Instant payment

An instant payment is a euro credit transfer settled in under 10 seconds, at any time of day, including weekends and public holidays. Since 2025 the European instant payments regulation has required banks in the euro area to offer it at the same price as an ordinary transfer. Its speed and the fact that it cannot be recalled also make it a fraud concern. That is why controls such as Verification of Payee (VoP) have spread quickly.