Instant payment requests

Published: 03.11.2020 Updated: 10.03.2022

An instant payment request is a payment request sent by the payee to the payer; the payer just has to confirm the request for the initiator of the instant payment request to receive the requested amount. It will be possible to initiate an instant payment request also by indicating the payer's mobile phone number only.

An instant payment request is the final element in the environment of new generation payments developed by Latvijas Banka. It is an excellent addition to the instant payments and instant links that have already become a standard practice, providing opportunities for the development of innovative payments in virtually any field, including bill payments, e-commerce and payments in shops. Introduction of instant payment requests at an interbank level is an innovation developed by Latvijas Banka in cooperation with commercial banks and other financial sector players, which is available already since autumn 2021.

The convenient instant payment request option will be used in payments between individuals. Businesses and public institutions will be able to send payment requests containing billing information for direct confirmation (payment) without entering payment details. This will make the process more convenient, reduce potential errors and ensure quicker payment of bills.

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FAQs on instant payment requests:

 

How do I start using instant payment requests?

Wait for a notification from your bank or ask your bank about its intentions to start providing instant payment request service to its customers.

Can I send an instant payment request to any person?

Several conditions have to be met for the option of sending an instant payment request to be enabled:

  • the bank of the sender of an instant payment request has joined the instant payment solution offered by Latvijas Banka or another solution;
  • the payer's bank has joined the instant payment solution offered by Latvijas Banka or another solution.

Sending instant payment requests will be even easier if the payer has registered his/her mobile phone number with the Proxy Registry "Instant Links". In this case, instant payment requests can be made by indicating the payer's mobile phone number only, no need to know account details.

What is the difference between an instant payment request and a payment request already available via the applications used by some banks?

An instant payment request will be available at an interbank level rather than at an individual bank level, as it is at the moment. It will be based on a pan-European standard enabling an even wider use of instant payments, i.e. not only among banks in Latvia and the Baltics, but through all Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) notification.

Some examples illustrating the advantages of instant payment requests in payments between individuals

The simplest example: one person sends a request to pay a certain amount to another person. With the same ease, a person could also send a request to pay a fixed amount to a group of people, for example, attendees of an event, hobby group or training group session. It is also easy to split an amount (for example, for a purchased gift from a group of people) among all identified.


Payment systems