The Central Bank of West African States announced that the Interoperable Platform of the Instant Payment System (PI‑SPI) is scheduled for official launch on 30 September 2025, with a key pre-launch milestone already reached through the start of real-world usage testing. Testing began on 5 June 2025 and allows a sample of customers selected by participating institutions (banks, microfinance institutions and electronic money issuers) to carry out instant interoperable transactions, including fund transfers and payments, regardless of the type of account used. The test phase is intended to validate performance in live conditions, particularly against reliability, security and transaction-fluidity requirements, and participation is limited to institutions that have met the Central Bank’s technical and security criteria, with the annexed list to be updated regularly.
Central Bank of West African States 2025-08-01
Central Bank of West African States sets 30 September 2025 launch for interoperable instant payment platform and advances real-world testing
The Central Bank of West African States officially launched the Interoperable Platform of the Instant Payment System (PI-SPI) on 30 September 2025, after real-world usage testing began on 5 June 2025. Selected customers from participating banks, microfinance institutions, and electronic money issuers validated performance under live conditions. Participation is restricted to institutions meeting the Central Bank's technical and security criteria.