Open Banking Croatia: Payments Built for Business

TODA Pay connects businesses directly to Croatia’s open banking infrastructure — enabling account-to-account payments, real-time SEPA transfers, and API-driven financial data access without the friction of traditional corporate banking. Croatia’s entry into the eurozone on 1 January 2023 elevated its payment rails to full SEPA compatibility, making Open Banking Croatia one of the most strategically relevant access points for businesses operating across Central and Eastern Europe.

How Open Banking Croatia Works Under PSD2

The Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) mandates that Croatian banks grant licensed third-party providers direct API access to customer accounts — with explicit consent. The Croatian National Bank (HNB) supervises all regulated participants, while the Berlin Group NextGenPSD2 standard defines the technical specification that every major Croatian bank implements. This regulatory architecture ensures consistent, auditable, and interoperable access across the entire market.

The open banking ecosystem in Croatia operates through four distinct participant types:

• ASPSP (Account Servicing Payment Service Provider) — the bank holding the account, required by law to expose a PSD2-compliant API
• PISP (Payment Initiation Service Provider) — initiates payments directly from the customer’s bank account via API
• AISP (Account Information Service Provider) — aggregates account data across multiple banks with customer consent
• TPP (Third-Party Provider) — the licensed entity operating as either PISP, AISP, or both

Each participant role carries a distinct license requirement and operates under EBA Regulatory Technical Standards, ensuring that every interaction within the Croatian open banking system meets EU-wide security and compliance benchmarks.

Croatian Banks and Open Banking API Coverage

Croatia’s eurozone accession activated full SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT) support across all major banks through their open banking APIs. The national instant payment system — EuroNCSInst — connects Croatian banks to TIPS (TARGET Instant Payment Settlement), delivering complete interoperability with EU instant payment infrastructure.

Every bank in this matrix operates under the NextGenPSD2 API profile standardised by the Croatian Banking Association (HUB), which means a single integration point delivers access to the accounts held across all five institutions.

Open Banking Payment Types Available in Croatia

Account-to-account payments eliminate the cost layer imposed by card scheme intermediaries — no Visa or Mastercard processing fees, no settlement delays, and full transaction status visibility in real time. For businesses managing high payment volumes or operating on thin margins, the shift from card-based to open banking Croatia payment rails produces measurable cost reduction from day one.

The following payment types are active and commercially available through PSD2-regulated channels:

• SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) — euro transfers settled in under ten seconds, 24/7/365, across all EuroNCSInst-connected banks
• Account-to-Account (A2A) Payment — direct bank-to-bank transfer initiated via API, bypassing card networks entirely
• Bulk Payment — batch processing for supplier payouts, payroll, and marketplace disbursements at scale
• Payment Initiation via API — embedded payment triggers built directly into e-commerce platforms, SaaS products, and marketplace workflows

Each payment type operates under Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), with OAuth 2.0 and mutual TLS (mTLS) securing every request at the protocol level.

Open Banking Account Information Services in Croatia

Beyond payment initiation, the AISP layer of open banking Croatia gives businesses structured, real-time visibility into financial data held across multiple Croatian banks. Businesses operating with multiple banking relationships — common among importers, distributors, and platform operators — consolidate that data through a single API connection rather than manual reconciliation across separate portals.

Account information services deliver three commercially critical capabilities:

• Real-time balance and transaction data across all connected Croatian bank accounts, updated on demand
• Automated cash flow management and reconciliation — eliminating manual export-import cycles between banking interfaces and accounting systems
• Creditworthiness and cash flow assessment via direct data feed, replacing document-heavy manual submission processes

Access to structured financial data accelerates underwriting, audit preparation, and supplier verification — functions that traditionally consumed significant operational time.

Business Use Cases Driving Open Banking Adoption

The businesses extracting the most measurable value from open banking Croatia share one common characteristic: they operate in environments where traditional bank relationships are slow, expensive, or structurally unavailable. Open banking infrastructure resolves each of these friction points through direct API access to payment rails.

Four business segments demonstrate consistent, high-value adoption:

• High-risk merchants — access Croatian payment infrastructure through a licensed PISP without requiring a local corporate bank account, removing the primary barrier that traditional banks impose on restricted-category businesses
• E-commerce and marketplaces — embed A2A payment initiation directly into checkout flows, reducing cart abandonment caused by card authentication friction while eliminating processing fees
• Importers and exporters — execute cross-border SEPA Instant transfers with real-time confirmation, replacing correspondent banking chains that introduce both cost and delay
• Platforms and SaaS operators — automate supplier payouts, subscription billing, and reconciliation through API-native workflows that scale without adding operational headcount

The PSD2 consent framework means each of these use cases operates with explicit customer authorisation — businesses retain full audit trails and consent revocation controls at every stage.

Access Croatian Open Banking Payments Today

TODA Pay operates as a licensed payment service provider with direct connectivity to Croatia’s open banking API ecosystem, enabling businesses to initiate SEPA payments, access account data, and automate financial workflows without establishing a local banking relationship. The platform abstracts the technical complexity of NextGenPSD2 integration — connecting SMEs, high-risk merchants, importers, and digital platforms to Croatian payment rails through a single, regulated access point. 

Businesses across e-commerce, logistics, and financial services already process transactions through this infrastructure, reaching Croatian bank accounts that traditional PSPs decline to serve. Connect your business to Open Banking Croatia — speak with TODA Pay today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Open Banking in Croatia?

Open Banking in Croatia gives licensed third-party providers API access to bank account data and payment initiation under PSD2. Croatian banks implement the Berlin Group NextGenPSD2 standard, ensuring consistent and regulated access across the entire market.

Which Croatian banks support Open Banking API?

Croatia’s five largest banks — Zagrebačka banka, PBZ, Erste, OTP banka, and Raiffeisenbank — all operate Open Banking APIs under the NextGenPSD2 standard. Each bank has adopted the EuroNCSInst instant payment system, enabling real-time euro transfers since January 2023.

How do businesses use Open Banking payments in Croatia?

Businesses use Open Banking to initiate SEPA payments, automate supplier payouts, and embed account-to-account transactions directly into their platforms via API. This eliminates card scheme fees and delivers full visibility into payment status in real time.

Is Open Banking in Croatia compliant with PSD2?

Croatia implemented PSD2 under supervision of the Croatian National Bank (HNB), which licenses all third-party providers operating in the market. All Open Banking transactions require Strong Customer Authentication, ensuring every payment meets EU regulatory standards.

Can high-risk merchants access Open Banking services in Croatia?

Open Banking infrastructure is available to any business operating with a licensed PISP, regardless of industry classification. High-risk merchants gain access to Croatian payment rails without requiring a traditional corporate bank account with a local institution.