SCT vs SDD: push vs pull
The same euro, two opposite arrows: the payer pushes a credit transfer; the creditor pulls a direct debit under a mandate — and everything about risk, timing, and finality follows from that.
| DIMENSION | SCT (push) | SDD Core (pull) |
|---|---|---|
| Who initiatesThe defining difference — every other row follows from it. | The debtor instructs their own bank to pay. | The creditor collects from the debtor's account. |
| Authorisation | Per payment, at initiation. | Once, up front, via a signed mandate with a unique reference. |
| Message pair | pain.001 from the customer; pacs.008 between banks. | pain.008 from the creditor; pacs.003 between banks. |
| Timing | Executes when instructed. | Aims at a pre-agreed due date; presented ahead within the rulebook's window. |
| Finality for the receiver | Settled funds are final; recovery needs a recall, which can be refused. | Provisional: eight-week no-questions refund for authorised Core collections, thirteen months if unauthorised. |
| Typical failures | Reject before settlement, return after, recall as a request. | Reject and refusal before settlement; return, refund, and creditor reversal after. |
| Best for | One-off and payer-driven payments: invoices the payer controls, transfers, payouts. | Recurring collections: subscriptions, utilities, loan instalments. |
Sources for this comparison3
- Scheme-specific rule2025 version 1.1 (EPC125-05)
2025 SEPA Credit Transfer rulebook ↗ — European Payments Council
Version 1.1 replaced version 1.0 at publication on 5 October 2025 and is stated to remain in effect up to 21 November 2027. It moves the date from which the unstructured address format is no longer permitted to 15 November 2026.
- Scheme-specific rule2025 v1.1 (EPC016-06)
2025 SEPA Direct Debit Core rulebook version 1.1 (EPC016-06) ↗ — European Payments Council
- Simplified educational illustration
Payments Signal editorial teaching models — Payments Signal
What this simplifies: Core scheme only in column B; B2B differences are noted in the SDD topics.
Used wherever diagrams, scenarios, figures, or example values are didactic constructions rather than sourced facts; every such use carries a simplifications disclosure. All people, companies, banks, and list entries in examples are fictional.