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BayernLB Tests Electronic Invoices at Bank Accounts

Press release
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Bayerische Landesbank (BayernLB) aims to be the first state bank in Germany to offer corporate clients the service of delivering electronic invoices directly to their bank accounts. Companies can receive, approve, and automate the payment of incoming invoices through their bank. Outgoing invoices will be digitally forwarded to the bank of the respective recipients. This process is known as Request to Pay and is managed through the Paycy platform of Hamburg-based PPI AG.

The test operation for the new service is set to commence in the upcoming quarter with selected corporate clients. According to BayernLB, these interested parties predominantly come from Germany. The principle is straightforward: those wishing to send an invoice will no longer do so by post or email but will have it delivered to and approved at the recipient's bank account. Once the incoming invoice is accepted, the bank initiates the payment.

“This process is based on the EU-wide standard Request to Pay and coincides with the electronic invoicing obligation that has been in effect for B2B transactions in Germany since the beginning of the year,” explains Bettina Rose, CEO of Paycy and additionally responsible for market strategy in the payments sector at PPI. “The two ecosystems of billing and banking are converging, with the bank account serving as the hinge. This brings banks and bank accounts back to being the hub of finance.”

Participating companies can choose whether to enter invoices online and submit them to their bank or connect technically. In this case, companies send their invoice data directly to their bank, where it is delivered to recipients via the Paycy platform.

"BayernLB has always been committed to financing progress," says project manager Vassiliki Patera, "which is why it is only logical for us to invest in progress ourselves and enable our clients to send electronic invoices to their customers in the future. We are thereby contributing to a fully digital invoicing system in Germany and eliminating a significant media break. Instead of printing out invoices or sending them via email, we are creating a system with Request to Pay that no longer includes this media break."

BayernLB sees itself as a pioneer with this project. As Patera emphasises, it is about setting an example for other banks to embrace Request to Pay and to develop their own offerings. Bettina Rose concurs, noting that it is essential to gain reach quickly. This means connecting many banks to ensure that as many bank accounts as possible can receive digital invoices. The Paycy CEO sees several advantages for banks to leverage in this process.

“When the bank account becomes more important again, banks will also become more significant to their customers,” Rose states. “Request to Pay can also be enhanced with traditional banking services, such as financing or buy now, pay later. Furthermore, the bank directly integrates into the value chain of its customers by ensuring that electronic invoices are transmitted safely and quickly.”

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