Instant or classic transfer: find out which one is really for you

Instant transfers in euros become free in France thanks to a new regulation. But then is this the end of so-called “classic” transfers? Not really… “Capital” explains in which situations to make an instant transfer or not.

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No more symbolic euros to make an instant transfer to one of your loved ones. They are now free. Indeed, a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union wanted to make “instant transfers more accessible” to strengthen the sovereignty of the European Union over payments in euros. Thus, an instant transfer (transfer via IBAN between two accounts) can no longer be charged at a higher price than a traditional transfer by banks.

Also gone is the one day delay for transferring funds in euros, it will now be done in 10 seconds. However, nothing new for users of certain banks or solutions that already offered these services, such as Wero, the European replacement for Paylib. But then, what is the point of continuing to use the bank transfers called “classics”? Capital explains to you.

What are the advantages of instant transfer?

Free transfers are therefore no longer reserved for so-called “classic” transfers. In addition, these money transfers are fast and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The National Committee for Cashless Payments (CNPS) highlights that it is a means of payment “particularly suitable for payments between individuals, since it allows immediate settlement and offers a guarantee of receipt of funds“. It is also recommended for traders.

Indeed, for professionals this makes it possible to unblock disputes with immediate effect, particularly in emergency situations. For example, the CNPS mentions “the case of a reimbursement, an insurance benefit, or a cash advance“. The Banque de France also emphasizes that for companies, in particular VSE-SMEs, “instant transfer allows you to pay expenses without delay (an invoice, a salary, etc.) and to optimize cash and liquidity management thanks to the immediate availability of funds, when paying a supplier or a customer.» For liberal professions, this speed will make it possible to alternate with certain means of payment, such as checks. In this case, for the payment of fees, the immediate transfer offers “greater security and traceability to facilitate accounting reconciliation and cash management», Details the central bank of France. The same goes for associations that receive donations.

The end of the classic transfer?

The Signal-Arnaques community site invites people not to use instant transfers “systematically”. It is in fact easier to make scam when using this type of transfer. In the event of an error, funds cannot be recalled. Contacted by Capital, the Banque de France specifies that to fight effectively against fraud, “a service for verifying the match between the name and IBAN of the beneficiary of the transfer must be offered to customers by payment service providers from October 9, 2025.”

This verification will allow you to check, and confirm, that the IBAN entered “corresponds to an account held by the intended beneficiary before carrying out any transaction“. For example, the person initiating the transfer “will be informed of a mismatch and will be able to rectify this error before validating the transaction“. It is also recommended to use the traditional, “classic” transferif you do not transfer money to your loved ones but to strangers. This way, you will always have time to contact your banker and stop the transfer in progress.

Another important element, the silver ceiling which can be transferred. Although these are very rare operations, with an adjustable threshold depending on the banking establishmentsinstant transfers within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), have a maximum limit of 100,000 euros. The ceiling and transfer limits are therefore established by each bank. The same goes for traditional transfers, they have no ceilings but can be regulated by your bank. Thus, as the Banque de France concludes, the classic transfer “continues to meet other complementary uses alongside instant transfer, particularly in the case of recurring, scheduled payments of a significant amount or which do not require rapid settlement.»