SEPA Lastschrift (Germany)
Country: Germany (DE) | Payment Rail: direct_debit
DirectDebit
Market Adoption: 65%
SEPA Lastschrift (SEPA Direct Debit) is Germany's dominant recurring billing infrastructure, widely used for SaaS, streaming, utilities, and insurance auto-debit.
🔄 User Payment Flow
- Customer provides German IBAN and signs digital SEPA mandate (Lastschriftmandat)
- Merchant submits debit instruction 2-5 days before billing date
- Customer's German bank debits account on the due date
- Merchant receives settlement confirmation
⚙️ Characteristics & Settlement
| Instant Payment | NO |
| Supports QR | NO |
| Supports Recurring | YES |
| Supports Refund | YES |
🛠️ Merchant Integration Steps
- Merchant API collects IBAN and e-mandate via Stripe / Adyen
- PSP submits SEPA XML debit file to clearing network
- PSP receives clearing status within 1-2 business days
🚀 Supported Payment Gateways & Acquirers (PSPs)
🔌 Checkout.com🔌 Stripe🔌 Adyen