OverviewKey benefitsAdmissionParticipantsStatisticsStand Alone Testing PartnerService documentation Admission Participation in the STEP2 Card Clearing System is open to credit institutions, electronic money institution (EMI) or payment institution (PI) having their registered office or a branch in the EEA (see below for further details). Admission rules and audit procedures are applicable to the STEP2 CC Applicant's technical and operational capability to operate in the system, the security of its IT connection, as well as to its relationship with its settlement bank where applicable. Admission criteria In order to fulfil the admission criteria for STEP2 Card Clearing System (‘STEP2 CC System’), a STEP2 Card Clearing Participant must*: be authorised to conduct banking business, or be authorised under relevant EEA laws as an electronic money institution (EMI) or payment institution (PI) have access to a TARGET RTGS account, either as a TARGET participant, by way of multi-addressee access or through a central bank or a group entity that is a participant in TARGET and undertakes to provide such access for settlement for such STEP2 Card Clearing Participant be able to send files in the required format, i.e. be able to send STEP2 CC files in the format specified by EBA CLEARING have its registered office or a branch in the EEA, i.e. participate in the system via an office located in the EEA provide a capacity opinion with respect to its participation in the system provide, where applicable, a statement of compliance with conditions set out by EEA laws** for PIs and EMIs requesting their participation in designated payment systems *Access by non-bank PSPs - May 2025: Access by non-bank PSPs to the system will become possible from the moment EEA PIs and EMIs are able to access the TARGET system and relevant EEA laws*** have been transposed. Subject to amendments of the TARGET guideline and such transposition, the admission criteria relevant to the participation of EEA PIs and EMIs in STEP2 Card Clearing are thus now expected to be applicable from October 2025. ** Pursuant to Article 35a of Directive (EU) 2015/2366 (Payment Services Directive 2 or PSD2) as amended. *** Amendments to PSD2 and to the Directive 98/26/EC (Settlement Finality Directive or SFD), allowing PIs/EMIs participation in payment systems. STEP2 Card Clearing Participants may include entities which have a BIC (ISO9362) and for which the STEP2 Card Clearing Participant has been appointed (a “Reachable BIC”) in the routing tables maintained for STEP2 CC System. Reachable BICs do not send or receive payment orders directly through the STEP2 CC System; all payment orders are included in the files sent and received by the STEP2 Card Clearing Participants. The relationship between a STEP2 Card Clearing Participant and a Reachable BIC for which the STEP2 CC Participant is acting in relation to the receipt or forwarding of messages contained in files is exclusively governed by their respective bilateral arrangements and is outside of the context of the STEP2 CC System. If you would like to join STEP2 CC, please contact us via this form. We will guide you through the joining process. Change dates The current change dates for all STEP2 services can be found here. Download the STEP2 CC Live 2025 provisioning calendar Download the STEP2 CC Pilot 2025 provisioning calendar Exclusion, suspension and withdrawal from the STEP2 CC System A participant can be prevented by EBA CLEARING from continuing to participate in the system if certain suspension or exclusion events occur. Operational defaults will be addressed in first instance through the activation of incident handling and, as applicable, crisis management arrangements. Exclusion Events that may give rise to exclusion comprise in particular: termination of T2 RTGS access loss of banking or PI/EMI license insolvency or comparable situations (unless an exclusion or suspension would contravene legislation implementing the EU Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) or equivalent third country legislation) A STEP2 CC Participant may also be excluded in case a suspension event has not been remedied within 30 calendar days. Suspension The criteria for participation in STEP2 CC consist of necessary technical and operational requirements to enable sending and receiving of files, and requirements that are necessary to enable participation in the settlement arrangements. A STEP2 CC Participant may be suspended if non-compliance with the ongoing criteria for access and participation cannot be mitigated, e.g. in the case of relocation outside the EEA. Withdrawal from the system A STEP2 CC Participant can withdraw from the system by giving notice at least five TARGET business days in advance of terminating its participation in the STEP2 CC Participant Processing Service Agreement. Pricing For information on the STEP2 CC pricing, please click here.