How do I pay by online instant bank transfer?
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer is a bank transfer executed in seconds, available at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across all member countries of the SEPA zone (enlarged European Union). Introduced at the end of 2017 on the initiative of the European Union, it uses existing SEPA infrastructure to offer virtually immediate irrevocable payments, up to a limit of €100,000 per transaction.
This solution can be initiated in two distinct ways:
- either in the traditional way, where the customer makes the transfer directly from their personal banking account by entering the merchant’s IBAN,
- either via Open Banking, where payment is triggered directly from the purchase funnel, with bank details automatically pre-filled.
After validation, the transaction is carried out in real time and the merchant instantly receives payment confirmation, along with all the information needed for accounting reconciliation (payer identity, amount, order reference).
Instant transfers differ from traditional transfers in terms of their speed and integration into the customer journey, making their online use as seamless as card payments.
Instant bank transfers: what are the benefits for e-commerce?
Integrating instant online transfers into e-commerce shopping experiences offers several decisive advantages for e-commerce players.
Reduction in transaction costs
Instant bank transfers offer a double advantage for merchants: significantly lower fees and greater transparency.
The costs of card payments, particularly via international networks such as Visa or Mastercard, are rising steadily and can reach nearly 2% + €0.20 per transaction for business cards. In contrast, the costs associated with instant transfers are stable and virtually negligible. They are generally limited to the use of an automated processing and reconciliation solution, in the order of 0.2% + €0.15 per transaction, which is up to ten times lower. This is a significant difference, allowing e-merchants to regain control of their margins.
Better conversion and new customers
The adoption of instant transfers also enables e-merchants to expand their customer base and improve their conversion rates. This solution is an attractive alternative for private customers and self-employed entrepreneurs when card payments fail or reach their limits.
In the professional segment, SMEs and mid-cap companies often favour bank transfers, in line with their traditional purchasing processes and the frequent lack of dedicated bank cards within the company.
Furthermore, for certain European markets such as Germany, Belgium and the Nordic countries, bank transfers are already the preferred payment method, making their integration an essential strategy for European merchants seeking to expand their presence.
Fewer disputes and less impact on cash flow
Finally, online instant bank transfers optimise cash flow management and significantly reduce the risks associated with fraud and post-purchase disputes.
Unlike card payments, where funds are available after a delay of up to two working days, instant transfers offer immediate availability of funds. Transactions are irrevocable and are sent from the customer’s banking space, thus limiting the transmission of sensitive data and the risk of fraud.
The costs of card payments can reach nearly 2% + €0.20 per transaction for business cards. Conversely, the fees associated with instant transfers are stable and practically negligible (…) in the order of 0.2% + €0.15 per transaction, which is up to ten times lower. – Victor Derrier
Why can a single payment platform increase sales?
The European Union has taken concrete steps to promote the rapid adoption of instant transfers. All European banks are now required to offer SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (ISCT) without charging fees higher than those for a standard transfer. This measure completely removes the economic barrier to entry for consumers.
In terms of security, a major advance further reinforces this momentum: the gradual implementation of ‘Verification of Payee’ by October 2025. As Julien Lassalle (Deputy Director of the Banque de France’s Payment Studies and Supervision Department) explains, this systematic verification of the consistency between the IBAN and the beneficiary’s name will provide additional protection against IBAN substitution fraud, particularly in invoice exchanges or B2B environments where the risk remains high.¹
At the same time, the European Payment Services Directive (PSD2) has enabled the rise of Open Banking, paving the way for a new generation of ‘account-to-account’ payments directly integrated into the sales process (also known as initiated transfers or Pay By Bank). This ability to initiate a transfer from an e-commerce shopping cart without entering an IBAN makes payments smoother and more secure.
Certain pan-European initiatives, such as Wero (replacing PayLib in France), are also paving the way for wider adoption by the general public. While these solutions initially targeted transfers between individuals, they now plan to integrate with e-commerce uses in order to meet the growing demand for payment alternatives.
What was recently considered innovative is now becoming a concrete lever for performance and control for merchants. Instant online transfers are becoming an essential part of tomorrow’s payment processes.
What challenges remain to be overcome in order to fully democratise online instant bank transfers?
Despite its many advantages, instant transfers still face several challenges before they can become fully established in e-commerce practices.
The first challenge is experiential: the user journey must be redesigned to make it as intuitive as a credit card payment or an Apple Pay transaction. This requires clear guidance to support users in this new way of paying, promoting security, speed and ease of use throughout the purchase process.
From a technical standpoint, settlement processes via Open Banking are progressing but remain inconsistent. This is particularly true in France, where some regional banks are still lagging behind, limiting the universality of the service.
Finally, on the merchant side, the challenge is to simplify and automate processing procedures: instant identification and reconciliation of payments using dedicated virtual IBANs, efficient management of anomalies (overpayments, partial payments) via adapted workflows, and direct integration into the leading e-commerce CMSs (Shopify, WooCommerce, Prestashop, Magento, etc.).
Could instant bank transfers become the future standard for online payments?
Instant transfer (ISCT) is to online payments what short supply chains are to distribution: a more direct, controlled and economical method of transaction, without imposed intermediaries. It is not simply a new option: it is a structural break in the way financial flows are initiated, transmitted and validated.
And the figures clearly show the trend: in 2023, instant transfers already accounted for 6.4% of SEPA credit transfer payments in France, compared with only 3.8% in 2022². This momentum is further intensifying thanks to the widespread introduction of free instant transfers for users and continuous improvements in the customer experience.
This is not simply a new option: it is a structural break in the way financial flows are initiated, transmitted and validated – Victor Derrier
Online instant bank transfers are gradually becoming the future standard in digital transactions. With the constant increase in costs associated with credit card transactions and the acceleration of digitalisation in B2B sales, integrating instant transfers is no longer a gamble on the future, but a strategic choice with potential short-term results.
The question is no longer whether instant transfers will become the norm in e-commerce, but when, and above all, how to prepare for them today.
Are you exploring the subject? Are you considering integrating online instant bank transfer payments?
Our teams will assist you in structuring your new payment offering.
¹ Banque de France – La parole à Julien Lassalle (2025)
² Observatoire de la sécurité des moyens de paiement – Chiffres clé du premier semestre 2024 (2024)
