Entidad de pago (EP) / Payment institution authorization (Spain)

At a glance

What it lets you do

• Execution of payment transactions
• Money remittance
• Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions
• Payment initiation services
• Account information services

• Execution of payment transactions. Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account.
• Money remittance. Receiving funds from a payer solely to transfer them to a payee or another provider, without opening payment accounts.
• Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions. Issuing cards or other payment instruments to payers, and acquiring card and other payment transactions for merchants.
• Payment initiation services. Initiating a payment order at the user's request from an account held with another provider, as in open banking.
• Account information services. Providing consolidated online information on one or more payment accounts the user holds with other providers.

Where it is valid

How long it takes

Statutory: 3 months from receipt of a complete application (maximum 12 months from initial filing; silence implies rejection)¹. Observed: not published. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

Buying a company that already holds it

Prior notification with an objection period. Any natural or legal person intending to acquire or increase, directly or indirectly, a qualifying holding reaching or exceeding 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% of the share capital or voting rights, or to acquire control of an electronic money institution, payment institution, or credit financial establishment, must submit prior notification to Banco de España under Procedure ES_BDE_C056_P247 (or ES_BDE_C056_P114 for banks). Banco de España assesses acquirer reputation, financial soundness, and AML/CFT risks within a statutory maximum period of 60 working days from written acknowledgement of receipt. Closing without non-opposition suspends voting rights and triggers administrative penalties under Ley 10/2014 and Real Decreto 736/2019.⁴

Ready-made companies holding this licence: see verified positions.

Laws behind it

• Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market: Directive (EU) 2015/2366