SEPA Instant explained — money that moves in seconds
What SEPA Instant is, how it differs from standard SEPA transfers, and why 10-second payments change the way you manage money.
If you've ever watched a bank transfer sit "pending" over a weekend, SEPA Instant will feel like magic. Here's what it is and why it matters.
Standard SEPA vs SEPA Instant
Standard SEPA Credit Transfer settles within one business day. It's reliable, but it doesn't run on weekends or holidays.
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) clears in under 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — including weekends and holidays. The money is in the recipient's account before you've put your phone down.
Why instant matters
- Splitting a bill at dinner and everyone settles up before dessert.
- Paying a contractor who can start work the moment funds arrive.
- Moving money between accounts without planning around banking hours.
Is it more expensive?
With Auriga, SEPA transfers — instant or standard — are free or near-free. There are no hidden FX markups, because EUR-to-EUR transfers don't involve a currency conversion at all.
The catch (and how Auriga handles it)
Instant transfers require both banks to support SCT Inst. Coverage across the eurozone is now very high, and when an instant transfer isn't possible, Auriga falls back to a standard SEPA transfer automatically — you never have to think about it.
Want payments that keep up with you? Open a free EUR account.