NOTICE ON THE APPLICATION OF SEPA PAYMENTS AND INFLOWS FROM MAY 5, 2026
Banca Intesa a.d. of Belgrade (hereinafter: the Bank) will begin operational implementation of SEPA credit payments and inflows within the SEPA payment system from May 5, 2026, which implies execution of transactions in euros with the application of significantly more favorable fees.
The SEPA payment system is a single payment area in EUR currency that includes a total of 41 countries and certain territories. Among them are all 27 members of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Great Britain, as well as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia. The SEPA payment system includes the following territories: Aland Islands, Azores, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion, Saint Bartholomew and Saint Martin.
The updated list of SEPA members is available on the official website of the European Payments Council and you can view it here.
The accession of the Republic of Serbia to the SEPA payment system enabled faster and more efficient execution of non-cash payments in EUR between Serbia and the member countries of the SEPA area. Access to the SEPA payment system is an important step towards integration into the European market, which includes the introduction of international payments in EUR currency that are significantly cheaper than classic SWIFT transactions, that is, you as a user will have the opportunity to send and receive funds more favorably within the SEPA payment scheme.
Starting from May 5, 2026, the Bank will execute international payment transactions in EUR currency through the payment system - International/Interbank Clearing in the currencies of the National Bank of Serbia SEPA or SWIFT, taking into account the characteristics of the transaction, documentation, regulations and elements of the order, choosing the most favorable solution for the user. This means that you, as a user, when initiating a transaction, regardless of whether you initiate the transaction in a branch or via mobile/electronic banking, do not choose the payment system, but the Bank determines it according to the conditions met, taking care that the transaction is carried out through the most favorable payment system for you. If you still want to make a payment via SWIFT to a recipient in the SEPA zone in EUR, you can do so by selecting the OUR cost option.
The SEPA standard implies:
- SEPA orders are executed exclusively in EU currency and with a maximum of 70 characters in the user's name;
- In the case of SEPA orders, the SHA distribution of costs is applied: the sender and receiver bear the costs of their banks;
- For a SEPA transfer, a valid IBAN of the recipient that was opened in a SEPA member country is required.
- SEPA credit transfers are carried out on the same day (T+0) or at the latest on the next working day (T+1) in accordance with the Term Plan for receiving and executing payment orders
Execution within the specified period assumes the legal correctness of the received order, the correct documentation on the basis of which the payment is made, if prescribed, as well as the provision of cover for the execution of the remittance and compensation.
SEPA inflows
Funds will be credited to the payee's account immediately, i.e. on the first working (business) day in case of inflow during non-working days, but the payee is still obliged to:
- submit the correct IBAN to the principal
- on the same or the next working day, submit to the Bank a Statement on the basis of the inflow, which you can do without coming to the branch, by sending it to: prilivi@bancaintesa.rs
- submit to the Bank the document on which the payment is made in those cases where the submission of that document is prescribed.
NOTE: If the documentation is incomplete or not delivered on time, the Bank will take the actions and measures provided for in the contract and applicable regulations. If it is determined that the payment was made against the law, the Bank will report to the competent state authority, which includes the delivery of identification data of the payee and transaction data, as well as other required/prescribed data. Additionally, we would like to emphasize that failure to submit documentation, submission of incorrect or incomplete data, as well as other violations of the aforementioned obligations, may lead to the termination of the business relationship.
Do I also receive a confirmation for SEPA payments
The confirmation of the completed payment will be delivered as before to the e-mail address registered in the Bank's system, with the fact that in case of realization of SEPA payment with the date T+1 (next working day), it will be delivered the next working day in the morning hours.
How do I find out my IBAN account number?
Mobile (Intesa Mobi) and electronic banking users can see the IBAN in the foreign currency account display section (below the account number in EUR currency, starting with RS35...). You can get a valid IBAN and instructions for an international transaction in the Bank's branches and on the Internet presentation of Banca Intesa: https://selfservice.bancaintesa.rs/self-service/#/payment/instructions. It is a condition that you have a registered phone number in the Bank's system, because an SMS message confirms that the request for issuing instructions has been received by the owner of the payment account. You can also send a request to the Contact Center at the email address kontaktcc@bancaintesa.rs, when checks will also be carried out to confirm that the request was sent by the owner of the payment account.
What is cut off time?
The cut off time is the same as for SWIFT orders, i.e. on the same day:
- Orders issued via mobile or electronic banking until 1 p.m., with the fact that orders that require additional correspondence or were issued immediately before the cut-off can be approved on the next working day
- Orders issued in the Bank's branches until 11:00
On the following day, the execution:
- Orders issued via mobile or electronic banking after 1 p.m
- Orders issued at the Bank's branches after 11:00
SEPA payment schemes
There are three basic SEPA payment schemes:
SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) - payments in EUR that are executed on the same or next working day.
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) – instant payments in EUR (up to 10 seconds).
SEPA Direct Debit (SDD Core and B2B) - direct debits in EUR.
At this stage, Banca Intesa, like other banks in Serbia, as indirect participants access the SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) scheme.
Banca Intesa accesses the SEPA system through its parent bank Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A.
The key differences between SEPA and SWIFT are coverage, currency, cost and speed of payment
In accordance with the start of the application of SEPA credit transactions, the General Terms and Conditions of Banca Intesa AD Belgrade for payment accounts and user payments (OUP) have been updated, in the part of terminology, terms and conditions for execution of transactions and rejection/refund/revocation of international payment transactions. Also, the Fee Tariff of Banca Intesa AD Beograd for natural persons (Tariff of Fees) has been amended in the section of Foreign Exchange Payment Transactions, which enables you to make additional savings.
