A2A Payments
Account-to-account (A2A) payments move money directly from the payer's bank account to the payee's, with no card network in between. The transfer runs on bank rails such as SEPA, authorized by the payer at their own bank.
The defining property is direction. A2A transfers are push payments: the payer authorizes a credit transfer, usually through an open-banking payment initiation flow with strong customer authentication. Cards and direct debits are pull payments: the payee takes funds under a prior authorization, and the payer keeps rights to claw them back.
In numbers: card transactions can be disputed through chargebacks typically up to 120 days after the fact, and SEPA Direct Debit CORE gives payers an eight-week no-questions refund right (thirteen months for unauthorized debits). A settled SEPA credit transfer has no equivalent reversal mechanism. A2A also removes interchange and card-scheme fees entirely.
Why it matters in real estate
Rent is the worst possible fit for card economics: high values, monthly recurrence, and a payer the operator already knows. Percentage-based card fees scale with the rent, and every chargeback window keeps revenue provisional for months. Direct debit fixes the fee problem but imports return risk and mandate administration. A2A removes both: with UrbanPay's Pay product, pricing starts from 0.25% per successful payment — a €1,000 rent payment at 0.25% costs €2.50 — with no chargebacks and no direct-debit returns.
The same category covers deposits, move-in invoices, and investor commitments. Recurring rent runs as standing orders; settlement arrives over SEPA Instant in seconds; and each transfer carries contract, property, and tenant references, so reconciliation happens automatically.
Key facts
- A2A payments are credit transfers pushed by the payer; settled transfers have no chargeback mechanism.
- Card chargebacks can typically be raised up to 120 days after a transaction.
- SEPA Direct Debit CORE carries an 8-week no-questions refund right and 13 months for unauthorized debits.
- Instant A2A settlement (SCT Inst) completes in 10 seconds or less, and euro-area PSPs must support sending it since October 2025.
Related terms
A2A payments are executed through payment initiation, enabled by open banking, settled via instant payments, and combined with other rails in multi-rail payments.
Frequently asked questions
How do A2A payments differ from direct debit?
Direction and finality. Direct debit pulls funds under a mandate, and CORE rules let the payer reclaim a debit for eight weeks with no questions asked. An A2A credit transfer is pushed and authenticated by the payer, and once settled it is final. For landlords, that removes the returns and re-collection cycle.
Can A2A payments be recurring?
Yes. Recurring rent is handled with standing orders: the tenant authorizes the schedule once through their bank, and payments then execute automatically each period. UrbanPay sets these up within the payment flow and reconciles each incoming transfer against contract, property, and tenant references automatically.
What about refunds without chargebacks?
Refunds still exist — they become deliberate outbound transfers by the operator rather than unilateral reversals by the payer's bank. A landlord returning an overpayment or deposit simply sends a credit transfer back. The difference is control: money leaves when the business decides it should, not through a dispute process.
Full comparison: Open banking vs cards for property payments.