Czech National Bank reports 27% rise in instant payments and plans to accept them for state accounts by year-end

The Czech National Bank published updated statistics showing rapid growth in instant interbank credit transfers, with volumes up 27% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier and the CNB processing an average of 1.63 million instant transactions per day. Instant payments now account for more than 40% of over 4 million interbank credit transfers made daily in the Czech Republic, compared with less than one-third a year earlier, while standard credit transfers remain broadly flat at around 2.5 million per day. The CNB linked the growth to round-the-clock availability and record market coverage, with instant payments accessible to 99% of bank clients (as of 9 April 2025), and noted their increasing use by retailers as a lower-cost alternative to card payments. To further develop the instant payments environment, the CNB plans to start accepting instant payments for the public-sector accounts it maintains for ministries, municipalities, regional authorities and the tax authorities by the end of 2025, and is preparing instant processing for bulk payments in cooperation with commercial banks.