Open banking in Czechia: how bank payments in koruna work
Czech banks often carry international group names, yet each runs its own regulated access interface. This guide explains how payer consent, strong authentication and licensed providers fit together, and what businesses collecting in koruna (CZK) usually consider.
What sets the Czech market apart
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A familiar brand, a separate interface
Many large Czech banks belong to international groups known from other markets. The Czech entity still publishes its own access interface, so a connection built for a sister bank in another country does not automatically reach it.
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Koruna, not euro
Payments in Czechia are made in Czech koruna (CZK) and settle to accounts able to hold koruna. Systems designed around the euro often assume a single currency, and the Czech market is where that assumption gets tested.
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Approval is not arrival
A payer approving a payment in their bank shows that consent was given. It does not by itself show that the koruna has reached the receiving account, which is why businesses usually confirm the credit separately.
How Czech payments are typically organised
The main moving parts between a business and Czech banks. The general building blocks are described in more detail on the open banking infrastructure page.
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Providers reach the banks
Licensed providers connect to the access interfaces of Czech banks. Which provider reaches which bank varies, so businesses often rely on a software layer that coordinates several of them.
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Local behaviour differs
Redirect flows, timing and rejection reasons are set by each Czech bank and can differ from those seen in other European countries.
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CZK from request to credit
A payment request names its currency. When both sides hold koruna accounts, the amount is typically credited in CZK without conversion along the way.
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Completion means credited
An accepted initiation is a status, not money received. Many businesses treat a payment as complete only once the amount is seen on their own account.
- Outside the euroCzech payments are made in koruna (CZK)
- PSD2 basedBanks provide regulated access interfaces under EU rules
- SCAPayers authenticate inside their own bank
- LicensedInitiation and account access by licensed PIS and AIS providers
Who does what in a Czech open banking payment
The European rules that oblige banks to open these interfaces are summarised on the PSD2 open banking page.
The Czech bank opens its interface
Each bank operating payment accounts in Czechia runs a regulated access interface that a licensed institution may call on behalf of a customer. European payment rules require the bank to provide it.
The payer consents in their own bank
The payer chooses their bank, signs in there and approves the amount and beneficiary. Their banking credentials are not shared with the merchant or any intermediary.
Licensed providers do the regulated part
A licensed PIS provider initiates the payment; a licensed AIS provider can read account information with consent. Software layers may coordinate them but do not replace the licence.
From request to credited koruna
Request
Amount in CZK, a reference and the receiving account.
Pick a bank
The payer selects their Czech bank.
Consent
Sign-in and approval happen inside that bank.
Statuses
The provider reports initiation and bank statuses.
Credit
The koruna arrives on the receiving account.
Same bank group, separate country
Why a relationship with a banking group abroad does not carry over to its Czech entity. Neighbouring Poland shows a similar pattern of group-owned banks with local interfaces.
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A group brand is not a shared interface
Belonging to an international group does not mean a Czech bank shares an access interface with its sister banks abroad. Each country entity is a separate institution with its own endpoints, onboarding and change calendar.
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The payer journey is Czech, end to end
How the payer is redirected, which authentication method their bank asks for and how a decline is reported are set by the Czech entity. A journey tested in another country is not a reliable guide.
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Orchestration can even out the differences
Businesses active in several markets often use an orchestration layer so that Czech payments produce the same request format and statuses as payments elsewhere.
Each capability and who typically handles it
| Capability | What it covers | Typically handled by |
|---|---|---|
| Bank choice | Which Czech banks can be reached through which providers | viaBanking, through licensed PIS providers |
| Payment initiation | A regulated service performed on the payer's consent | Licensed PIS provider |
| Payer authentication | Inside the payer's own Czech bank, by its own method | The payer's bank |
| Koruna handling | CZK carried from request to credit on koruna accounts | The business and its account institution |
| Status mapping | Bank-specific statuses translated into one vocabulary | viaBanking |
| Account credit confirmation | Checking the amount on the receiving account | viaBanking, via a licensed AIS partner |
Businesses collecting from Czech payers
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Online retail in Czechia
Shops offering pay by bank to Czech buyers alongside cards, typically releasing orders once the koruna is confirmed.
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Platforms across Central Europe
Marketplaces collecting in neighbouring countries that add Czech buyers on the same payment model.
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B2B invoices in koruna
Payment links that open the client's bank with amount and reference prefilled, simplifying reconciliation when credited.
Consent with firm edges
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Sign-in stays with the bank
Passwords, codes and device approvals are handled by the payer's Czech bank under strong customer authentication, not by the merchant.
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Consent has a defined scope
A payment consent names one amount, one beneficiary and one reference, and it ends once that payment resolves.
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Read-only stays read-only
Account information access can show balances and transactions with consent. It cannot move money, and its scope is limited to what was agreed.
Questions about open banking in Czechia
Short answers on how open banking payments in koruna work for Czech payers and the businesses they pay.
How does open banking work in Czechia?
A business creates a payment request, the payer approves it inside their own Czech bank, and a licensed PIS provider initiates the transfer through the bank's regulated access interface. Payments are in koruna, and many businesses separately confirm that the amount reached their account.
Does a connection to a banking group abroad cover its Czech bank?
Usually not. The Czech entity of a group runs its own access interface and its own payer journey, so it is integrated separately from sister banks in other countries.
What currency are Czech open banking payments made in?
Czech koruna (CZK). To receive koruna without conversion, the receiving business needs an account able to hold CZK. Czechia is an EU member outside the euro area.
Who regulates open banking in Czechia?
The framework comes from the EU's PSD2, transposed into Czech law, with the Czech National Bank supervising payment institutions. The EU's planned successor rules are outlined on the PSD3 and open banking page.
What does SCA mean for payers in Czechia?
Strong customer authentication means the payer confirms a payment inside their own bank using at least two independent factors, such as a device and a PIN or biometric. The merchant never sees these credentials. For comparison, the Europe overview covers how this works across other markets.
Exploring open banking in Czechia? Get in touch
This page is for information only. The viaBanking team is happy to talk through the Czech market and open banking questions you may have.
viaBanking is a software and technology provider. Regulated payment initiation and account information services are delivered by licensed partner institutions. viaBanking does not hold an AIS or PIS licence, does not execute bank payments and does not move funds.
