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by korhojoa 291 days ago
I'm trying to think of any bank that I've used that would not have "address book"-like functionality, and I can't think of one. All of them have this, and have had the feature for as long as I've used their online banking. Perhaps the banks you're used to aren't very modern?

SEPA transfers are (at least mine have been) max. 1h until the transfer is complete (some limit this to "banking hours"). Instantaneous transfer is common.

It seems to me like there is great variety depending on what bank you use.

API's are common, and even the same between banks now with PSD2.

Tbh, a banking barcode (or EPC QR if you prefer) displayed on the seller's webpage with unique reference + reading it with your phone and making the payment is that internet payment method via giro. The webshop uses PSD2 open banking to get notified of new transactions and knows when it is transferred.

2 comments

That's also not my experience. Giro was a nightmare compared to paypal 15 years ago and the only reason it slightly improved was regulations, not because the german banks cared about the customer experience. Now in 2025 Giro is dead as banks like DKB don't even hand out those cards by default. The system in germany is a big mess despite so many fintechs in germany.
> Now in 2025 Giro is dead as banks like DKB don't even hand out those cards by default.

Mastercard has started to punish banks that support Girocard by default, demanding that banks drop support.

This is not an issue with Giro or Girocard, but with the existing payment monopolies.

> a banking barcode (or EPC QR if you prefer) displayed on the seller's webpage with unique reference + reading it with your phone and making the payment is that internet payment method via giro. The webshop uses PSD2 open banking to get notified of new transactions and knows when it is transferred.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. This is how services like Twint in Switzerland or PayPal in Germany have worked for the last decade+.

You're saying this is currently possible, with any arbitrary two German/European banks on either end? Your customer scans the QR code, hits a button, and the QR code is replaced by a download link, and the delay is <20 seconds?

Do you have a link for the tech stack to built this?

Should be, yes. As long as instant transfers are enabled (which, reading this thread seems to not be as common as I thought).

I don't have a complete solution but this is all public information.

Barcode to read with your bank app (guide is in Finnish) https://www.finanssiala.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Pankki...

Example Bank API: https://op-developer.fi/p/psd2-info

The user will likely take ~20 seconds to get their phone out, unlock it, log in to the bank app, confirm the transaction and set their phone down. The PSD2 API shows the transaction immediately (again, instant transfer being enabled is a prerequisite) and the seller can confirm that payment is complete.

? I open my bank app go to new transaction scan the IBAN of the seller and send the money. I think the time I made a paypall account added to the paypal transfer time is more then 20sec. I have my banking app anyway.

dude honestly no idea what your point is. since instant and free giro transfer with more or less 3 clicks is the death pf anything else.

why the fuck should I have an extra layer to my bank? Its insecure ;)

I would like to know are you american? This thread is about europe

I'm in Switzerland, and am a customer of several Swiss and German banks. Because of that, I mainly use Twint, and I hope for the rest of us that Wero turns out as well or better than Twint did 10 years ago. The change is long overdue.

The thing Twint (and Wero and PayPal) allows is really easy, fast, cheap (not PayPal) and secure (not PayPal) online stores. Scan the QR Code on screen, 1 second later your download link replaces the QR code. Done.

Now, I'd like to know how to do that with SEPA/giro. PSD2 and open banking sounds promising. You seem knowledgeable. Why doesn't anybody use that (or do you have an example for a online store using it)? How fast is it really?

And why did it take so long? Twint is 10 years old, iDeal is 20 years old, PayPal is 25 years old.

Because once you have those capabilities, you can do a small firmware update on credit card readers with a display, and you can pay by app everywhere - no credit card, NFC or Google/Apple/Samsung pay integration neccessary.