European Payments Council calls for Routing and Verification Mechanisms to pilot the Verification of Payee API Reference Toolbox

The European Payments Council (EPC) has launched a call for candidates for Routing and/or Verification Mechanisms (RVMs) in its Verification of Payee (VOP) scheme to participate in a pilot of the EPC VOP API Reference Toolbox (ART), a test and self-certification platform intended to reduce interoperability risks ahead of the VOP scheme go-live on 5 October 2025. The VOP scheme is designed to help payment service providers meet the Instant Payment Regulation requirement to provide an IBAN-name check service before a payer authorises a credit transfer or instant credit transfer, with a regulatory deadline of 9 October 2025. The EPC is seeking three RVMs for the pilot, with preparation starting in the week of 14 April 2025 and participants required to be technically ready to start testing with ART from 22 April 2025; the pilot will run for two to three weeks. Pilot participants are expected to submit a complete and signed RVM agreement before the pilot starts, and interested organisations must submit the EPC response form (EPC101-25) by 11 April 2025 (midnight Brussels time). Selection will take into account geographical distribution, number of served PSPs and/or expected VOP request/response volumes, with random selection applied where other factors are similar. After the response period closes, the EPC will select the three candidates, provide feedback to applicants as soon as possible, and brief the selected participants before the pilot begins.