We harmonise payments in Europe
We help make it possible for citizens and businesses to pay with the same ease and convenience across the Single Euro Payments Area() as in their home country. We design and manage the SEPA payment schemes, which are the rules underlying most of the euro credit transfers and direct debits in Europe. We represent payment service providers () on all European payment issues and contribute to shaping the future European payments landscape.
Manage
We maintain the schemes and make them evolve in dialogue with our stakeholders.
Envision
We strive for a better harmonisation of other innovative electronic payment instruments, like card and mobile payments.
Influence
We define positions and make proposals on payment aspects of European policies and legislations.
4,000+ scheme participants
must formally adhere to the schemes in order to offer their customers the ease and convenience of SEPA transactions.
520+
million citizens
117
billion electronic payments per year
34
European countries
About
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a European Union payments integration initiative to harmonise electronic euro payments in Europe. Thanks to this project, citizens and companies can use the same payment instruments – in particular, credit transfers, direct debits and cards – when making euro transactions across Europe as when paying in euros in their home country. The supports and promotes SEPA, which is driven by European institutions.
Featured
Get ready for the Instant Credit Transfer scheme
The Instant Credit Transfer ( Inst) scheme will be effective from November 2017; it will significantly change payments as we know them.
How to participate?
All are encouraged to adhere rapidly to the scheme via the website as receivers of transactions and / or payers in order to give it momentum and meet customer needs.