In order to emphasise and thereby make the code's function more identifiable, it is provided with a frame, in which the words "Zahlen mit Code" (on the right side bottom-up) are printed.

folder QR-Code und BCD Definitionen

• The data exchange between customer and bank and within the Austrian bank takes place with standardised XML messages.
• The international standardisation of payment transfer messages is an ongoing process.
• ISO 20022 (UNIFI (UNIversal Financial Industry message scheme)) is the basis for the standardisation process.
• SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) provides a network that enables financial institutions worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions (UNIFI) in a secure, standardised and reliable environment. All registered schemes are publicly available on ISO 20022.
• The EPC "European Payments Council" is working on the messages for the SEPA structures and publishes the current documentation.
• The PSA adapts the XML SEPA messages to the national requirements and supports the customers and bank by its process of migration.

The XML formats which have been available since the beginning of 2008 which conform to the latest version of the SEPA process may be found in the  folder download area (only in german).

Please note that these XML formats are used for all transactions, not only for SEPA! The payment transfer format EDIFACT is replaced with the introduction of the XML formats.

The interbank messages for SEPA (Zwischenbank-XML-Nachrichten für SEPA) are also available in the  folder download area (only in german). Check your files with our XML Checker to verify the format of transfers.

XML - Structure Overview

Data that are exchanged between customers and banks in Austria are sent in a file whose logical structure consists of several levels. The GroupHeader contains the necessary metadata for the exchange, which do not include any payment transfer accounting data.
Below that, the data that are to be transferred may be found. First of all the payment information level, which is composed of several different transaction elements, followed by the individual levels, which contain the individual transaction elements which belong to the payment.

Terms

• UNIFI UNIversal Financial Industry message scheme, ISO 20022 messages
• URN Uniform Resource Name, unique name for an object
• URL Uniform Resource Locator, unique storage location of an object e.g. local path
• Parser Program, extracts the XML coded data and preprocesses it if necessary

PSA is fully involved in the work of international standardisation of XML communications for payment transfers and is currently gaining competence in XML application and XML technology.

The following national projects have already been completed in XML:

• subsequent tracking automation
• eps-payment standard
• electronic payment confirmation

The strict observance of joint coordinated standards at overarching applications is an essential prerequisite for the smooth functioning in everyday application.

The corresponding standardised types of messages were developed by us with the co-operation of all Austrian banks. These types of messages are valid throughout Austria.

XML as a "data format" is on everybody's lips is an universal format for structured documents and data. Thereby, content, structure and depiction are separately defined from each other.

XML is "web-enabled", meaning it can be visualised in web browsers. Also desirable is usually the availabilty of a so-called Stylesheet (XSL), which makes longer XML-messages readable for the user.

Bank cards with payment function play an important role as part of SEPA. Hence unitary rules should be valid for all card payment transactions. These regulations refer mostly to the card payments which are already established in Austria such as getting cash from cash dispensers or paying a bill via debit card. Additionally, this framework includes unitary safety requirements (e.g.: EMW-Chip with PIN) for cards and terminals of card systems and the banking industry.

This procedure's aim is the abolition of the national alignment of European card payment systems and the enablement of a smooth cooperation of market participants, card holders, issuers, acquirers or merchants of card payment.

For quite some time, the Austrian market regarding the debit cards corresponds the SEPA-requirements.

Merchants already support this technology in numbers and offer a comprehensive network of chip-compatible payment devices ("Bankomatkassen").

Prospectively, you can enjoy with SEPA the same comforts in all European SEPA-countries. The debit card should be accepted everywhere, no matter in which European SEPA-country you are.

Since November 2009, an unitary European Direct Debit Scheme exists, the B2B Direct Debit. It may be used for EURO-payments in the inland as well as for EURO-payments within all SEPA-countries Europe-wide.

• The B2B direct debit is validated only for companies
• The B2B direct debit is final - no right of refund for the demanded amount.

Direct debits between companies may use both direct debit or B2B direct debit. B2B direct debits are final only with a valid mandate. Companies, liable to pay, are strongly recommended to submit the signed mandate to the house bank.

For the migration to the direct debit attention should be paid to the following:

• Instead of account number and bank identification number of the debtor's house bank, the IBAN (International Banking Account Number) and the BIC (Bank Identifier Code) are used.
• Application of a CreditorID at the creditor bank
• Assignment of mandate references
• Information to the debtor (date of migration, procedure, mandate reference, CID)
• Definition of a due date; on this date the calling-in of the debtor's account happens.
• One-off, first direct debits as well as recurrent direct debits shall be submitted at the latest 1 bank working days before ahead of schedule at the payer’s bank. Precise information about deadlines are available at your house bank.

A direct debit is a transfer initiated by the payee, who is the recipient of the payment. Direct debits are often used for recurring payments, such as utility bills, but may also be used for one-off payments. In any case, direct debits require a pre-authorisation (mandate) from the payer.

The European Payment Council launched the SEPA direct debit schemes in November 2009, defining common rules and procedure for a core scheme (scheme for consumers and enterprises) and for business-to-business (B2B only) direct debit schemes. The latter is largely based on the core scheme, but includes specific fea-tures for payment solely between corporate entities.

Since November 2009 an unitary European direct debiting procedure exists. It can be used for EURO-payments inland as well as in all SEPA-countries Europe-wide.

• The direct debit applies to both consumers and companies (not final).
• The direct debit substitutes today’s common Austrian procedures (direct debit authority procedures/direct debit procedures)

Important for SEPA Direct Debit

• Use of IBAN (International Banking Account Number) and BIC (Bank Identifier Code)
• Creditors have to sign an agreement with their bank to process SEPA direct debits
• Use of CID (Creditor Identification)
• Use of mandate references (New mandates are required for the SEPA DD B2B scheme!)
• When using the SEPA DD schemes, a due date has to be stated.
• To ensure settlement at due date, creditors have to respect the following deadlines (arrival at debtor bank):
• SEPA DD Core scheme
  • One-off or first DD: 5 days before due date
  • Recurrent DD: 2 days before DD
  • Option: 1 day before due date
• SEPA DD B2B
  • One-off, first, recurrent DD: 1 day before due date
• An objection period of 8 weeks persists for direct debits if a valid mandate exists. For unavailable/invalid mandates you can enter an objection within 13 months.
• Furthermore, DDs have to be marked as “One-off“, “First”, “Recurrent” or “Last”.
• The SEPA direct debit schemes distinguish between these debtor groups
• SEPA DD Core (with refund right) for consumers and corporate customers
• SEPA DD B2B (without refund) only for corporate customers
• Technical adaptation of the internal system for the XML format
• Since April 2013 there is a possibility to abbreviate the objection period: intra-Austrian direct debits may be submitted not later than 1 bank-workday before the due date at the bank. Precise informations about objection periods are available at your house bank.

Creditor Identifier (CID)

The Creditor Identifier is part of the EU-wide SEPA standardisation process. In the absence of a national identification code for direct debit schemes, CIDs are issued by the Austrian National Bank.

Credit transfer means a payment service where the "Zahlungsanweisung" is submitted by the payer to his payment service provider. Then, the amount stated on the "Zahlungsanweisung" is debited from the payer´s payment account and credited to the payment account of the beneficiary.

Improvements from the view of the customer

Electronic commissioning via online-banking: Prospectively, remittances will be performed by the input of IBAN and BIC in the online-banking-system. The IBAN as well as the BIC of the beneficiary are displayed on your bill.

Commissioning with receipt via "Zahlungsanweisung": Furthermore, transactions can be performed via "Zahlungsanweisung". On pre-printed "Zahlungsanweisungen" merely the own IBAN is required. This number is depicted on your bank card/online-banking and on your bank account statement. More and more companies provide in addition the possibility to pay via QR-code.

Main legal requirements

• The IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is the only payment account identifier for the execution of national and cross-border credit transfer in euro within the EU.
• The bank has to inform its customers about SEPA (technical and functional requirements)
• The use of the ISO 20022 XML message format is mandatory between PSPs and for PSUs which use bundled transmission to initiate transactions.
• Reference 35 characters / Remittance Information 140 characters.

The introduction of the euro as the single currency triggered the common effort to create a single payment area covering cashless payments as well. The project, which unifies rules and standards of cashless payments, was called SEPA. With SEPA, payments in euro across Europe will be as fast, safe and efficient as national payments are today. Once SEPA has been completed, there will no longer be any distinction between national and cross-border euro payments.

SEPA consists of 33 European countries and also includes countries that are not part of the euro area and the European Union such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland.

The SEPA project focuses on three payment instruments:

• credit transfer (SCT),
• direct debits (DD)
• payment cards

The European Payment Council has developed payment schemes for SCT (credit transfer) and DD (direct debit).

These schemes are defined in rulebooks that cover the rules, practices and standards applicable to SEPA payment instruments.

Main feature of SEPA

• A harmonised legal basis:
  July 2009: Transposition of the Payment Services Directive (PSD) into national law (Zahlungsdienstegesetz ZaDiG).The PSD provides a harmonised legal framework for payments in the European Union, which is necessary for the smooth functioning of SEPA. The PSD is not restricted to euro transactions, but applies to all payment services in all EU currencies within the European Union, at cross-border as well as national levels.
  November 2009: Prices for cross-border transactions (credit transfer as well as direct debit transaction) within the European Union had to sink to the level of national transactions.
  March 2012: Regulation No 260/2012 came into effect establishing technical and business requirements for credit transfers and direct debits in euro. The regulation stipulates 1 February 2014 as the end date for migration to SEPA credit transfers and SEPA direct debits in the euro area.
• Common technical standards:
To facilitate cross-border and national transactions, common standards, processes and formats (XML) were established.
• A single set of payment instruments in euro (credit transfer, direct debit, cash cards)