SEPA Instant Credit Transfer rulebook and implementation guidelines

The SCT Inst rulebook currently in effect up to 5 October 2025 03:30 CET is the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook version 1.2. Version 1.2 formally replaced version 1.1 of the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook at its publication on 14 November 2023.

Read more about the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook version 1.2 

Read more about the maximum amount per SCT Inst instruction under the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook version 1.2 

The Implementation Guidelines of the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook are based on the 2019 message version of the ISO 20022 standard.

Read more about the 2023 SCT Inst Customer-to-PSP IGs version 1.2

Read more about the 2023 SCT Inst Inter-PSP IGs version 1.2

Do you want to use the EPC’s Intellectual Property Rights related to the EPC payment schemes’ rulebooks and implementation guidelines for non-euro transactions? Click here for more information. 
 

Business rule-related changes 

• Introduction of the possibility for payment end-users to provide an address of the payer and/or of the payee in a hybrid format alongside the already existing possibilities of submitting an address either in a fully structured format or in an unstructured format (for more information see guidance document EPC153-22).
• The attribute AT-T056 ‘Timestamp of the SCT Inst Transaction’ must be unambiguous and include milliseconds. As the IPR amending the SEPA Regulation shortens the hard timeline for instant euro credit transfers to 10 seconds, a timestamp with milliseconds becomes very relevant to reject or not SCT Inst transactions due to a time-out.
• New entry-into-force time of the SCT Inst rulebook as of the 2025 rulebook, i.e. at 03:30 CET on the entry-into-force date concerned (no longer at 08:00 CET).
• Inclusion of Alias and Proxy definitions.
• Further rulebook precisions relating to the initiation of Recalls, the initiation of any related Requests for Status Update and their respective handling by each scheme participant concerned.

Regulatory changes as a result of the IPR amending the SEPA Regulation

• Start of the 10 seconds execution timeline (Art 5a (3), Art 5a (4) (b), amended SEPA Regulation): it is now the time of receipt of the instant euro credit transfer order and, as a general rule, equals the authorization of the order by the Originator. The time of receipt is marked by the rulebook attribute AT-T056 ‘Time Stamp of the SCT Inst Transaction’.
• Sub-timelines within the prescribed maximum execution timeline of 10 seconds (Art 5a (4) (c), amended SEPA Regulation): the 10-20-25 seconds timeline is changed into a 5-7-9 seconds timeline.
• Formal positive notification to Originator (Art 5a (4) (e), amended SEPA Regulation): the rulebook now specifies the obligation for the Originator PSP to immediately inform the Originator about the processing outcome. Each Originator PSP maintains the discretion on how to communicate such positive (or negative) outcome of the SCT Inst instruction to the Originator.

• Obligation to restore the Originator’s account after 10 seconds (Art 5a (5), amended SEPA Regulation):

  - In case the Originator PSP has received no confirmation message yet, it must immediately restore the account of the Originator. It immediately and adequately informs the Originator about this status. Each Originator PSP maintains the discretion on what and how to communicate about such status to the Originator

  - In case the Originator PSP subsequently receives a negative confirmation message: it must immediately inform the Originator. The concrete contents of such information and the communication channel used are not within the scope of the SCT Inst scheme.

  - In case the Originator PSP subsequently receives a positive confirmation message: it must immediately inform the Originator about the belated successful execution of the SCT Inst transaction. The concrete contents of such information and the communication channel used are outside the scope of the SCT Inst scheme.

  Any further action to be undertaken by the Originator PSP with respect to this situation is outside the scope of the SCT Inst scheme. The Risk Management Annex of the 2025 SCT Inst rulebook will include an assessment about and the potential measures in addressing such situation.

• Maximum amount under the SCT Inst scheme (Art 5a (6), amended SEPA Regulation): a maximum amount at scheme level is no longer applied apart from the maximum amount set by the amended SEPA Regulation itself.

• Planned maintenance or planned downtime (Art 11 (1) c), amended SEPA Regulation): the notion of 24/7/365 availability referred to throughout the rulebook is adapted. The rulebook mentions the possibility for PSPs of setting planned periods of non-availability of the instant credit transfer service being short and foreseeable due to a planned maintenance or downtime whereby the customers have been informed in advance of those periods of non-availability.

• Mandatory reachability (Art 5a (8), amended SEPA Regulation): the relevant rulebook sections are amended to ensure that current and future SCT Inst scheme participants are able to offer the service of receiving and sending instant credit transfers in accordance with the laws applicable to them – notably in accordance with the relevant Article 5a deadlines for EEA-based SEPA scheme participants, and with applicable law for non-EEA SEPA scheme participants. 

Annex IV of the 2025 SCT Inst rulebook lists all business rule-related and regulatory changes since the version 1.2 of the 2023 SCT Inst rulebook.