Single Euro Payments Area is a payment integration initiative of European countries, which simplifies the execution of transfers in euro, both in terms of speed and cost efficiency.
What are the use cases of SEPA transfers?
European citizens and residents use SEPA for different motivations. These include but are not limited to billing for services or products, receiving salaries, pensions, and various regular payouts, sending money to friends and family, etc. Many businesses fully rely on SEPA within Europe, as the system help them satisfy their main needs: purchasing raw materials, buying and selling ready products, sending salaries to their employees, clearing money obligations with their partners, and the list goes on.
Although certain banks may apply small commissions for the Single Euro Payments Area transactions, the system is completely free on a general scale. Moreover, as all payments are in Euro only, customers also save on exchange rates. Any given transfer that amounts to less than 50,000 EUR will only require a couple of hours to reach the beneficiary. Besides, the instant credit transfer option that takes 10 seconds at most, is being gradually integrated all over Europe.
The euro currency and its coverage
Euro has the status of national currency in nineteen countries of the Eurozone, as well as in nine other non-EU territories, including two states outside Europe.
Euro is the only available currency in the SEPA system, as it covers not only the EU member-states, but also Norway, Denmark, Poland, and other countries. Open financial and customs borders give businesses in these countries an opportunity to conveniently trade and operate in Euro, alongside the local currency.