Making payments using SEPA Instant

SEPA creates a fast, safe and efficient borderless payment system throughout the SEPA countries and territories.

SEPA covers euro denominated transactions only.

There are three payment types involved in SEPA: 
 

A SEPA credit transfer is when we make payment in euro, under your instruction, from your account to another account in the SEPA zone.

See the full list of SEPA Zone countries and territories.

SEPA instant payments are payments which are processed within seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A SEPA payment transfers money between two accounts in the SEPA zone and usually takes 1-2 business days.

 

A SEPA instant payment transfers money between two payment accounts in the SEPA zone and is processed within seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Since 25 August 2025, instant payments can happen on your account. We will let you know exactly when these become available through our online services and on our website. Some services will be coming in early 2026. These include bulk payment files, PISPS and standing orders. We will provide further detail on these closer to the time.

Yes, you will be able to make a SEPA instant payment in all of our full-service branches by using the Kiosk. 

 

For payments above €10,000, you need to complete a Paylink Euro payment form.

Yes, you can send SEPA instant payments at any time on any day, including weekends and bank holidays by using our digital services.

 

There are a few exceptions to this such as times when the system is undergoing maintenance.

No.

If you have any of the following accounts with AIB in the Republic of Ireland, you'll be able to send and receive SEPA Instant payments: 
  

Personal Demand Deposit Account 
Demand Deposit Account 
Online Saver Account 
Youth Savings Account 
Basic Bank Account 
Advantage Account 
Student Account 
Student Plus Account 
Graduate Account 
Business Start Up Account 
Business Current Account (incl. Young Farmer Account) 
Personal Bank Account  
Masterplan Account 
Junior / Student Saver 
AIB (NI) Euro Current Accounts (digital channels only) 
  

The following accounts can receive SEPA Instant payments:

 

AIB Corporate, Business and Purchasing Cards 
AIB All Personal Credit Cards

You can only send instant payments to accounts that take payments. 

You'll see a message in your mobile app, but only if you have them switched on.  

 

If you have not chosen to receive push notifications, we will send you email, and if email is unavailable, we will send you SMS.  

You will be able to send instant payments from these accounts except for a brief period of time each morning from around 3:00 to 3:30.

If you have your AIB credit card saved as a bill, you will be able to choose if you want to send a payment to that bill as instant or standard payment on the mobile app when it becomes available. 

 

If you want to set up a new bill payment to your credit card, this is done through internet banking.

 

Other banks may or may not accept SEPA Instant payments to their credit card. 

For instant payments that you send through our digital channels, you’ll  get notification on the payment’s success or failure just after you’ve sent it. 

 

For payments such as standing orders and payments made in branch, you’ll get notification on the payment’s success or failure just after it’s been processed by way of push notification, email or SMS.

From the 9 October 2025, if you send an instant payment, any interest applies on the transaction date, which is usually the next business day.

 

For example, if you send a SEPA Instant Credit Transfer from your payment account on a Saturday the value of the interest (where applicable) for this payment will be applied from the next business day example, Monday.

You can find more information about your payments in the Payment Logs using our online banking services or you can print out a Payment Advice Slip from the Kiosk located at any branch. Our branch team would also be happy to help you. You will see a Credit Value Date, field for SEPA Instant Credit Transfers received and ‘Debit Value Date, field for SEPA Instant Credit Transfers sent which is the date interest will be calculated from. The credit value date / debit value date will be displayed on the next business day.

From 5 October 2025, there will be no additional limit imposed on the value or volume of transactions via Instant Payments, beyond any limits already applying on the Channel or self-applied by the customer through their SEPA Instant limit. 

You can read the summary of changes to terms and conditions (PDF, 12 pages, 259KB) on our website.

If you don't want to accept the changes to our terms and conditions, you have the option free of charge to close your account, clearing anything you owe on it first, or let us know you are ending your agreement with us. You can do this be writing to your local branch.

VoP is a security feature that checks if the name and IBAN you enter for a payment match the details registered on the account. 

 

To get a ‘Match’ result, please enter:

Payments from Irish banks (Irish bank IBANs starts with IE), use IBAN IE76AIBK 930113 99905046.

 

Payments from non-Irish banks, use IBAN IE92AIBK 930113 99945304.

 

Even small differences (extra words, abbreviations, or typos) can result in a ‘Close Match’ or ‘No Match’.

Please remind clients making donations to your charity of your account name and IBAN, to ensure they receive an accurate VoP result.

If you receive a large number of payments, please remind your customers of your account name and IBAN. This will ensure no disruption to your business payments.

With the introduction of SEPA instant for outgoing payments you will now be able to manage your own daily or transaction limit.

 

You can apply these limits to SEPA instant payments only.

No, it's a service that's available if you would like to use it.

Yes, there are other limits that apply to payments. Get more information on AIB Payment Limits

You can set an instant payment daily or transaction limit on your mobile app, internet banking, kiosk or in any of our full-service branches.

 

 

 

For kiosk: 
Navigate to Settings and Settings > Manage My SEPA Instant Limits > Manage My SEPA instant limits Screen > toggle Daily or Transaction limit > enter a value in the text box for limit amount.

 

For branches: 
You can fill out the new instant payment limit form in any of our branches.

Daily Limit means you can make any number of instant payments in a day, up to the total amount that you set. For example, a daily instant payment limit of €500 means you can't pay more than €500 per day.

 

Transaction limit means you set a limit to the amount you can pay. For example, a transaction limit of €100 means you can't pay more than €100 per payment.

If both people on a joint account set different limits, the limit for each person applies to only their instant payments.