The European Payments Council (EPC) has completed the pilot of its API Reference Toolbox (ART) test and self-certification platform for the Verification of Payee (VOP) scheme and has opened the platform to all Routing and/or Verification Mechanisms (RVMs) for testing and certification. RVMs must successfully complete ART self-certification to demonstrate compliance with the VOP API specifications, which underpin the IBAN-name check service that payment service providers are required to offer under the Instant Payment Regulation from October 2025. VOP is an API-based scheme expected to be implemented by thousands of payment service providers across Europe, and ART, developed with StreamMind, is intended to mitigate interoperability risks among scheme participants. The EPC expects a large share of PSPs to access VOP through an RVM, positioning RVM reachability and certification as central to end-to-end interoperability. From mid-June 2025, ART will also be made available to PSPs that do not use an RVM, enabling them to test and, on a voluntary basis, certify their VOP API implementation.
European Payments Council 2025-05-23
European Payments Council opens its Verification of Payee API Reference Toolbox self-certification platform to all routing and verification mechanisms
The European Payments Council has completed the pilot of its API Reference Toolbox (ART) platform for the Verification of Payee (VOP) scheme, now open for Routing and/or Verification Mechanisms (RVMs) testing and certification. RVMs must complete ART self-certification to comply with VOP API specifications, essential for the IBAN-name check service under the Instant Payment Regulation effective October 2025. From mid-June 2025, ART will also be available to payment service providers not using an RVM for voluntary VOP API testing.