SEPA Instant (SCT Inst)
SEPA Instant (SCT Inst) is the real-time payment scheme within the eurozone settling transfers up to 100,000 euro within 10 seconds, 24/7/365.
SCT Inst has been live since 2017, with adoption accelerated by the EU Instant Payments Regulation (IPR, 2024/886): from 9 October 2025 all PSPs must offer instant payments at the same fee as regular SEPA. As a result instant becomes default for consumers and businesses. Use cases: P2P (Tikkie on steroids), e-commerce checkout (alternative to iDEAL), B2B flash settlement, payroll.
Example
A freelancer sends an invoice to a client. The client pays via SEPA Instant — 10 seconds later it's in the freelancer's account, including weekends. No more bank days, no more 'your money is in the pipeline'.
Frequently asked questions
SEPA Instant or iDEAL?
iDEAL is the Dutch retail scheme, routing behind the scenes via SCT Inst since 2024 (iDEAL 2.0). Functionally similar for the user, but SCT Inst is the pan-European foundation.
Why cap at 100,000 euro?
Risk management and fraud mitigation. ECB is considering raising it, but 100k is the current standard. Larger amounts: regular SEPA or TARGET2.
Related terms
Further reading
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