What is SEPA?
SEPA stands for Single Euro Payments Area. It's a payment network that allows individuals and businesses across Europe to send and receive euro-denominated bank transfers under the same rules, standards, and conditions — regardless of which country they're in.
Think of SEPA as the backbone of euro banking in Europe. Whenever you send money from one bank account to another within the SEPA region, you're using the SEPA network. It replaced the patchwork of national payment systems that used to exist across Europe, making cross-border euro transfers as straightforward as domestic ones.
ℹ️ Did you know?
SEPA covers 36 countries — all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland, the UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and a handful of smaller nations like Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, and Andorra.
How does a SEPA transfer work?
When you send euros from your Wickie personal IBAN account, here's what happens:
1. You initiate the transfer
Open the Wickie app, enter the recipient's IBAN and the amount, and confirm the payment.
2. The transfer is submitted
Your payment is picked up and processed through the banking network during business hours.
3. Interbank clearing
The payment is settled between the sending and receiving banks through the SEPA network.
4. Funds arrive
The money lands in the recipient's account — typically within 1–2 business days. Transfers initiated on weekends or bank holidays will be processed on the next business day.
What is SEPA Instant?
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) is a faster version of SEPA that processes payments in real time — within 10 seconds. It works around the clock, 365 days a year, including weekends and bank holidays.
Instead of batching payments overnight, SEPA Instant routes each transfer individually and settles it immediately. The moment you hit send, the money is on its way — and the recipient sees it arrive within seconds.
1. You initiate the transfer
You enter the recipient's IBAN and amount, and confirm the payment — any time of day.
2. Instant validation
Your bank validates the payment in milliseconds — checking available balance, fraud signals, and recipient account details.
3. Real-time settlement
The transaction is routed through an instant payment infrastructure (like RT1 or TIPS) and settled immediately between banks.
4. Money arrives — within 10 seconds
The recipient sees the funds in their account almost instantly. No waiting, no cut-off times, no delays.
Wickie Personal IBAN ⚡ SEPA Instant enabled
Your personal IBAN account at Wickie comes with SEPA Instant built in — so most of your euro transfers happen in seconds, not days.
Your Wickie IBAN supports SEPA Instant transfers out of the box — no setup required.
Send and receive euros at any time — evenings, weekends, and bank holidays included.
Transfers to accounts that also support SEPA Instant arrive within seconds.
Your account works with the full SEPA network, so you can reach banks across all 36 SEPA countries.
A note on Your first transfer to a new account
When you send money to a new recipient for the very first time, the transfer may take a little longer than usual. This is completely normal — it's part of a standard security verification process that ensures the destination account is valid and the payment is safe.
⚠️ First transfer to a new account
The initial payment to a recipient you haven't sent to before may take longer to process. Subsequent transfers to the same account will be instant.
✅ Transfers after that? Instant.
Once you've successfully sent to an account once, all future transfers to that same IBAN will go through as SEPA Instant — landing in seconds.
In short: the first transfer is a one-time step. After that, you benefit from the full speed of SEPA Instant every time you send to the same recipient.
Quick summary
SEPA is the standard euro bank transfer system used across 36 European countries. It's reliable and widely accepted, but takes 1–2 business days to process and only runs during banking hours.
SEPA Instant is the real-time version — transfers settle in under 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not all banks support it yet, but adoption is growing rapidly across Europe.
Your Wickie personal IBAN account supports SEPA Instant, meaning your euro transfers are fast by default. The very first payment to a new recipient may take a bit longer, but once verified, all follow-up transfers to that account will be instant.