Instant payments – fast, secure and simple

The NBS reminds citizens and businesses that services available on mobile banking applications enable fast, simple and secure instant payments through four different payment options.

In Q1 2026, more than 10 million payments were executed by scanning the NBS IPS QR code, with a total value exceeding RSD 53 billion, representing a 9% increase compared to the previous quarter. To make a payment using this service, users simply scan the QR code displayed on an invoice with their mobile banking application, and the transaction is completed within a matter of seconds. In this way, users save time and avoid the costs associated with visiting bank branches, post offices or other payment service providers.

Payees issuing invoices can generate and validate their NBS IPS QR codes in a simple and efficient manner using the generator and validator available on the National Bank of Serbia’s website at https://ips.nbs.rs.

For fast and secure person-to-person money transfers, the “Prenesi” (Transfer) service is becoming increasingly popular. In Q1 this year, more than 400 thousand transactions were executed through this service, with a total value exceeding RSD 3.8 billion, which is 5% more than in the previous quarter. To send money, users simply need to enter the recipient’s phone number from their contact list and the desired amount within their mobile banking application. The funds are then transferred to the recipient within seconds. To be able to receive funds through this service, users need only register for it through their mobile banking application, a process that can be completed in just a few clicks.

For payments at points of sale, citizens have access to two options:

•  IPS Show – the user generates an IPS QR code within their mobile banking application and presents it to the merchant;
•  IPS Scan – the user scans the merchant’s IPS QR code using the camera function within their mobile banking application.<br>In Q1 this year, more than 1.8 million transactions with a total value exceeding RSD 7.5 billion were executed through these two options, representing a 60% increase compared to the quarter before.

All merchants wishing to offer instant payment services to their customers can do so in a very simple way by establishing cooperation with one of the acquiring banks that provide instant payment acceptance services. A list of such banks is available at: IPS - NBS | Banks providing the instant payment acquiring service at points of sale.​

The IPS Scan option enables simple and highly secure payments without the use of sensitive payment instrument data on merchants’ websites, which is particularly important for online purchases. Users simply need to scan the IPS QR code or click the “Pay” button when accessing an online merchant from a mobile phone, after which the transaction is completed within the bank’s secure environment.

The above figures show that each of these services continues to record significant and sustained growth in the number of transactions executed, clearly indicating the increasing digitalisation of financial services and growing public confidence in these payment methods.

The NBS remains committed to further enhancing the payment system in order to provide an even better user experience while maintaining the highest standards of security.