The SCS VOLUME
The primary focus of the work of the ECSG is the 'SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume', which is currently being prepared for its 8th release. This upcoming version will be the first to be published by the ECSG.
This infographic prepared by the EPC supplies an introductory overview of the role of the Volume.
History of Volume releases
If you are a card stakeholder wishing to implement the requirements of the SCS Volume, at current the latest version of the Volume is version 7.1 plus Bulletin 1. Note that, upon release of the SCS Volume version 8.0 the three year cycle of release 7.0 will be complete and version 7.0 will therefore no longer be an active document as of March 2017.
January 2014
Version 7.0 of the SCS Volume is published by the EPC together with the CSG.
The six books of the SCS Volume version 7.0 cover a set of requirements applicable to card present (face-to-face) transactions to allow investment decisions and implementation based on stable requirements. The deadline for market implementation is January 2017. For detailed information, refer to this dedicated EPC Website page: SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume version 7.0.
(Note: The CSG feedback from the version 6.5 consultation can be located here: 6.5 consultation feedback spreadsheet)
December 2015
Version 7.1 of the SCS Volume is published by the EPC together with the CSG.
Updated to include new functional and security requirements applicable to card-not-present transactions, and a cards processing framework. Requirements published in Volume version 7.0, applicable to card-present transactions, and the related implementation timeline, remain unchanged. All stakeholders and interested parties active in the SEPA cards domain are encouraged to roll out services and products in line with the requirements set out in version 7.1 of the SCS Volume in a three-year period, i.e. by December 2018. For detailed information, refer to this dedicated EPC Website page: SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume version 7.1.
(Note: The CSG feedback from the version 7.1 consultation can be located here: 7.05 consultation feedback spreadsheet)
February 2016
The EPC and the CSG published a Bulletin that defines the recommended way to meet a major Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR) requirement. More precisely it addresses article 10.5 of the IFR which prescribes that by 9 June 2016 all cards be electronically identifiable enabling payers and payees to unequivocally identify which brands and categories of prepaid cards, debit cards, credit cards or commercial cards are chosen by the payer. This migration towards the market using this recommended electronic recognition may take time. Therefore a short term solution based on Bank Identification Number (BIN) tables made available to merchants should however allow meeting the regulatory deadline .For detailed information, refer to this dedicated EPC Website page: SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume Version 7.1 - Bulletin 01.
May 2016
Version 7.5 of the SCS Volume is published for a three-month public consultation. The key changes included in version 7.5 of the Volume, compared to the previous release published in December 2015, relate to the addition of guidelines to ease the compliance with aspects of the IFR related to contactless payments and choice of application and inclusion of more details regarding the use of a unique ID for pre-authorisation in the hospitality sector. Based on feedback received in previous consultations, some of the books have also been refreshed in terms of structure and layout.