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MobileP2P Interoperability
Last updated: 6 November 2020

In modern society, the mobile phone has become an important multi-purpose initiation device for financial services transactions, changing consumer behaviour across multiple channels and with the potential to displace many different existing products and services. In different payment contexts, MobileP2P emerges as an attractive realtime funds transfer mechanism, where innovations in customer authentication and realtime payments come together and are offering compelling instant payment functionality (i.e. immediate confirmation and availability of funds) and visibility to end-users. The arrival of multiple MobileP2P services generally contributes to strong market competition with associated increased service levels and attractive pricing but different approaches, positioning, standards and attribute values might prevent universal and large-scale adoption. Closed-loop, non-interoperable solutions could limit the future interlinking of networks and applications across Europe and result in new European fragmentation, not taking advantage of the harmonisation and integration already achieved within the SEPA area.

 

In a Joint Initiative of principle MobileP2P scheme services in Europe, the Berlin Group and MobileP2P infrastructure providers, a technical and functional architecture has been explored that enables interlinking of regional MobileP2P scheme services based on existing bank (IBAN) and card (PAN) account references. The identified architecture offers a layered approach with efficient reachability and routing flexibility in a repository layer (confirming the mapping of a registered alias to a bank or card account) and with three supported models in the clearing and settlement layer, of which one solution is already anticipating the future ‘instant SCT’. There is no immediate evidence of sufficient demand for cross-border mobile payments (a dedicated Working Group of the Euro Retail Payments Board expected only a positive business case when including a C2B payment context). In designing the architecture, this business uncertainty prompted the need to avoid costly centralised solutions, expensive dedicated collaterals/prefunding arrangements and high operational costs.

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The architecture has been further detailed in harmonised standards of open interfaces, data formats and message protocols (ref. Technical Specifications below).

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Public market consultation for the MobileP2P Interoperability Framework took place from 03-02-2017 to 31-03-2017.

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On 6 November 2020 a Framework Version 1.2 has been published that integrates Change Requests submitted by the EPC (European Payments Council) SPL (SEPA Proxy Lookup) preferred proxy provider. Amongst others these changes simplify the addressing of the receiver MobileP2P scheme ID in the relevant interfaces. In addition some errata on the XML-based version have been integrated.

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Public Articles

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Technical Specifications

  • The Technical Specifications on MobileP2P Interoperability can be downloaded here 

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