používaný v českom a slovenskom bankovníctve. Nastavte jeho formátovanie pre GPC aj SEPA XML výstupy.

What is a variable symbol?

A variable symbol is a numerical identifier assigned to a payment that is used to match payments with invoices or orders. In the Czech and Slovak banking systems, the variable symbol is typically a 10-digit number. In international payment systems (e.g., PayPal, Wise, Amazon), text identifiers (order numbers, reference codes) are used instead of the VS.

Biatec allows you to configure how these text identifiers are converted into a numeric VS for the GPC format and how they are displayed in the SEPA XML format.

Tip: You can find VS settings in the Upload/Edit modal in a separate section titled “Variable Symbol (VS) Transformation Settings” below the CSV preview. This section applies to CSV, PDF, and XLS files and includes numbered steps.

VS Processing Pipeline (5 Steps)

During transformation, the variable symbol goes through the following steps in the exact order:

  1. Extracting VS from text — if the VS column contains compound text (e.g. Číslo objednávky: ABC123, Kód: XYZ), set the prefix and value delimiter to extract the clean value. Multiple prefixes — each on a new line; the first has the highest priority. If no prefix is found, the VS will be empty.
  2. Merge rows by VS — optional. Rows with the same extracted VS are merged into a single transaction (e.g., gross and fee in two rows). Merging is based on the full extracted VS, not the truncated 10-digit number.
  3. Formatting for GPC — the selected mode is applied (Digits Only / Convert Characters / Remap).
  4. Formatting for SEPA XML — separate mode, independent of GPC.
  5. VS mapping (remap) — optional remapping based on a custom table.

VS modes for GPC output

The GPC format supports only digits, and the VS has exactly 10 digits (padded with zeros on the left).

Mode Description Input GPC output
Digits only Removes all non-numeric characters, leaving only numbers ABC-123/X 0000000123
Convert characters to digits Each character is converted to a digit according to the conversion table ABC123 0120123000
Remap to VS Custom mapping table (source value = target VS) ORD-001 1234567890

VS modes for SEPA XML output

SEPA XML supports both letters and numbers, and the VS has a variable length.

Mode Description Input XML Output
All characters Renamed Leaves the original value unchanged (including letters and special characters). Previously called "No changes". ABC-123/X ABC-123/X
Preserve special characters New Retains letters, hyphens, slashes, and other characters — ideal for references from payment gateways and marketplace platforms (Stripe, PayPal, Allegro, Amazon). The length limit EndToEndId The 35-character limit (ISO 20022 Max35Text) is still enforced. ORD-2026/04-001 ORD-2026/04-001
Numbers only Removes all non-numeric characters ABC-123/X 123
Convert characters to digits Each character is converted to a digit ABC123 012012300
Remap to VS Custom mapping table ORD-001 1234567890

Maximum VS Length (SEPA XML)

The Max. length setting limits the number of characters in the variable symbol in the SEPA XML output:

  • 0 — no limit, VS is not truncated
  • 10 — same length as GPC (recommended for compatibility)
  • Other value — VS is truncated to the specified number of characters

For GPC output, the length is always exactly 10 characters (padded with zeros on the left, or truncated on the right).

/VS tag (SEPA XML)

The Use /VS tag setting determines whether the variable symbol is included in the structured message for the recipient:

Setting XML Output
Enabled /VS1234567890/SS/KS0308
Off 1234567890
Recommendation: If you are using "All Characters" mode and the VS contains letters, disable the /VS tag for POHODA. FlexiBee, on the other hand, requires the /VS tag to be enabled for proper payment matching.

Character-to-Number Conversion Table

This table is used in "Convert characters to numbers" mode:

Character Digit Character Digit Character Digit
A0J9S8
B1K0T9
C2L1U0
D3M2V1
E4N3W2
F5O4X3
G6P5Y4
H7Q6Z5
I8R7

Special characters:

CharacterDigit
- (hyphen)0
_ (underscore)7
+ (plus)8
/ (slash)9

Custom Mapping (Remap to VS)

In "Remap to VS" mode, you can define custom mappings of source values to target variable symbols. The format is simple—one line per mapping:

ORD-001=1234567890
ORD-002=9876543210
SUBSCRIPTION-MONTHLY=5555555555
REF/2024/001=1111111111

Mapping rules:

  • Each line contains zdrojová_hodnota=cieľový_vs
  • The comparison is exact (case-sensitive)
  • If the source value is not found in the mapping, the "Numbers Only" fallback mode is used
  • The target VS should contain only digits (for GPC) or alphanumeric characters (for XML)

Transaction fees

Important: Transactions marked as fees never have a variable symbol . In the output, they are always displayed as 0000000000 (GPC) or an empty value (XML), regardless of the selected mode. This also applies to the "Remap to VS" mode.

Summary

  • GPC — VS is always a 10-digit number (numbers only, padded with zeros)
  • SEPA XML — VS has a variable length and may contain letters (depending on the mode)
  • Mapping is common for both GPC and XML — defined once
  • Settings are per-file — each uploaded file can have a different VS mode
  • Default settings are inherited from the file type upon upload