What is GiroCode and the EPC standard (and who supports it)

GiroCode is the popular name for the payment QR code defined by the European EPC069-12 standard, published by the European Payments Council. In short: a standardised format that packs the details of a SEPA transfer into a single QR code, so it can be read identically by any compatible banking app. Let's break it down.

Why the EPC standard appeared

Before GiroCode, each bank could use its own QR code format, so a code generated for one bank would not work with another. The EPC069-12 standard unified things: a correctly built code is understood the same way everywhere in the SEPA area. That makes it ideal for invoices, shops and recurring payments.

What a GiroCode contains

The code holds text structured across several lines. Simplified, it includes:

• The service tag (BCD) and the standard version;
• The transfer type — SCT, i.e. SEPA Credit Transfer;
• The beneficiary's BIC (optional in the current version);
• The beneficiary name;
• The beneficiary's IBAN;
• The amount in euro (optional);
• The reference / payment details (for example the invoice number).

Everything must fit within a maximum of 331 bytes per the standard — which is why the name and details are length-limited.

Which apps and banks support it

Support for scan-to-pay varies from one bank to another. Many banking apps across the SEPA area already recognise EPC codes, and their number keeps growing. Availability depends on the bank and the app version — the safest bet is to check whether your app has a "scan to pay" option. Even where automatic scanning is missing, the code remains a useful visual reference.

GiroCode vs. other QR codes

An ordinary QR code can hold a link, text or contact details. A GiroCode holds only payment instructions in a format banks understand. It is, effectively, a specialised subtype of QR code. To see how it works in practice, also read how to pay with a SEPA QR code, step by step.

How to generate a valid GiroCode

You do not need to build the EPC text by hand — you can generate it automatically and validly with getQR's SEPA payment QR code generator. It even checks the IBAN (checksum) and respects the 331-byte limit, so you get a code that scans on the first try.