CBI Drives Verification of Payee Compliance in Italy

Pilar Fragalà, Chief Commercial Officer at CBI, shared insights on how the Italian banking ecosystem is preparing for the upcoming mandatory implementation of verification of payee (VOP). With an October deadline fast approaching, banks and payment service providers (PSPs) are actively transitioning to ensure compliance. CBI, with over 400 financial institutions as users of its fintech and benefit corporation infrastructure, is playing a central role by offering an interoperable, scalable, and forward-looking VOP solution.

CBI’s approach is strategically designed to enable seamless VOP adoption across Italy. The system is built for operational excellence, offering plug-and-play architecture, European interoperability, and centralized governance. This allows institutions to implement verification of payee without disrupting daily operations. The platform’s real-time IBAN and name-matching ensures accurate results, whether it’s an exact match, partial match, or no match, reducing the risk of misdirected payments and enhancing anti-fraud capabilities.

Beyond regulatory compliance, CBI supports banks and PSPs with value-added services. The VOP solution can transmit additional information such as commercial trade names or fraud-related insights, giving payers more context and improving decision-making. Its modular and API-driven architecture enables easy integration with existing banking systems, while CBI provides onboarding support, technical documentation, and webinars to ensure a smooth transition for users.

CBI is also driving innovation through request-to-pay (RTP), complementing instant payment services. RTP enables businesses to send structured, user-friendly payment requests directly to end-users via their banking or mobile applications. This solution is particularly valuable for sectors like utilities, insurance, and e-commerce, where timely reconciliation and payment certainty are crucial. The integration of RTP with systems like PAGO-PR and CBILL allows PSPs to manage corporate collections efficiently while improving the user experience for both consumers and merchants.

CBI has already implemented production use cases with major European banking groups and is encouraging cross-border pilot programs to expand RTP adoption. The company is leveraging its experience and strategic partnerships to facilitate interoperability across the EU and the UK, positioning CBI as a pan-European hub for verification of payee and request-to-pay services.

At Saibos in Frankfurt, CBI is showcasing these solutions and engaging with international stakeholders to share insights on VOP and RTP developments. By focusing on compliance, operational efficiency, and enhanced customer experiences, CBI is enabling Italian financial institutions to meet regulatory requirements while driving innovation in digital payments.