Local credit unions will beat the pillar banks in the race to offer customers instant transfers
Credit unions are poised to steal a march on the pillar banks by enabling members to send Revolut-style instant payments from September, ahead of an EU deadline that will require financial institutions to facilitate transactions within 10 seconds.
These instant transfers are part of the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) system, which was designed to simplify euro-denominated cross-border payments within the EU and make them as fast and simple as domestic transfers.
Typically, Sepa transfers take one to two business days – but Sepa instant payments take 10 seconds or less.
The EU's Instant Payments Regulation, which was enacted last year, stipulated that bank and payment service providers' systems should be capable of receiving Sepa instant transfers no later than January 9, 2025, and able to send Sepa instant transfers by October 9.
The service is limited to countries in the Sepa 'zone', which includes all EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and the Vatican.
Banks and payment companies will not be able to charge customers extra to send payments instantly.
Last week, a slew of credit unions across the country wrote to members to say they would start offering Sepa instant payments as soon as September, and posted that information on their websites. These included Crosshaven Carrigaline Credit Union, Affinity Credit Union, and Claddagh Credit Union.
Cara Credit Union, which has branches in Co Kerry, said on its website that it would offer instant payments from September 1.
Cara is part of Metamo, a business-to-business joint venture that provides products and services to credit unions. It has attracted investment from Fexco, the Kerry-headquartered financial services group.
Payac, the credit union-owned payments provider, last year signed an agreement with Milan-based payment technology firm Nexi to deliver Sepa instant payments to all participating credit unions in Ireland.
The pillar banks planned an instant payments app, but it was beset by problems
Payac, the Irish League of Credit Unions, and the Credit Union Development Association did not have anyone available to comment on the timelines for implementation when contacted by the Sunday Independent last week.
The main retail banks had planned to launch an instant payments app called Yippay to rival Revolut and N26, through a joint venture called Synch Payments – but the initiative was beset by delays and regulatory challenges.
The banks finally pulled the plug on the app in late 2023, four months after the Central Bank said the planned new service needed to be authorised by it.
Plans for the venture were co-ordinated by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI).
A spokesperson for the BPFI last week told the Sunday Independent that the rollout of Sepa instant payments 'will be phased in the run-up to October 9, according to the specific schedules of each individual bank and payment service provider.'
PTSB last week emailed customers to inform them they would be able to send instant payments from October 9. A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said its customers can use instant payments via the 365 app and online banking service 'on or before October 9'.
In Ireland, 280 credit unions offer current accounts that come with online banking, a mobile app, and contactless payments.
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