Final document “Interoperability of MSCTs based on NFC or BLE”

According to their mandate extension (MSG MSCT 128-21), the multi-stakeholder group on Mobile Initiated (instant) SEPA Credit Transfers (MSG MSCT) prepared a document on the Interoperability of MSCTs based on NFC¹ or BLE² (EPC287-22v0.18). The document focuses on the usage of NFC or BLE for the exchange of the necessary information between the payer and the payee to enable the initiation of an MSCT.

The new document includes a chapter devoted to a number of MSCT use cases that use either uni-directional or bi-directional NFC between the payer and the payee devices. It also contains a chapter on MSCTs based on BLE which relies on the current work on the European ID wallet and eIDAS2.0. The document continues with an analysis on the usage of these technologies for payments, their security issues and the challenges to be addressed for market use. The document further includes a dedicated chapter on the security of the data exchanged between the payer and the payee using these proximity technologies. In view of the lack of maturity of the usage of BLE for payments, the chapter on minimal data elements to be exchanged between the payer and the payee for the initiation of MSCTs only addresses NFC. Last but not least, the document identifies a number of opportunities towards standardisation, subject to sufficient market interest to pursue the NFC technology for account-based mobile payments.

Note that this new document also addresses the invitation to the EPC to broaden the scope for the work on MSCTs beyond Quick-Response (QR)-codes to other technologies starting with NFC and continuing with BLE, included in the ERPB Statement published in November 2021 (ERPB/2021/028).

In order to help developing a successful MSCT ecosystem that provides value for all, it was very important to gather industry opinion and market feedback. Therefore a ten week public consultation was launched earlier this year. This final version takes into account the comments received through this public consultation.

^{1 Near Field Communication 
2 Bluetooth Low Energy}