AIB has announced the rollout of SEPA Instant for outgoing payments, enabling customers to send and receive funds instantly, well ahead of the European industry deadline of 9th October 2025.

This development means AIB’s 3.35 million customers can access real-time payments across the bank’s full range of channels.

SEPA Instant is part of new regulation requiring all banks to support instant transfers for both incoming and outgoing payments.

AIB, having already introduced the service for incoming payments earlier in 2025, is now completing the circle for outgoing transfers.

To date, the bank has already processed more than 4.5 million instant incoming payments in the first half of the year.

From this week, customers can make instant transfers at AIB’s 170 branches, online, and via the AIB Mobile App.

The phased rollout means the latest version of the app—available on iOS and Android—will automatically update on customer devices in the coming days, depending on settings.

Crucially, there are no extra fees for using SEPA Instant, and customers do not need to register. Payments will be made available automatically, ensuring a seamless transition for both personal and business account holders.

Instant payments differ significantly from standard SEPA Credit Transfers, which can take up to two days to clear.

Instead, funds are available within 10 seconds, 24/7, including weekends and holidays.

This positions AIB as one of the first Irish banks to deliver on the European Payments Council’s initiative, which already includes 2,790 providers—covering 79% of PSPs in Europe and nearly 90% in the euro area.

As part of industry-wide developments, Verification of Payee will also be introduced from 5th October 2025.

This additional layer of security will confirm payee details before a transfer is made, giving customers greater confidence and protection.

Geraldine Casey, Managing Director of Retail Banking, said: “AIB has been rolling out SEPA Instant for outgoing payments to customers on a phased basis and now, we are delighted to say that all personal and business customers will be able to send and receive instant payments, before the industry deadline.

“The service will be available in all 170 of our branches, online and on the latest version of the AIB mobile app.”

Graham Fagan, AIB’s Chief Operating Officer, added: "Implementing SEPA Instant ahead of the industry deadline demonstrates AIB’s ability to deliver secure, resilient, and scalable technology for our customers at pace. Instant payments requires more than speed, it requires security and 24/7 reliability for our customers.

“By combining SEPA Instant with Verification of Payee, we are providing customers with faster payments and added safety and security while laying the foundation for future innovation in real-time payments.”