CaixaBank and Iberpay launch Request to Pay in Europe

• Iberpay is the first CSM (Clearing & Settlement Mechanism) in Europe to obtain approval certificate from the European Payments Council (EPC) to process transactions based on the SEPA Request-to-Pay scheme for its entities.
• CaixaBank, the leading bank in innovation for financial services, has been also certified and adhered to the SEPA Request-to-Pay (SRTP) scheme of the EPC and to Iberpay’s service, being the first bank in Europe prepared to provide this service to its customers.

After obtaining the corresponding approval certificates from the EPC[1], CaixaBank and Iberpay announce that their respective payment technology platforms are ready to launch, as from June 22, the first SEPA Request-to-Pay in Europe. In parallel, CaixaBank, which has become the first bank in Europe to obtain EPC’s Request-to-Pay approval certificate, is preparing to soon launch the first commercial service that will facilitate companies the online and instant management of customers’ unpaid bills through Request-to-Pay messaging.

Request-to-Pay allows companies and individuals to request instant payments from their customers or counterparties online, digitally and without friction. This new type of instant “pull” payment (the process is initiated by the recipient of the payment) complements current instant credit transfers, which represent the “push” payment (the payment is initiated by the payer).

Spanish banks have been advocating the adoption of this new European standard for some time. They  are working with Iberpay to become certified and incorporate the standard into their services in the coming months.. This will help to create a critical mass of users, enabling the widespread adoption of this new functionality and the development of new instant and digital payment solutions.

As in the launch of instant credit transfers in 2017, the Spanish banking sector is once again at the forefront in the development of new digital, instant and 24x7 payment services for its citizens and companies. CaixaBank was also the first entity in Europe to carry out the first transaction under the SEPA instant credit transfer scheme when it was launched.

About CAIXABANK:

CaixaBank is the leading financial group in Spain with a volume of assets of over 618,000 million euros and with a relevant position at a European level. In addition, CaixaBank has a strong presence in Portugal, where it controls 100% of BPI. The group has more than 20 million clients, the largest branch and ATM network in Spain and Portugal, and leads digital banking with over 11 million digital customers. Technology and innovation are key for CaixaBank. The entity works every day to develop new models that allow it to respond to the demands and needs of its customers and to bring products, services and financial culture closer to all citizens.

CaixaBank was awarded by the US magazine Global Finance as 'Most Innovative Financial Institution in Western Europe 2022' and 'Best Consumer Digital Bank in Spain 2022'. In addition, the use of Big Data and artificial intelligence have earned the entity the recognition of 'Best entity in the world in data analysis and AI 2022' at the Qorus-Accenture Banking Innovation Awards, and 'Best Private Bank in Europe in data analysis and AI 2022 and 2021' by the PWM magazine of the Financial Times Group.

About IBERPAY:

Iberpay manages the payment system SNCE, a critical and neuralgic interbank infrastructure in the European payment network that connects practically all banks that operate in Spain to process and settle their customers’ (individuals and companies) account-to-account payments in euros within the SEPA area, mainly: instant credit transfers, request to pay, credit transfers and debits.

Iberpay processed over 2.78 billion transactions in 2022 for a value of 2.51 trillion euros, with daily peaks of more than 28 million for a value close to 20 billion euros. Regarding instant payments, Iberpay processes a daily average of 2 million instant credit transfers and peaks of over 2.7 million. Approximately 50% of all credit transfers processed in the payment system managed by Iberpay are already instant transfers.

[1] The European Payments Council (EPC) is a European body to develop payment schemes and standards in the SEPA area (Single Euro Payments Area). In the case of SEPA Request-to-Pay, the EPC has established a prior mandatory certification process.