Real-time payments across Europe

Real-time payments move money between accounts in seconds. Funds clear instantly, any day, any time. Merchants benefit from faster settlement, improved liquidity, and less friction at checkout.

Europe has several real-time payment schemes. Adoption is growing, but it looks different in each country. Merchants need to understand where usage is strongest, how regulations are shaping adoption, and what it means for their payment strategy.

Key real-time payment schemes

• SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst): Transfers up to €100,000 in under 10 seconds across 36 countries in the SEPA zone. Available 24/7.
• UK Faster Payments: Supports instant transfers, widely used for personal and business payments.
• Spain Bizum: A mobile-based service used by millions for peer-to-peer transfers and increasingly for e-commerce checkout.
• Italy PagoPA: Introduced for public services, now extending to merchants.
• Nordics: Local systems like Swish in Sweden and MobilePay in Denmark are part of daily life.

These schemes are shaping how consumers pay and how merchants receive funds.

Adoption rates and usage

Real-time adoption is uneven. In the euro area, many transfers still use traditional credit transfer systems. But SCT Inst volume is growing every year. Banks are being pushed to make instant transfers the default option.

In the UK, Faster Payments is widely established. Billions of transactions move through it annually. For merchants, it is part of the country’s core payment infrastructure.

Spain stands out. Bizum has become a household name. Over 27 million people use it, and more than 50 percent of Spanish consumers choose it when offered at checkout.

In Italy, PagoPA is raising awareness of instant transfers. The government has encouraged use, and consumers are becoming more comfortable using it for other services.

In the Nordics, Swish and MobilePay are almost universal. Consumers expect to see them at checkout, and merchants that fail to offer them risk losing sales.

Merchant impact

Real-time settlement delivers direct benefits:

• You get funds instantly, improving cash flow.
• Customers see immediate confirmation, lowering cart abandonment.
• Faster refunds create trust and reduce disputes.
• Operational planning is easier when you know cash positions in real time.

Real-time methods do not replace cards or wallets. They work alongside them. The strongest checkouts in Europe offer a mix of cards, wallets, and real-time transfers.

For more detail on local differences, see our guide to European retail payment trends in 2025.

Integration strategies

Merchants have two paths.

Direct connections: Work with banks or scheme operators in each market. This can work in a single country but becomes complex in multi-market operations.

Payment orchestration: Use a single layer to connect to multiple PSPs, banks, and real-time schemes. This reduces integration overhead, simplifies updates, and provides backup options if one connection fails.

With orchestration, you manage all payments through one platform. You decide routing rules. You adapt faster when schemes grow or regulations change. Learn why this matters in our analysis of payment orchestration vs PSPs.

Risks and challenges

Real-time payments also bring new risks.

• Fraud attempts happen faster. Merchants need real-time fraud monitoring.
• Liquidity planning becomes critical when settlement is continuous.
• Reconciliation must be accurate, since inflows and outflows occur every minute.
• Regulatory pressure is increasing. Merchants need to be ready for new rules around data and authentication.

Payment orchestration helps reduce these risks by centralizing monitoring and providing visibility across all providers.

Country breakdown

United Kingdom: Faster Payments is embedded into daily commerce. Banks and fintechs use it for instant transfers, and consumers expect fast settlement.

Germany: SCT Inst is available, but adoption has been slower. Many banks still process traditional credit transfers. Merchants need to monitor growth as regulations push adoption forward.

France: Wallets like Paylib are common, and SCT Inst is supported. The launch of Wero, the European Payments Initiative’s wallet, is expected to increase real-time activity further.

Spain: Bizum dominates. Most banks support it, and merchants using it see higher checkout conversion. Bizum is expanding beyond peer-to-peer into online and in-store.

Italy: PagoPA is making real-time transfers familiar. Wider adoption in the private sector is building. Merchants that add support early gain an advantage.

Strategic guidance

Real-time adoption is not uniform across Europe. Some markets already treat it as standard, while others are slower to change. For merchants, the key is not which scheme to add first, but how to stay adaptable.

• Regulations are pushing banks and PSPs to support instant transfers.
• Consumers are becoming familiar with immediate settlement.
• Merchants need a payment setup that can connect to new schemes as they grow.

Payment orchestration provides that flexibility. Instead of building separate integrations, you manage everything through one layer. This reduces cost, simplifies compliance, and ensures resilience if one provider fails.

For more context on wallet growth and its role in faster checkout, see our report on digital wallets in Europe.

FAQ

What defines a real-time payment?

It is a transfer where funds clear and settle in seconds, 24/7.

Which European countries support real-time payments?

All EU countries can support SCT Inst, though adoption levels differ. The UK, Spain, Italy, and the Nordics all have active national schemes.

Do merchants receive funds instantly?

Yes. Funds settle instantly in supported schemes. Availability depends on the merchant’s bank.

Real-time payments are changing how Europe moves money. Adoption varies, but the trend is clear. Consumers expect instant transfers. Merchants that adapt see better cash flow, fewer abandoned carts, and stronger customer trust.

Payment orchestration is the most efficient way to integrate real-time rails alongside cards and wallets. It keeps your checkout flexible, resilient, and ready for growth.

Contact Gr4vy to prepare your checkout for real-time payments across Europe.