Instant Payments: How to get ahead and stay ahead

Instant payments aren’t just gaining momentum- they’re becoming the new normal. With big regulatory deadlines just around the corner, banks and payment providers across Europe are preparing for change. But here’s the good news: with the right strategy and smart use of data, the same pressures that feel overwhelming today can become serious growth opportunities tomorrow.

Let’s unpack what’s changing, what’s challenging, and where the biggest opportunities lie. With the right approach, navigating these challenges doesn’t just mean staying compliant - it’s about making that investment work harder to streamline operations and create better payment experiences for your customers.

What's changing?

The EU Instant Payment Regulation (IPR) means that, as of January 9, 2025, all banks and payment service providers (PSPs) in the Eurozone had to be able to receive instant payments. By October 9, 2025, they’ll also need to send them - processing transactions within 10 seconds, 24/7, 365 days a year.

The IPR aims to support the EU’s broader vision for a modern, competitive, and resilient retail payments ecosystem.

That’s not all. These rules also:

While the regulation is clear, not everyone is ready to unlock the value.

The Capgemini World Payments Report 2025 highlights a worrying gap in readiness. “Notably, only 13% of European banks can claim a strong technology foundation for instant payments”. Even fewer - just 5% - have both the business and technology strategies in place to lead in this space.

For the rest? It’s time to catch up, and quickly.

What’s challenging for banks and PSPs?

New rules and rising expectations come with a few tough hurdles:

1. Keeping ahead of real-time fraud

With real-time payments comes real-time fraud . The mandatory Verification of Payee (VoP) scheme will help address APP Fraud . But that’s just the starting point – further work is required, and having data is essential to predicting and preventing fraud, allowing you to stay one step ahead.

2. Managing liquidity in an always-on world

Instant means instant. Money moves fast, and institutions need to maintain the right level of liquidity at all times to avoid failed or delayed payments - outcomes that simply aren't acceptable in an instant payments' environment. It’s a tricky balancing act between having sufficient liquidity but not having your money sit idle at the central bank - especially for smaller players.

3. The standards puzzle: Instant payments, not-so-instant alignment

While EU banks are technically compliant with many ISO 20022 requirements, especially in the SEPA and high-value payment spaces, true, data-rich adoption and full ecosystem integration is still underway.

Globally, it’s even trickier. Standards like IP+ are still being defined, and until they are widely adopted, the real value of ISO 20022 - clean, structured, actionable data - remains just out of reach.

Data is at the core of all these challenges, serving as the foundational element that drives analysis, decision-making, and innovation.

The opportunity in front of us

Here’s where things get exciting: the same data that helps you meet compliance deadlines can also power innovation, efficiency, and better customer experiences.

1. Outsmarting fraud with data

With machine learning and real-time analytics, banks can detect unusual patterns and block fraud before it happens. The key to success? Having the right data and algorithms to act fast. Want to dive deeper into how we're helping banks stay ahead of fraud in real-time payment markets? Read our whitepaper "Uniting against account-to-account fraud".

2. Real-time liquidity control 

We know liquidity control can be a big challenge for banks, especially with the mandatory rollout of SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst). But here's the opportunity: to stay compliant, banks need to rethink how they manage liquidity - using real-time data to make smarter decisions, optimize reserves, and keep things running smoothly. Learn more about the key technologies and innovations - such as AI, real-time data, and predictive analytics - enabling treasury teams to become strategic drivers of organizational success. Download "High Speed, High Stakes – Navigating liquidity in an era of volatility”.

3. Elevate customer journeys

Data is at the heart of improving customer journeys. By enabling businesses to deeply understand user behavior and preferences, real-time data enables banks to offer intuitive solutions that add real value for customers. This personalization not only enhances the user experience but also builds loyalty, as customers feel valued and understood at every touchpoint. Ultimately, this is where revenue can be unlocked for banks. If you're not exploring how to monetize real-time payments and use the real-time data at your fingertips, you are missing out on a valuable opportunity.

Big picture: Why this matters

We’re experiencing this first-hand in markets powered by our instant payment technology such as the UK, Slovenia, Hungary, and further afield in Thailand and Peru. Consumer expectations are clear: they want fast transactions - but also demand security, simplicity, and seamless integration. And they’re not willing to wait.

Ready to stay ahead – not just catch up? Read more about our services and solutions below.