Allevo was invited to speak at the 23rd edition of the annual e-Finance Awards Gala, on February 12th 2026.
The event was preceded by a roundtable discussion focused on the role of artificial intelligence in the digital transformation of Romania’s financial and banking sector. The debate explored the shift of AI from pilot projects to a central pillar of digitalization, highlighting integration challenges and customer perception issues.
Speakers emphasized that meeting customer expectations was critical for business continuity and growth. The roundtable brought together leading experts from IT consulting, the financial-banking industry, and specialized technology providers.
Allevo tackled one of the major transformations currently shaping the banking industry: the adoption of instant payments, as well as the role played by Allevo, a company specializing in software solutions for payment infrastructures, in supporting this evolution.
In a context where digitalization, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements are rapidly reshaping payment infrastructures, the transition to instant payments is no longer optional but is becoming a new processing standard at both national and European levels. This represents a fundamental shift in the way payments—particularly retail payments—are initiated, processed, and settled.
In Romania, instant payments in RON were launched in April 2019 and marked a crucial step toward modernizing the payments ecosystem. Beyond the perception of a standalone initiative, joining the Instant Payments LEI scheme has represented—and continues to represent—a complex undertaking for banks, requiring significant technical, operational, and organizational adjustments.
Within this context, Allevo’s clients using the FinTP solution successfully implemented Instant Payments RON projects in parallel with multiple other regulatory compliance initiatives. Active involvement alongside these banks was highlighted, covering both the technical integration of internal systems and connectivity to the IPS system operated by Transfond.
An increasing number of banks are joining the RON Instant Payments system. Currently, 20 participating entities collectively cover more than 90% of the non-card interbank payments market. In 2025, Allevo implemented two new projects related to the FinTP Instant functionality, reinforcing the view that migration toward instant payments is an irreversible trend.
Instant payments were also presented as a foundation for the development of a new digital payments ecosystem in Romania, including modern, cardless solutions such as QR code payments and other alternative payment initiation methods.
From a technical perspective, FinTP-Instant processes SCT Inst payment instructions denominated in RON on a 24/7 basis, ensuring seamless integration between banks’ internal systems and the IPS infrastructure. The fully automated, end-to-end Straight Through Processing flow significantly reduces operational risk and relieves internal systems of additional processing burdens.
Looking ahead, Transfond announced they plan to migrate, starting in 2026, to the 2019 ISO 20022 version for the SCT Inst scheme, including shorter execution times. This step was described as both a natural evolution of instant payments in RON and a direct preparation for the next major milestone: Instant Payments in EUR.
At the European level, the Instant Payments Regulation adopted in 2024 establishes clear obligations for banks regarding the adoption of instant euro payments, including for institutions in non-euro area member states starting in 2027.
Instant euro payments are based on the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer scheme, with settlement supported by the Eurosystem through the TIPS service, which enables 24/7 real-time euro fund transfers settled in accounts held with central banks.
To support banks in this transition, Allevo has developed the FinTP-TIPS functionality, enabling automated processing of instant EUR payments and connectivity to the TIPS system, either via the RO-TIPS platform operated by Transfond or through the SWIFT infrastructure.
In conclusion, the adoption of instant payments is not merely a compliance requirement, but a critical step toward a more efficient, secure, and customer-centric financial system. While complex, this transition represents a genuine opportunity for modernization and differentiation.
Allevo is commited to stay a trusted partner for banks throughout this journey, providing mature software solutions and professional services that support this transformation. The future of payments is being built now, and this change can be shaped collectively.
