diff --git a/account_banking_uk_hsbc/mt940_parser.py b/account_banking_uk_hsbc/mt940_parser.py
index 0243ca679..d4a6a2ba0 100644
--- a/account_banking_uk_hsbc/mt940_parser.py
+++ b/account_banking_uk_hsbc/mt940_parser.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class HSBCParser(object):
 
     def __init__( self ):
         recparse = dict()
+        patterns = {'ebcdic': "\w/\?:\(\).,'+{} -"}
 
         # MT940 header
         recparse["20"] = ":(?P<recordid>20):(?P<transref>.{1,16})"
@@ -43,16 +44,18 @@ class HSBCParser(object):
                 + "(?P<startingbalance>[\d,]{1,15})"
 
         # Transaction
-        recparse["61"] = ":(?P<recordid>61):" \
-                + "(?P<valuedate>\d{6})(?P<bookingdate>\d{4})?" \
-                + "(?P<creditmarker>R?[CD])" \
-                + "(?P<currency>[A-Z])?" \
-                + "(?P<amount>[\d,]{1,15})" \
-                + "(?P<bookingcode>[A-Z][A-Z0-9]{3})" \
-                + "(?P<custrefno>[A-Za-z0-9 _-]{1,16})" \
-                + "(?://)" \
-                + "(?P<bankref>[A-Za-z0-9 _]{1,16})?" \
-                + "(?:\n(?P<furtherinfo>[A-Za-z0-9 _.]))?"
+        recparse["61"] = """\
+:(?P<recordid>61):\
+(?P<valuedate>\d{6})(?P<bookingdate>\d{4})?\
+(?P<creditmarker>R?[CD])\
+(?P<currency>[A-Z])?\
+(?P<amount>[\d,]{1,15})\
+(?P<bookingcode>[A-Z][A-Z0-9]{3})\
+(?P<custrefno>[%(ebcdic)s]{1,16})\
+(?://)\
+(?P<bankref>[%(ebcdic)s]{1,16})?\
+(?:\n(?P<furtherinfo>[%(ebcdic)s]))?\
+""" % (patterns)
 
         # Further info
         recparse["86"] = ":(?P<recordid>86):" \