Difference between SEPA Core and B2B Schemes 27

In the SEPA Direct Debit Overview, i have highlighted in brief what the SEPA direct debit scheme is all about. From that we understand there are two SEPA Direct Debit schemes: Core and B2B. Here i will highlight some, not all, of the key differences that you need to be aware of. Before we get into the details, i think its common knowledge that the Core scheme is the ‘easiest’ scheme to migrate across to, and the B2B scheme presents some additional challenges – the below table should highlight this.

Differences between SEPA Core and B2B Schemes:

Core SDD B2B SDD
Bank Participation
  • Mandatory
  • Optional
  • Your customer must ensure their bank is aware that you will debited the customer under the B2B scheme. Not all banks are ‘enrolled’, and if your customer fails to notify their bank, your B2B SDD will be rejected
Usage
  • With Consumers and Companies
  • With Companies only
  • Some countries have excluded the use of the B2B scheme for small companies  – Microenterprises
Refund Right
  • 8 weeks after debit
  • 13 months after debit (in case of missing mandate)
  • No refund right after debit
Mandate Check by Debtor Bank
  • Optional
  • Mandatory
Process
  1. Creditor Sends Mandate to Debtor
  2. Debtor sends signed Mandate to Creditor
  3. Creditor captures Mandate data
  4. Creditor stores Mandate
  1. Creditor sends 2 Mandate copies to Debtor
  2. Debtor:
    1. Sends signed Mandate to Creditor
    2. Sends signed Mandate to his/her bank to authorise account for B2B collections
  3. Creditor captures Mandate data
  4. Creditor stores Mandate
Submission Deadlines
  1. D–14 CD: Customer pre-notification of amount and due date (unless other timeframe is agreed)
  2. D–5 BD : Submission of first and one-off SDD
  3. D–2 BD: Submission of subsequent SDD
  1. D–14 CD: Customer pre-notification of amount and due date (unless other timeframe is agreed)
  2. D–1 BD: Submission of first, one-off and subsequent SDD

There is quite alot of information here. I understand there are other differences – the intention here though is to capture those that are critical  when you are planning your implementation. Let me know if i missed anything…

If you found this post useful, kindly SHARE IT with your friends & colleagues!!

27 thoughts on “Difference between SEPA Core and B2B Schemes

  1. Pingback: SEPA Direct Debit - Key Considerations - SEPA for Corporates

  2. Reply Barry Oct 12,2013 2:30 am

    Hi
    How do you know the business client has actually submitted a copy to his bank. I imagine if they don’t do this then the bank can recall the direct debit no?

    Barry

    • Reply SEPA-for-Corporates Oct 31,2013 11:02 am

      That’s the problem Barry, the creditor has no way of really knowing if the debtors account has been flagged as b2b enabled. We can ask for confirmation, but the creditor will only know for certain after the first b2b collection has been made.

  3. Pingback: 3 SEPA Scams to be Aware - SEPA for Corporates

  4. Reply Achintya Mar 21,2014 6:08 am

    Hi,
    Currently we are providing SDD Core scheme for business customers but now intend to switch over to SDD B2B. What all changes do we have make?
    > New mandate is required or migrate Core->B2B?
    > Any other changes in pain.008 apart from scheme identifier?
    > Other?

    We are the creditor and send pain.008 file to creditor bank for C&S.
    Thanks

    • Reply SEPA-for-Corporates Mar 21,2014 9:10 pm

      Hi Achintya,

      If you’re already direct debiting under the CORE scheme, you’re almost there. I’m assuming you already have the Creditor Id, IBAN and BIC.

      To migrate to B2B, you will need:
      – your customers to sign new mandates
      – to ensure that your customers get their bank to set up their account as b2b enabled
      – check your customer BICs are B2B enabled using information
      – ensure your account is b2b enabled
      – change the scheme identifier from CORE to B2B in the pain.008

      Be sure to check the above with your bank too.

      Good luck!

      Kind Regards – SEPAforCorporates

  5. Pingback: Belgium - Migrating DOM80 to SEPA Direct Debit - SEPA for Corporates

  6. Pingback: Italy - Migrating RID to SEPA Direct Debit - SEPA for Corporates

  7. Reply Marcello Clarizia Jun 11,2014 11:59 am

    Hello, I have a question.
    I work for the Italian Government, and we’d like some of our big customers to switch to the B2B, for obvious reasons.
    Is there a EU directive or law that forces customers to switch to the B2B if they’re companies and not individuals?

    Thanks.

    • Reply SEPA-for-Corporates Jun 17,2014 12:02 am

      Hi Marcello,

      No, there is no EU directive / Law that forces your debtors to use one scheme over another. Firstly remember that many legacy collection schemes have been harmonised with the SEPA collection scheme. So migrating to the CORE scheme under SEPA, in many cases is no different to the refund period in legacy. SEPA has now highlighted and reminded people that customers do have a refund right under the CORE scheme.

      So, consider:
      – reviewing your existing/legacy collection terms, conditions and refund period. How does this change under SEPA CORE?
      – notify your business unit of the change, and understand their concerns
      – if you have concerns with customers requesting a refund under SEPA CORE, check if the customers have a history of requesting refunds….
      – if there is no history of requesting refunds, then this shouldn’t really change under SEPA CORE

      Don’t forget if you do decide to migrate to SEPA B2B you will need your customer to sign a new mandate and ensure their bank account (and yours!!) is flagged as B2B enabled.

      Good luck!

  8. Reply Nag Apr 19,2015 12:44 pm

    Hi,

    All our Business customers are getting migrated from DD-CORE to B2B. Wanted to understand, if we can retain existing CORE and setup a new B2B mandate instead of migration.

    Can the Business customer hold both B2B and CORE operational?

    • Reply SEPA-for-Corporates Apr 19,2015 12:54 pm

      Hi Nag,

      Sure – you can continue to collect under the CORE scheme, while you are setting up the B2B mandates with the customer. Don’t forget the customer also needs to ensure their bank authorises the account for B2B collections.

      Once the B2B set up is complete you can collect through either CORE or B2B – as long as you indicate the collection request appropriately.

      Good luck!

      • Reply Balázs Jan 31,2022 6:22 pm

        Many thanks, very useful answer!! I was looking for answer in the same matter. May you have a link where this topic is described in the SEPA rulebook? I could not find it but maybe did not check properly..

  9. Pingback: SEPA Creditor Identifier By Country

  10. Reply Alan Jun 27,2017 9:17 am

    Good morning, how can I check does my client can accept payment SDD CORE, can he get some confirmation from his bank that his account support SEPA SDD CORE SCHEME?

  11. Reply Kevin Feb 19,2018 12:26 am

    Hi sir,
    We are in the middle of a transaction, our corporation has an it’s account ar BBVA bank in Spain.
    We have some funds at Deutsche Bundesbank AG in Frankfurt. We are obligated to use the DIrect Debit scheme.
    Only thing is that we do not know whether use a Direct Debit Core Mandate or Direct Debit B2B?
    The funds whoch will be credited in to the corporate account are substantial so which sheme is used in this situation and
    Should our bank BBVA provide us with the Direct Debit forms or is it Deutsche Bundesbank AG who should provide us the forms or is their no Direct Debit forms at all? If their are not forms how do the parties then sign off on the mandates?

    Hope for a swift reply

    Regards

    K

  12. Reply Arbind Mar 5,2018 6:26 pm

    Bank participation is mandatory for Core however in B2B it’s optional. Also mandate check in core is optional and in B2B is mandatory. Both the points are contradictory. Can someone please clarify both points in detai?

  13. Reply Aristotelis Merkenidis Apr 16,2018 10:38 am

    Hi. How can i open a SEPA B2B Account? If i can of course.

  14. Pingback: Overseas Direct Debit – an overview of how Direct Debit operates in countries outside the UK - DFC

  15. Reply Jean Paul May 11,2018 3:58 pm

    Hi Arbind, Coming back to your comment on march 5th. Both points are not contradictory. In the SDD B2B Scheme, the debtor bank must receive a copy of the mandate and check its validity during the processing of collections. But in the SDD Core Scheme, the debtor bank does not receive a copy of the mandate when the Creditor Driven Mandate Flow model is implemented. That is usually the case. The scheme does not oblige the debtor bank to check the mandate validity during processing either (but it may check it of course if possible and if it wants). It processes the collection with the assumptions that the creditor has forwarded a valid mandate. That is the theory. This is what I have observed in reality: debtor banks do perform few verifications on the mandates to take into account customer requests. The scheme does not prohibit it. I hope it is clearer.

  16. Reply Jean Paul May 11,2018 4:08 pm

    Hi Aristotelis,

    coming back to your comment …

    If you want to collect funds under the SDD B2B scheme, your bank must be participant in that scheme. Then you can subscribe a contract as a creditor to collect funds Under B2B scheme.

    You need a SEPA creditor identifier to issue collections. Your Bank can help you to get it.

    I hope this helps.

    Jean Paul

  17. Reply Jay Jun 25,2018 7:22 pm

    Hi
    I Need SEPA B2B receiver for transaction I have sender directly from Portugal and Spain. They have 200 m to transfer via SEPA B2B if you have receiver Contact me
    inaxLimted@gmail.com

  18. Reply Sepa Receiver.. Sep 30,2018 12:07 pm

    we have sepa b2b (sepa direct debit) receiver account.
    destekantalya@gmail.com

  19. Reply Amedeo Cristofaro Nov 4,2020 5:57 pm

    Hi, I was wondering if there is any data, analysis on Core SDD rejection and frauds since it was launched?
    I am considering Core SDD for my fintech but we are unsure how to manage the risk?

  20. Reply Erasti Abramishvili Mar 30,2021 12:00 pm

    Hello
    If it possible to find bank in Poland with scheme SEPA DIRECT DEBIT B2B? Will glad for any information,

  21. Reply I Wayan Moril Astika Aug 24,2021 5:34 pm

    HOW DO CAN I GET CID FOR SEPA SDD?

  22. Pingback: Single Euro Payments Area – Wikipedia – Enzyklopädie

Leave a Reply

  

  

  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.