SEPA Instant: the transactional “new normal”

Quppy Wallet now supports SEPA Instant transactions

What is SEPA Instant

SEPA Instant is a new bank transfer technology that allows you to process euro transactions in seconds, regardless of the time of the week and the day of the week. Unlike most payment methods, the speed is independent of your account provider’s underlying clearing and settlement mechanisms. Thus, since both European payment institutions involved in the transfer are members of SEPA Instant, the transfer should be almost instantaneous, or up to 10 seconds by definition.

Why was SEPA Instant created

In the world of payments, consumers expect ever-improving and faster services. People quickly got used to simple and instant card payments. With the more user-friendly 3DS2 authentication protocol, things will only get better. Thus, companies can also be expected to do business instantly. The reality, however, is that it takes several days for most invoice or invoice payments to be paid.

The problem with B2B transactions in particular is that incompatible systems delay them, adding additional fees and complexity. To solve this problem, several European countries such as Germany, the UK and Norway have developed their own payment solutions. The limitation of their approach was that national payment schemes stop at national borders, creating a fragmented European landscape.

Based on the premise of European mobility, the first pan-European network of instant bank transfers in euros, SEPA Instant Transfer was created. Citizens and businesses can pay in the Single Euro Payments Area with the same ease and convenience as in their country of residence.

How it works

Banks process most credit transfers in batches. This means that you send the payment to your bank at different times during the day. Banks typically aggregate these transactions into a “big batch” and submit them for clearing and settlement at the end of the business day.

In contrast, SEPA Instant payments are processed at the transaction level. With Open Banking, a payment service provider can recognize a SEPA transaction as an instant payment in order to process it and clear the amount (and possibly settle) in real time. Traditional banking will never be able to match this speed.

Why start using SEPA Instant immediately

€100,000 maximum transfer amount

The amount of the transaction plays a decisive role, especially in a business environment. If a company can send or receive more money instantly, it directly affects its cash flow.

Speed

Most translations take up to 3 days to arrive. With SEPA Instant, over 99% of transactions are completed in less than five seconds. This allows firms to continue their activities without interruption.

Flexibility

You can initiate a SEPA Instant Transfer regardless of the underlying payment instrument used (credit transfer, direct debit or payment card) and the underlying clearing mechanisms (whether bilateral interbank or infrastructure clearing) and settlement (such as with guarantees). or in real time).

Availability

Instant payments should be made not only in real time. They should also be available 24/7. This implies the constant availability of payment systems that allow you to initiate payments outside business hours during all calendar days of the year.

The Quppy Wallet application is happy to offer its customers the SEPA Instant transactions.