Methodology
Because we work on a financial (YMYL) topic, we put accuracy above everything else. Here are our principles.
Updated:
1. Primary source first
We base our claims primarily on official institution and bank technical documents: the European Payments Council (SEPA schemes), SWIFT/ISO (IBAN and BIC), Deutsche Bundesbank (Germany's central bank — BLZ), ECB and TCMB. Secondary sources are used only at a lower confidence level and with a clear label.
2. Confidence level (A–E)
Every important piece of information is marked with a confidence level:
- A: Official institution or bank technical document
- B: The bank's official product/tariff page
- C: Written institutional confirmation
- D: Observed product behaviour — limited account/country/channel. (An option, a flow or a fee shown to a user in the app; it does not verify legal compliance, EPC scheme participation, that the tariff is offered to all customers, or the scope.)
- E: Secondary or unverified source
Field-level provenance: We do not give a single confidence note to a whole bank or country profile. Each data field (scheme participation, instant availability, fee, cut-off, API…) carries its own confidence level — for example, SCT participation may be A, the fee C and the API Not verified.
3. The "Not verified" principle
If we cannot verify a piece of information independently, we do not guess. We show the relevant field as "Not verified". This applies especially to banks' SEPA capabilities and to the uncertain steps of Turkey's accession process.
4. The tools perform real calculations
Our IBAN, BIC and calculation tools rely on open, verifiable standards (MOD-97, ISO 9362, ISO 13616) and run entirely in your browser. For the interpretation of the results, warnings and limits are stated in each tool.
5. Transparent updating
The last-updated date is visible on every page. Data or content changes are recorded in the change log. If you spot an error, we correct it and keep a record of it.
6. Independence
SEPA.tr is an independent information platform; it is not operated or endorsed by any official institution or bank. For detail, see the about and terms of use pages.