Rome, 15 September 2026
Rome, 15 September 2026 – Altroconsumo, Italy's largest independent consumer organisation, today presented the results of the initiative launched in February to support coordinated action against IBAN discrimination during a meeting promoted with Satispay in the Press Room of the Chamber of Deputies.
WHAT IBAN DISCRIMINATION IS
IBAN discrimination is an illegal practice found throughout Europe that occurs when companies, organisations or platforms reject a payment solely because the IBAN, despite being valid in the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area), is not "domestic". It can affect people who work abroad but maintain an account in another European country, those who choose a bank based in a different Member State, or those who simply decide to use an account opened outside Italy to pay bills or instalments by direct debit. This practice limits consumers' freedom to choose their bank, creates additional costs (it may force them to maintain or open a second current account) and hinders access to essential services such as energy, telecommunications, pensions or tax payments.
WHAT THE CURRENT REGULATIONS PROVIDE
SEPA is the European area in which euro transfers, payments and direct debits must take place under the same conditions in all participating countries. The goal is a genuine single payments market in which a citizen can use one account to operate throughout the area without having to open domestic accounts in each country. Article 9 of Regulation 260/2012 is one of the pillars of this system and establishes that anyone accepting transfers or receiving funds by direct debit or other payments may not discriminate against an account based on the country in which it is located. For example, a French, German or Swedish IBAN must be treated like an Italian IBAN if the payment is made in euros and the account is reachable. A French, German or Swedish IBAN must have the same standing as an Italian one both for receiving a transfer and for arranging direct debits for bills, salaries or pensions.
THE INITIATIVE LAUNCHED BY ALTROCONSUMO IN FEBRUARY
In February, Altroconsumo launched a petition and a collection of reports to support coordinated action against IBAN discrimination, with the aim of giving greater weight before the competent authorities to the service failures described and asking that European rules be genuinely respected to protect citizens, workers and businesses. The reports collected in recent months were forwarded to the Bank of Italy and the Italian Competition Authority. The initiative will continue in the coming months. To take part, visit the Altroconsumo website, go to the Class Actions section and click Stop IBAN discrimination.
THE MEETING IN PARLIAMENT PROMOTED WITH SATISPAY
The initiative's results were presented and discussed during the meeting "Stop IBAN discrimination: a European right that must be enforced", promoted by Altroconsumo and Satispay to raise awareness of the issue. Speakers included MP Giulio Centemero, a member of the Chamber of Deputies' VI Finance Committee; Francesca Squillante, Head of the Credit, Insurance, Postal Services, Services, Tourism and Sport Directorate at the Italian Competition Authority; Francesca Provini, Head of the Retail Payment Instruments and Services Division at the Bank of Italy; Alberto Dalmasso, Founder and CEO of Satispay; and Federico Cavallo (Head of External Relations at Altroconsumo).
SIGNATURES COLLECTED AND CASES OF IBAN DISCRIMINATION
Around 1,200 people signed the petition and more than 100 reports of IBAN discrimination were submitted through Altroconsumo's platform. Analysis of the reports collected reveals problems with both outgoing and incoming payments involving private companies, banks, universities and public bodies. Most cases concern bank direct debits (for bills relating to telecommunications, energy, tolls, streaming and insurance), the crediting of pensions and salaries, transfers and F24 tax payments. There are also cases involving the refusal of instalment finance. As for the origin of the discriminated IBANs, the largest number concerns Luxembourg, followed by Lithuania and Italian IBANs associated with foreign operators.
Among the factors underlying many of the reported difficulties may be companies' use of the SEDA service, an optional Italian standard for managing bank direct debits. This system can simplify processes for companies, but risks becoming an obstacle to the use of IBANs issued by operators in other European countries.
And what do users experiencing difficulties with outgoing payments or incoming credits do? They open a second current account, keep foreign or Italian accounts they would have preferred to close, pay using a payment slip (sometimes at a higher cost because of fees that do not apply to direct debit), use manual bank transfers instead of direct debit, change provider or even give up the service.
Federico Cavallo, Head of External Relations at Altroconsumo: “The variety and recurrence of the reported cases of IBAN discrimination show that these are not isolated incidents, but a systemic problem that risks limiting competition in the payments market. The freedom to choose one's own account is a right guaranteed by European rules, yet even today it is obstructed by outdated procedures and IT systems that do not communicate with the single payments market. Today we discussed this with several stakeholders, convinced that transparency and information are essential to overcome barriers to the single payments market, and we asked the competent institutions to further strengthen their efforts to close the gap between the protection provided on paper and that actually guaranteed, through swift action and genuinely dissuasive penalties.”
Alberto Dalmasso, Founder and CEO of Satispay: "Satispay itself was born from an insight connected with SEPA. We owe many of the operations we now take for granted and that simplify our lives to the existence of a single payments area. Erasmus enabled two generations to feel at home anywhere on the continent, yet IBAN discrimination violates three of the four fundamental freedoms in the EU treaties, including freedom to move and settle anywhere in Europe. In a country and a market that need education about saving, pensions and investing, we must offer businesses and citizens the tools for the free movement of people and their money, and we cannot accept a national prefix blocking a simple bank transfer. This is an issue spanning the entire payments industry. Let us work together so that next year there is no longer any need to organise another campaign like this one.”
MULTIMEDIA MATERIALS
USEFUL ALTROCONSUMO LINKS
Altroconsumo is Italy's largest independent consumer organisation. It is part of Euroconsumers, the leading international network of consumer organisations, representing around 1.5 million people in Italy alone and also active in Belgium, Spain, Poland, Portugal and Brazil. For more than 50 years, Altroconsumo has been an authoritative point of reference for citizens: it protects and promotes consumer rights and informs consumers with a critical, independent outlook and scientific rigour. Members, "fans" and supporters form a community of more than one million people with whom the organisation engages and interacts. Its 240 professionals work to build a fairer, more transparent market, promoting dialogue and collaboration with businesses, institutions and the Third Sector. Altroconsumo.it
Satispay On the market since 2015, Satispay is the Italian super-app and proprietary payment network that makes managing money and financial services simple and accessible. With a constantly growing community of 6.5 million people and a network of 450,000 participating merchants, the platform enables users to pay by smartphone (in-store and online), transfer money free of charge and access numerous value-added services: the Cashback Points loyalty programme, Buy Now Pay Later to split everyday spending into 3 interest-free instalments, mobile top-ups, payment of slips, car and motorcycle road tax, PagoPA, gift cards, Donations and savings. After consolidating its B2C experience, the fintech extended its model to the B2B world. In September 2023, it entered corporate welfare with the innovative Satispay Meal Vouchers and Fringe Benefits, followed by the Satispay FlexBen platform, which simplifies the management of reimbursements and pension funds. In three years, Satispay has positioned itself among the sector's leading operators, with more than 45,000 client companies whose employees it offers next-generation welfare tools distinguished by simplicity and speed of use, together with one of Italy's broadest acceptance networks (more than 400,000 participating merchants). Satispay has also expanded its offering with the Invested Money Box and Investments section, where users can choose between Satispay Investment Funds and, more recently, buying and selling stocks and ETFs directly in the app, bringing the markets closer even to those taking their first steps. With the launch of debit cards in partnership with Mastercard, which enable users to pay with Satispay throughout the world, the company is taking another step towards banking, with the goal of offering all the functions of an account in a single app.
ALTROCONSUMO Press Office
Close to Media – company founded by Elisabetta Neuhoff
+39 02.70006237
Marco Gabrieli +39 393 8282952 marco.gabrieli@closetomedia.it
Mariella Speciale +39 349 2843110 mariella.speciale@closetomedia.it
SATISPAY Press Office
Tiziana De Icco - PR Lead Satispay, tiziana.deicco@satispay.com
Angèlia Comunicazione, Simona Vecchies T. +39 335 1245190, satispay@angelia.it