EPC delays address format migration timeline

The European Payments Council (EPC) has extended the deadline for migrating to structured address formats for SEPA payments. Originally set for November 2026, the transition period for how customer addresses are formatted in payment messages will now be longer. This delay gives financial institutions and payment service providers more breathing room to update their underlying technology. While this sounds like a back-office banking change, it directly impacts any retailer or service provider operating in Europe or accepting SEPA-based consumer financing payments. For your business, this means the current 'unstructured' format for customer addresses will remain valid for a longer period. You do not need to rush a transition of your checkout data fields or customer database structures immediately, but the requirement to switch to specific, structured data (separated by street, building number, and postal code) is still coming. This transition is designed to reduce payment friction and lower the risk of declined transactions due to formatting errors. If your financing partners are based in the EU, expect them to adjust their integration timelines accordingly. Use this extra time to ensure your point-of-sale systems can eventually capture granular address data without breaking your current customer flow.

Source: Finextra — Lending

← Return to the library· Submit a correction