EPS

EPS (Electronic Payment Standard) is Austria’s bank-based online payment method, introduced in 2003 and operated by a consortium of Austrian banks. It is supported by all major Austrian banks and used by over 3 million Austrian online banking customers. Payments are initiated directly within the customer’s trusted online banking environment, with no card details shared with the merchant. Settlement is real-time, giving merchants instant payment confirmation and allowing immediate order processing.

EPS functions similarly to iDEAL in the Netherlands: the customer selects EPS at checkout, is redirected to their bank’s secure online banking environment, authenticates using their existing credentials, confirms the payment, and is returned to the merchant. The transaction is guaranteed from the moment the bank confirms, removing fraud and chargeback risk on standard EPS transactions.

For merchants targeting Austrian consumers, EPS is a baseline expectation. Over 80 to 90% of Austrian online businesses accept it, and it is the official payment method for Austrian e-government services, reflecting the deep institutional trust it has built with Austrian consumers. Its absence from a checkout targeting Austrian shoppers is a meaningful conversion gap, particularly for consumers who prefer not to use card details online.

On cost, EPS transaction fees are paid by the merchant and vary by PSP. The method is free to the consumer. Unlike card schemes, EPS does not involve interchange in the traditional sense, and overall processing costs are generally lower than credit card acceptance. Exact fee structures depend on your PSP and volume, making it worth reviewing as part of any broader contract negotiation.

PSP support is broad. Adyen, Stripe, Mollie, MultiSafepay, and most providers with European coverage offer EPS. Integration is straightforward for most major e-commerce platforms.

Relevant markets: Austria