Regulation 6 min read

Verification of Payee in Portugal: What Banks and PSPs Must Do

Portugal is in the euro area, so its banks and payment institutions must offer Verification of Payee from 9 October 2025. Portugal's mature domestic infrastructure shapes how that is rolled out.

By Verification of Payee EU · powered by RoxPay

Verification of Payee in Portugal: What Banks and PSPs Must Do

Key takeaways

  • Portuguese PSPs must offer Verification of Payee free of charge on euro credit transfers.
  • A strong domestic network (SIBS/MB WAY) means VoP must fit existing payment journeys.
  • Banco de Portugal supervises the institutions in scope.

Portugal is a euro-area Member State, so Portuguese payment service providers fall under the earliest Instant Payments Regulation deadline. From 9 October 2025 they must offer Verification of Payee, free of charge, on euro credit transfers initiated electronically by the payer.

Fitting VoP into existing journeys

Portugal has one of Europe's most integrated domestic payment ecosystems, anchored by SIBS and services like MB WAY. Verification of Payee should slot into these familiar flows so the payee name check appears at the natural confirmation step, without adding friction customers don't expect.

Meet customers where they pay

Whether a transfer starts in a banking app or a payment-initiation journey, the VoP result should appear before authorisation in the same screen customers already use to confirm.

What Portuguese PSPs need to deliver

  1. 1 Join the EPC Verification of Payee scheme as requesting and/or responding PSP.
  2. 2 Show the match outcome before the payer authorises.
  3. 3 Integrate the check into existing app and web payment journeys.
  4. 4 Keep it free, fast and logged for audit.

Supervision and the fastest route

Banco de Portugal supervises Portuguese banks and payment institutions. Rather than building scheme connectivity from scratch, most PSPs reach the deadline by integrating a provider already live on the SEPA VoP scheme. RoxPay offers VoP through a single API and dashboard that fits existing journeys.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Yes. Portugal is in the euro area, so Portuguese PSPs must offer Verification of Payee free of charge from 9 October 2025 on euro credit transfers initiated electronically by the payer.

VoP is a name-vs-IBAN check at the point of a euro credit transfer. It complements domestic services by adding a payee verification step before authorisation, presented within the existing journey.

Banco de Portugal supervises banks and payment institutions in Portugal, including their compliance with EU payment rules.

Bring VoP to your Portuguese journeys

Talk to RoxPay about adding Verification of Payee to your app and web payment flows.