Instant payments gain popularity – most Czechs now use them, with 99% customer satisfaction

Czechs have embraced instant payments, which allow money to be transferred from one account to another within seconds. Virtually everyone who has tried them is satisfied with the service. Customers particularly appreciate the speed, but also the simplicity and the clear overview of completed transactions. A survey conducted by Ipsos for the Czech National Bank, which operates the instant payments system, showed that a majority of the population now actively uses the service. This includes, for example, payments in bricks-and-mortar and online stores using QR codes. Growing public interest is also reflected in CNB statistics. The number of instant payments is rising by tens of per cent year on year.

More than three-quarters of the population associate the term “instant payment” with speed and expect it to be completed within a few minutes. In reality, the service is even faster. According to CNB statistics, the average time from a payment instruction being entered at the sending bank to the funds being credited to the recipient’s account is just three seconds. The service operates continuously throughout the year – 24 hours a day, including weekends and public holidays. “Only a few years ago, payments took two days or more. We have made great progress. Today, instant payments are available to anyone who wants to use them,” said CNB Governor Aleš Michl.

The benefits of instant payments are reflected in customer satisfaction. A survey conducted by Ipsos for the Czech National Bank showed that 53% of Czechs now use the service and 99% of them report being satisfied with it. Respondents most often cite the speed of instant payments as the main advantage (58%), but they also highlight their simplicity and the clear overview of completed transactions.

Czechs are also using QR codes at the point of sale

A key strength of instant payments, which are processed through the CERTIS interbank payment system operated by the Czech National Bank, is their practical use not only for account-to-account transfers, but also for payments to retailers using QR codes. These allow customers to make payments quickly without having to enter payment details manually, significantly reducing both the time required and the risk of error. The survey showed that almost one-third of the population (31%) already use this option in bricks-and-mortar shops and online stores. Of these users, 98% report being satisfied with this payment method. At the same time, the first private payment solutions (applications) using the CNB’s modern instant payments infrastructure are also beginning to emerge in the Czech Republic.

Despite these clear advantages, 47% of Czechs surveyed by Ipsos said they had not yet made a QR code payment. The most common reasons cited are reluctance to log in to mobile banking in public or simply not having had the opportunity to use it yet.

Despite this, instant payments represent an alternative not only to cash payments but also to payment cards, which are typically associated with significantly higher fees for retailers. “One possible future is that people will pay simply and cheaply using their mobile phones via instant payments, much as they do today with payment cards. The difference is that payments would be made entirely without cards, solely through our system,” said CNB Governor Aleš Michl. He added that the CNB is able to operate the payment infrastructure at costs up to fifty times lower than what card schemes currently cost consumers and businesses.

Preparations are under way to introduce instant euro payments and bulk koruna instant payments

The CNB launched the instant payments system in 2018, and almost all banks have gradually joined it since then. The last major bank did so in 2025. Since then, instant payments have been available to customers of banks covering almost the entire Czech retail market. According to the latest statistics, 40.8 million instant payments were processed in April this year. Compared with the same month of 2025, their number increased by almost one half. There is still significant scope for further development of the service. Euro transactions will also become faster in 2027. From January, all banks will be required to accept instant payments in euro, and by July at the latest they must also enable the sending of instant euro payments on a continuous, 24/7 basis.

This will further increase convenience for customers and make cross-border payments easier. In cooperation with banks, the CNB is also preparing to introduce bulk koruna instant payments, which could, for example, make the payment of wages simpler and significantly faster. Since last year, citizens have also been able to use koruna instant payments to pay taxes, fees, insurance contributions and other payments to state and public institutions.

Further information on instant payments is also available on the Czech National Bank’s website.

Jaroslav Krejčí
CNB Spokesperson

Survey information: The online survey was conducted by Ipsos among a sample of 1,007 respondents from the general population aged 18 to 65 across the Czech Republic. Data were collected in October 2025. In addition, qualitative research on the topic was conducted in September 2025, including two group discussions with users of instant payments, each comprising seven participants.