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What is SEPA?
SEPA is the single, integrated European market, which allows the free flow of goods and services across the region. SEPA also increases opportunities for innovation and competition in payments.
SEPA for corporate
SEPA is an opportunity for your business. The common payment area could impact your cash management arrangements, giving you greater visibility over your European cash positions. It might also allow you to centralise your payments.
SEPA direct debit
SEPA Direct Debit Debtor
The SEPA direct debit for debtor consists of two services; CORE and B2B and can be used for euro-dominated payments throughout the SEPA. The CORE service is targeted for corporates and consumers, whereas the B2B service is targeted for corporates only.
As a debtor you need to sign a service agreement with Nordea. This is done by contacting your own Nordea branch.
Your benefits:
- An easy way to pay your recurring domestic and cross-border payments in time and with correct details.
- With one euro account you can order and pay for services from both domestic and foreign companies.
- Both the creditor and the debtor must comply with the same rules in all transactions.
- Possibility to have payments refunded.
Cancellation and refund
You can cancel a SEPA direct debit request before the due date in Netbank or by contacting Nordea Customer Service. You must cancel the request no later than by 12.00 on the banking day preceding the due date.
You can request a refund of a payment up to eight (8) weeks from the debit date in Netbank or by contacting Nordea Customer Service. However, requesting a refund of a SEPA direct debit request does not release you from the payment obligation towards the creditor and you should contact the creditor about the payment directly.
Unauthorised debits from your account
If you suspect that a SEPA direct debit has been unjustifiably made (for example, a double payment, no mandate, incorrect amount), you have the right to request a refund within thirteen (13) months from the debit date. Please contact your cash management adviser at Nordea for further information.
Mandate
When a creditor offers you SEPA direct debit as a means of payment, you will receive a mandate to fill in. The signed mandate should be returned to the creditor. When using the SEPA Direct Debit B2B service a copy of the mandate should be sent to Nordea for registration.
The mandatory information required in a mandate has been specified on the European level by the European Payment CouncilOpens new window. By signing the mandate, you authorise the creditor to debit your payment account. The debit account you have specified in the mandate needs to be the same account you connect to Nordea's service agreement and you need to be authorised to use the account.
The creditor cannot verify whether the account number given in the mandate is correct or whether the party that has given the mandate has the right to use the account. You must agree on any changes to the mandate directly with your creditor.
The creditor is responsible for ensuring that the mandate is up to date. If you want to revoke the mandate or change the means of payment, you must contact the creditor directly and agree on the changes.
Terms and conditions
Please read the terms and conditions of the service before making the agreement and starting to use the service.
Service specific terms and conditions for SEPA Direct Debit Debtor Servicespdf - Opens new window
General terms and conditions for corporate cash management servicespdf - Opens new window
Service terms and conditions for payment servicespdf - Opens new window
SEPA Direct Debit Creditor
The SEPA Direct Debit Creditor service enables you to debit the debtors’ EUR accounts in the SEPA area. You can use SEPA Direct Debit Creditor service to collect funds from consumers and corporate customers who have given their prior approval to it with a mandate. The SEPA Direct Debit Creditor service has two optional services: CORE and B2B.
Your benefits
The SEPA Direct Debit Creditor service provides you a simple and cost-efficient way to collect funds from SEPA-countries. It enables liquidity centralisation, certainty of payment completion within a predetermined time cycle, and the possibility to optimise and streamline internal processes with easy reconciliation of payments received. It also enables to start investigation immediately if transaction has been rejected or refunded.
You can use SEPA Direct Debit Creditor Services as an alternative for SEPA Credit transfers when collecting euros in the SEPA area.
How to implement the service?
When considering to start using the SEPA Direct Debit service we recommend that you go through the following steps.
- Decide on which SDD type – CORE and/or B2B should be implemented.
- Evaluate your current systems identifying i.e. file formats and channels used today and assess needed changes.
- Evaluate your current collection process and make a plan for your new collection routine with your sales people and your stakeholders.
- Design of the mandates deciding on the layout and the text, including creation of the mandate handling process.
- Make a plan for internal training.
- Apply for Creditor Identifier.
You will need to have a EUR account with Nordea in Finland and to sign an agreement with Nordea in order to start using the SEPA Direct Debit Creditor service.
More information on how to get started can be found in our checklistpdf - Opens new window and in the service descriptionOpens new window and technical descriptionOpens new window.
Mandate
The Mandate is designed by either you or the debtor. The content of the Mandate is standardized, but the text in the CORE and B2B mandates differ from each other. You must ensure that the Mandate contains both the mandatory legal wording and the mandatory information.
A SEPA Direct Debit collection always requires a Mandate which is your power of attorney from debtor.
With the Mandate the debtor authorizes you to collect a payment and to instruct the debtor’s (payer’s) bank to debit the collection. The mandate must to be signed by the debtor (payer) before the first collection and for the B2B service the debtor must forward a copy of the Mandate to their own bank for registration. The original mandate must be archived by you until the mandate has expired which is 36 months after the last initiated collection.
The Service Description for Mandate, including Mandate templatesOpens new window
Creditor Identifier
The Creditor Identifier (CI) represents a unique identifier of Creditor, meaning that each CI refers to one Creditor only. The CI enables Debtors and Debtor Banks to identify a Creditor independently from its account relationship with any Creditor Bank. The combination of the CI with the unique mandate reference forms the unique SDD mandate key.
Nordea can assist you in obtaining your own CI.
Terms and conditions
Please read the terms and conditions of the service before making the agreement and starting to use the service.
General terms and conditions for corporate cash management servicespdf - Opens new window
Service terms and conditions for payment services pdf - Opens new window
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer for corporate
As a corporate customer of Nordea, you are able to receive SEPA Instant Credit Transfers from all banks in Single Euro Payments Area. Corporate customers are able to send instant credit transfers through Nordea Corporate and Open Banking channels.
Nordea transfers the funds to or from your euro-denominated account immediately once the payment has arrived to Nordea or sent from Nordea as a SEPA Instant Credit Transfer. When a SEPA Instant Credit Transfer is received to your account, no additional fees will be charged - you will receive the funds to your account faster and at the same rate as with SEPA Credit Transfer. When a SEPA Instant Credit Transfer is sent from your account, the regular charges as per your agreement are applicable.
There is a maximum limit of 100,000 euros per single SEPA instant payment. However, there is no maximum limit on the SEPA Credit Instant Transfers sent to and received from Finnish banks and few other European banks, who are members of Closed User Group. Nordea is a member of this Closed User Group.
The service is gaining speed and as per the new regulations coming into effect during Q3 2025, all the European banks will start to offer the service to its customers.
Benefits to your company:
- The use of instant European Credit Transfer
- Reception of payments from other banks 24/7 weekends and public holidays
- Immediate reception of funds and improved liquidity management
- The SEPA Instant Credit Transfer amount is transferred to your company’s account in full
- Same affordable pricing as in SEPA Credit Transfer
- The banks offering the service follow the same common rules when handling SEPA Instant Credit Transfers.
Receiving SEPA Instant Credit Transfers
No action is needed from you to receive a payment. The only requirement is that your company has a euro-denominated account at Nordea in Finland.
In order for you to receive a SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, the payer’s bank needs to be able to send SEPA Instant Credit Transfers.
Sending SEPA Instant Credit Transfers
As a corporate customer of Nordea, you are able to send SEPA Instant Credit Transfers to other European banks, via Nordea Corporate and Open Banking channels. At the moment, you are only able to send a single payment via these channels. Possibility to send file based SEPA Instant Credit Transfers will be made available for you at a later stage.