Account-to-Account (A2A) Bank Transfers: The Guide to Instant B2B Payments
A supplier waiting 2 days to get paid. A treasury team reconciling wire transfers by hand in a spreadsheet. Bank fees eating into the margin on every intra-group payment. Account-to-Account (A2A) bank transfers fix all of this by moving funds directly from one bank account to another, in seconds, with no credit cards and no intermediaries.
A2A vs standard SEPA transfer vs B2B credit cards
| Method | Settlement time | Fees | Reconciliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2A transfer (SEPA Instant) | < 10 seconds, 24/7/365 | Flat, transparent fee | Automatic, unique reference |
| Standard SEPA transfer | 1-2 business days | Variable interbank fees | Manual, from bank statement |
| B2B credit card | 2-5 days to settle | Percentage fee (1-3%) | Manual, chargeback risk |
Times and fees are indicative and vary by bank and payment provider.
What is an Account-to-Account (A2A) bank transfer?
An A2A transfer moves funds directly from the payer's bank account to the beneficiary's bank account, without going through card networks (Visa, Mastercard) or multiple intermediaries.
Unlike a standard SEPA credit transfer, an A2A transfer initiated via API runs on the SEPA Instant (SCT Inst) rail: funds are credited in under 10 seconds, 24/7/365, including weekends and holidays. It's not a card and not a direct debit — it's a real bank transfer, just much faster and fully automated.
How an A2A transfer works via API
The flow is simple and fully automatable:
1. Your platform calls the A2A API with the sender IBAN, beneficiary IBAN, amount, and a unique reference.
2. The payment travels over the SEPA Instant network between the banks involved.
3. Funds are credited to the beneficiary's account in under 10 seconds.
4. A webhook confirms the outcome, and the unique reference enables automatic reconciliation, with no manual bank statement checks.
No operator needs to authorize the transfer from online banking: the entire process is handled by code, integrated directly into your ERP, accounting software, or marketplace platform.
The benefits for CFOs and corporate treasury teams
For anyone running treasury at a company, a B2B SaaS platform, or a marketplace, A2A changes the rules of the game:
Lower costs: no tiered interbank fees, no correspondent banks. A2A pricing is flat and transparent, even at high volumes.
Instant liquidity: funds are available in seconds, not 1-2 business days. Cash flow doesn't sit stuck in transit.
Automatic reconciliation: every transfer carries a unique reference that matches invoices to payments with no manual work.
Multi-tenant virtual IBANs: assign a dedicated virtual IBAN to every client, branch, or merchant while keeping a single collection account for group cash pooling.
Zero chargebacks: an A2A transfer is irrevocable. There are no improper disputes like with card payments.
Real use cases: suppliers, marketplaces, corporate groups
Supplier payments: settle supplier invoices in seconds instead of waiting on a standard wire, improving negotiated commercial terms.
Intra-group cash pooling: move liquidity between entities of the same corporate group in real time, centralizing treasury without funds sitting in transit between accounts.
Marketplace and SaaS platform payouts: if you run a marketplace or vertical SaaS platform with merchants onboarded under you, the A2A API lets you distribute payouts to each merchant automatically, with dedicated virtual IBANs and per-transaction reconciliation.
Recurring B2B billing: automate the collection and transfer of funds between your legal entities without manual wires at the end of every month.
A2A vs standard SEPA transfer vs B2B credit cards
All three methods coexist, but for recurring, high-value business payments, A2A is almost always the more efficient choice. A standard SEPA transfer remains useful for non-urgent payments; B2B credit cards carry percentage-based fees that become unsustainable on large orders.
How to integrate RoxPay's A2A API
Integration requires a single API call to initiate a transfer and one webhook endpoint to receive confirmation. You don't need to manage connections with individual European banks yourself: RoxPay handles the regulated part (PSD2, SCA, fraud checks) and gives you a single interface, ready to connect to your ERP, accounting software, or marketplace platform.
Perguntas frequentes
How much does an A2A transfer cost compared to a standard SEPA transfer?
An A2A transfer via API has a flat, transparent fee, with none of the tiered fees typical of traditional interbank transfers. At high volumes the savings are significant, especially compared to B2B credit cards that charge percentage-based fees.
Do A2A transfers work on weekends and holidays?
Yes. The SEPA Instant network that A2A transfers run on is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Funds are credited in seconds regardless of the time.
What is a virtual IBAN and why is it useful for cash pooling?
A virtual IBAN is a dedicated bank identifier linked to a main collection account. It lets you assign a unique IBAN to every client, branch, or merchant without opening a separate bank account for each one, simplifying reconciliation and group cash pooling.
Are A2A transfers secure and irrevocable?
Yes. Every A2A transfer is authenticated under PSD2 requirements (Strong Customer Authentication) and is irrevocable once executed, just like a traditional bank transfer. This removes the risk of improper chargebacks typical of card payments.
Do I need a dedicated bank account to use the A2A API?
No. The A2A API connects to your company's existing bank accounts and to the recipient's. There's no need to open a new account: you only need the sender's and beneficiary's IBAN to initiate a transfer.
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