Guides to SEPA payments
Guides to bank identification, SEPA Instant, the EU Instant Payments Regulation and Verification of Payee.
What is SEPA Instant and how does it work
SEPA Instant (SCT Inst) moves euros between European banks in under 10 seconds, at any time. How it works, limits and coverage.
EU Instant Payments Regulation: deadlines and obligations
Deadlines of Regulation (EU) 2024/886 for receiving and sending instant payments, equal charges and Verification of Payee.
Verification of Payee (VoP): what it is and how it works
Since October 2025, euro area banks check that the payee's name matches the IBAN before every credit transfer.
SEPA Instant vs standard SEPA transfer: differences
Speed, hours, amounts, cost and reach: how a SEPA Instant transfer differs from a regular SEPA credit transfer.
How to check if a bank supports SEPA Instant
Three steps to check whether a payee's bank can receive instant transfers, starting from the BIC or the IBAN.
How to find out which bank an IBAN belongs to
The IBAN contains the bank's code. Where it sits in each country, how the institution is identified and what the check cannot tell you.