eurobetalninger

Eurobetalningar refer to payments made in euros across Europe, primarily within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). The objective is to make cross-border euro payments as easy, fast, and inexpensive as domestic payments, by applying a common set of rules, formats, and infrastructures across participating countries.

The main instruments are the SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) and the SEPA Direct Debit (SDD). In both schemes, recipients are identified by IBANs and amounts are settled in euro. Transactions use standardized message formats based on ISO 20022 (for example pain.001 for credit transfers and pain.008 for direct debits). SEPA payments are designed to be initiated by individuals or businesses and to be processed through the national banking rails of the participating countries.

SEPA was created through the cooperation of the European Payments Council and the European Union with the goal of harmonizing euro payments. It began in the early 2000s and became operational in stages, with a target for full harmonization by 2014. The SEPA area includes EU member states and several non-EU countries that participate in SEPA schemes; in practice, euro payments within SEPA can move freely across borders under the same conditions.

In addition to SCT and SDD, SEPA has moved toward faster payments with SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst), enabling euro transfers 24/7/365 among participating banks. The system is overseen by the European Payments Council in cooperation with the European Central Bank and national authorities, and it is governed by EU payment directives such as the PSD2.

For users, eurobetalningar offer predictable costs, transparent terms, and standardized experiences across borders, supporting cross-border trade and personal remittance within Europe.