Nexi and Danish Banks Expand Agreement to Deliver SEPA Direct Debit Services

WHY THIS MATTERS: This development is a definitive signal that SEPA harmonization is now a mandate, not a choice, for even those European nations with strong domestic schemes. For Denmark, a market traditionally reliant on local champions like Dankort, relying on a dominant European PayTech to operationalise SEPA Direct Debit is an outsourcing masterclass in payment infrastructure. It allows local and country-wide banks, which represent a significant volume of domestic payments, to instantly participate in the broader Eurozone clearing systems without costly, complex internal overhauls. This shift proves that the competitive imperative for regional banks is no longer about building their own cross-border rails, but about efficiently plugging into scalable third-party platforms to ensure seamless, compliant access to the entire continent’s flow of funds. The move reduces friction for consumers and businesses alike, setting a new expectation for standardisation in B2B and consumer recurring payments.

Nexi Group, the European PayTech, today announced an agreement with local and country-wide banks in Denmark to provide SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) services, strengthening their access to the European payment ecosystem. Under the agreement, Nexi will provide the infrastructure and operational services required to process SEPA Direct Debit collections, enabling the Danish banks to efficiently manage their participation in the SEPA scheme through Nexi’s payment infrastructure.

The cooperation supports banks in accessing scalable and reliable payment infrastructure connected to European clearing systems and strengthens the integration between Danish banks and the broader European payments landscape.

Christian Segersven, Chief Business Officer, Issuing Solutions, Nexi Group, said: “Payments today are part of a broader ecosystem spanning schemes, infrastructure and digital platforms. We are committed to helping banks navigate the rapidly evolving payments landscape and through our collaboration we are providing Danish banks with an infrastructure which integrates with their existing payment environment and helps them remain relevant and competitive across their full payment ecosystem.”

Søren Nicolaisen, CEO of National Banks and BOKIS, said: “This agreement ensures that participating Danish banks get access to a scalable and future-proof international infrastructure that enables the exchange of payments among countries within the SEPA landscape in a secure and stable way which, in turn, will strengthen their services and competitiveness.”

Mads Rasmussen, Head of development in the Association of Local Banks, Savings Banks and Cooperative Banks in Denmark, said: “The solution enables customers of local financial institutions to access an international infrastructure and exchange transactions in Euro across boarders in a simple and seamless way.”

Nexi already has an agreement in place with local and nationwide banks covering card and payment services, including supporting secure payments with international cards and the domestic scheme, Dankort. 

FF NEWS TAKE: This collaboration significantly moves the needle for European payment consolidation. By serving as the outsourced SDD operational layer for nearly half of Denmark’s transaction volume, Nexi reinforces its position as the critical integration layer between localized banking systems and the wider Euro network. This partnership signals that regional institutions prefer to buy compliance and pan-European reach, rather than build it. The next major indicator will be the speed at which this SDD infrastructure is then enabled for real-time payments, completing the Danish banks’ modernization journey.