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What is IBAN Discrimination?

IBAN discrimination is when local service companies and even governmental institutions, from city councils to a Ministry’s office, can claim that they are incapable of receiving any payment from you from your EU account.

It is a more common phenomenon than it may seem, especially in some EU countries.

This discrimination is especially annoying when it affects your business. Either because you want to set a payment for temporary services (Eg. a coworking fee) or one-off charges (Eg. a new laptop).

The good news is that this discrimination is illegal, and this is what you can do:

Inform them that they are obliged to accept the IBAN of any other SEPA country.
Ask for the complaints form or file a formal written complaint.
If everything else fails, you can submit a case thanks to the initiative created by Wise called “Accept my IBAN”.
Finally, there are companies that can help you take legal action against the discriminating business or entity.

Updated on: 21/11/2023

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