Payment Instruments and Systems in Europe

One-Day Online Training – 7 Hours

General Objective

This training is designed to equip professionals (banks, payment service providers, fintechs, regulators, and consultants) with a comprehensive and practical understanding of the European payments landscape — including payment instruments, market infrastructures, regulatory frameworks, and innovation drivers. Participants will explore how payment systems operate across the European Union and the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), how regulations like PSD2 shape market dynamics, and how emerging trends (instant payments, open banking, European payment initiatives) are redefining the future of payments in Europe.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

Describe and differentiate the key payment instruments used in Europe (SEPA credit transfers and direct debits, card payments, mobile and digital wallets).
Understand the infrastructure supporting payments in Europe, including SEPA schemes, TARGET services (T2, TIPS) for settlement, and clearing mechanisms.
Navigate the regulatory ecosystem, especially PSD2 and Instant Payments Regulation, their requirements and impacts on security, competition and business models.
Identify new trends and initiatives, such as the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and interoperability efforts aimed at reinforcing European payment sovereignty.
Apply insights to operational and strategic decisions, whether for product design, compliance, risk management, or digital transformation efforts.

Who Should Attend

This training is tailored for:

Banking professionals (front-office, back-office, payments, operations, compliance)
Fintech and PSP teams, including product, risk and technical leads
Regulators, central bank staff, and market infrastructure participants
Consultants and advisors supporting clients in the European payments ecosystem

Program – 1 Day (7 Hours)

Module 1 – European Payments Landscape & SEPA Fundamentals
Objective: Set the foundations — structures, roles and instruments.
Topics include: SEPA principles and harmonisation of euro payments, key instruments (credit transfers, direct debits, cards) and the functioning of cross-border payments within the SEPA area.

Module 2 – Market Infrastructures and Settlement Systems
Objective: Understand the backbone of payment processing.
Topics include: SEPA clearing and settlement, TARGET services (T2 real-time gross settlement, TIPS for instant payments), and interbank messaging standards (e.g., ISO 20022).

Module 3 – Regulation and Compliance (PSD2 & Instant Payments)
Objective: Decode the regulatory frameworks shaping competition and security.
Topics include: PSD2 architecture and open banking, strong customer authentication (SCA), Instant Payments Regulation requirements, verification of payees, and equality of charges.

Module 4 – Innovation & Strategic Trends in European Payments
Objective: Explore current and future developments.
Topics include: European Payments Initiative (EPI) and mobile wallets, trends in instant payments uptake, fintechs and open banking business models, and implications for banks and PSPs.

Module 5 – Case Studies & Interactive Q&A
Objective: Apply learning to real scenarios, with Q&A discussion and practical insights.

Teaching Methodology

Interactive online sessions with expert facilitator(s)
Case studies and real-world examples
Polls and Q&A for engagement and contextualisation
Practical takeaways to support implementation post-training