European batch credit transfer systems posted declining volumes in early 2026. Bankgirot processed 183 million transactions in February 2026. This represents a 7.9% year-over-year decline. Settlement values fell only 0.4% to SEK 1,204 billion. Poland's Elixir batch system recorded 555 million transactions in Q1 2026, a 1% decline year-over-year. Value grew 1% to PLN 2.32 trillion. EBA Clearing's STEP2 SCT daily average dropped to 25.4 million in Q1 2026, 4% below the 2025 full-year average of 26.5 million.
Direct debit volumes showed greater resilience. STEP2's SDD Core daily average rose to 45 million transactions in Q1 2026, a 3% increase from the 2025 average. The combined STEP2 daily average across all instruments reached approximately 70 million transactions. December 2025 produced a peak daily value of EUR 105 billion across the platform.
Instant payment alternatives continued absorbing batch credit transfer volume. Poland's Express Elixir processed 60 million transactions in March 2026, the first month exceeding that threshold. Express Elixir now accounts for 29% of batch Elixir's transaction count. ECB data from H1 2025 shows SEPA Instant Credit Transfers reached 23% of all euro area credit transfer volume, up from 16% in H2 2024. The structural shift suggests batch credit transfer platforms will face continued volume pressure as instant adoption accelerates through 2026.