Shaping the Future of Instant Payments: Key Takeaways from Our Exclusive Industry Roundtable

At Projective Group, we are dedicated to fostering industry discussions that drive innovation and shape the future of financial services. Recently, as on 12th March, 2025, we hosted another exclusive roundtable on Instant Payments in Brussels at the Projective Group Office, where leading industry experts came together to share their perspectives and thoughts on key developments on Instant payments. This was the second one we organised in the planned series of discussions relating to the Instant Payments Regulation. Our first one was held in December, also in Brussels with Verification of Payee and general challenges as focus points.

Held under Chatham House Rules, the event provided a unique opportunity for open and honest conversations amongst the participating financial institutions. While confidentiality prevents us from sharing specific details and contributions, several important themes emerged from the discussions that highlight the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

Key Discussion Points from the Roundtable

1. Instant Payments UX Research Results

A seamless payment experience is crucial for driving adoption, yet "unhappy flows"—situations where transactions fail or require additional user intervention—remain a significant challenge. Projective Group presented recent research done on how bank APP’s are prepared for Instant payments (and especially on unhappy scenario’s).

Our discussion focused on:

• Understanding Failure Points – Identifying the most common pain points in Instant Payments, such as transaction rejections, bank unavailability, or (unnecessary)  verification steps.
• Customer Frustration & Drop-offs – How friction in the payment process impacts user trust and adoption, leading to abandoned transactions or a shift back to traditional payment methods.
• Error Messaging & Recovery Paths – The importance of clear, real-time feedback to guide users when payments fail, reducing confusion and improving resolution rates.
• Balancing Security & UX – How financial institutions can optimize security measures without overcomplicating the user journey, ensuring a smooth but risk-mitigated payment experience.
• Designing for a Better User Journey – Strategies to  enhance transparency and help customers in the ‘next best action’ in case of  failed instant payments.

By addressing these, financial institutions can improve trust, reduce friction, and accelerate the adoption of Instant Payments across Europe.

2. The Implementation and Interpretation of ‘Limits’ Under IPR

As Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) takes shape, the interpretation of transaction limits requirements remains a key area of debate. The discussions covered:

• How different financial institutions are implementing and interpreting transaction limits IPR regulations.
• The operational impact of these limit requirements on businesses and consumers.
• Potential standardization challenges and regulatory alignment across Europe.
• Concerns Around the Upcoming Verification of Payee (VoP) Implementation in Belgium

The introduction of Verification of Payee (VoP) in Belgium raises new compliance and operational challenges. Key discussion points included:

• How VoP will help mitigate fraud and improve transaction security.
• The technical and procedural hurdles financial institutions must overcome for smooth implementation.
• Lessons learned from other markets that have implemented similar verification measures.
• The need for a national campaign to align customer expectations

What’s Next?

The insights gathered from this roundtable reaffirm the need for collaboration, strategic planning, and regulatory clarity as the industry prepares for upcoming changes. Over the coming weeks, we will plan for the upcoming round-table on the topic and be sharing aggregated insights to help financial institutions and payment providers navigate IPR challenges effectively.

A big thank you to our partners and attendees for making this event a success! At Projective Group, we remain committed to driving industry dialogue, supporting compliance efforts, and helping financial institutions prepare for the future of payments.

Stay tuned for more!

Interested to be a part of these/other discussions? Get in touch with us.

About Projective Group  

Established in 2006, Projective Group is a leading Financial Services change specialist. We are recognised within the industry as a complete solutions provider, partnering with clients in Financial Services to provide resolutions that are both holistic and pragmatic.  We have evolved to become a trusted partner for companies that want to thrive and prosper in an ever-changing Financial Services landscape.