Montenegro and Bosnia‑Herzegovina Launch Nationwide Instant Payment Platforms

Montenegro’s banking sector has put the TIPS Clone system into operation, enabling citizens and businesses to transfer funds in a few seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. All 11 Montenegrin banks now offer the service, with fees capped at five cents for transfers up to €200.

In Bosnia‑Herzegovina, the Central Bank introduced a domestic instant‑payment system modeled on the European SEP‑A framework. The platform is available from day one to all commercial banks, with Intesa Sanpaolo, Raiffeisen and Sparkasse participating initially and representing about a quarter of the sector’s assets. Transactions are settled within seconds, also 24/7/365, and processing fees are lower than those of the traditional clearing system. Both initiatives are presented as steps toward aligning each country’s payment infrastructure with EU standards and supporting faster cash flow for households and enterprises.