Standard Chartered: Real-Time Treasury: Why EU Legislation Will Unlock SEPA Instant for Corporates

Why It Matters

The regulation forces near‑instant, secure euro payments, giving corporates faster cash access and prompting banks to deliver real‑time treasury tools that can reshape liquidity management across Europe and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• EU mandates SEPA Instant payments settle within 10 seconds, 24/7.
• Verification of Payee (name‑IBAN match) adds security for corporate transfers.
• Adoption rate in Eurozone nearing 100%, banks already compliant.
• Real‑time treasury requires APIs and near‑real‑time data, not just payments.
• Future “one‑leg‑out” scheme will extend instant payments beyond SEPA.

Summary

The podcast spotlights the EU’s updated SEPA Instant regulation, which now obliges euro‑area banks to settle cross‑border credit transfers in under ten seconds, 24/7, and introduces a mandatory Verification of Payee service that matches beneficiary names to IBANs. Standard Chartered’s Richard Stansbury and Felix O explain that the rule aims to accelerate adoption, harmonise pricing, and give account‑to‑account payments a “card‑like” experience for corporates.

Data from the European Payments Council shows instant‑payment coverage at roughly 92 % across SEPA countries, effectively approaching universal adoption. Standard Chartered had already launched SEPA Instant receipt capabilities in September 2023 and met the October 2025 deadline for outbound payments and payee verification, positioning the bank to meet regulatory timelines while expanding its real‑time treasury suite.

The speakers cite concrete use cases: insurance claim payouts, flight‑disruption reimbursements, and point‑of‑sale collections that could be settled instantly. They also stress that the true value lies in near‑real‑time data exchange via APIs, enabling treasurers to update cash positions, forecast flows, and optimise liquidity well after traditional RTGS cut‑offs.

Looking ahead, the panel flags the “one‑leg‑out” scheme and upcoming PSD3 as catalysts for extending instant payments beyond the euro zone, aligning with G20 goals for frictionless global payments. Corporates must prepare by cleaning vendor master data and integrating structured beneficiary formats to minimise friction as the ecosystem evolves.

Original Description

SEPA Instant has been available since 2017, but corporate uptake has lagged. New EU rules now force banks to process instant payments within ten seconds in an effort to accelerate adoption. Members of Standard Chartered’s Europe transaction banking team, Richard Stansbury, Head, Product Management in London and Felix Orth, Director, Cash Product Manager based in Frankfurt, reflect on the extent to which the legislation will help unlock real-time payments for treasurers and the bottlenecks that remain.

Discover the series: https://treasurytoday.com/podcasts/innovation-at-standard-chartered/