Your clients, customers and the platforms you work with can pay you by bank transfer straight into your Holvi account. All they need is a few details from you.
In short
- Holvi works like any other payment account
- Give the payer your IBAN and your account holder name, written exactly as it appears in Holvi.
- Euro payments from the SEPA zone usually arrive within 1 business day, or within seconds if they’re sent as SEPA Instant.
- For payments from outside the SEPA zone or in other currencies, see How to receive international payments (SWIFT).
Getting paid from within the SEPA zone (Europe)
Your Holvi account works like any other payment account. It has its own IBAN, and any bank in the SEPA zone can send euro payments to it. There’s nothing to set up, and the people paying you don’t need to use Holvi or do anything different. They make a normal bank transfer, exactly as they would to any other account.
Here’s how it works:
- Share your details. Give the payer your IBAN and account holder name, for example on your invoice, in an email or on your website.
- The payer sends a bank transfer. They use their own online bank or app, as usual.
- The money arrives in your Holvi account. It shows up in your transactions, and if you’ve turned on push notifications, we’ll let you know.
See also: What are SEPA payments and how do they work?
Which details to give the payer
| Detail | What it is | Do they need it? |
|---|---|---|
| IBAN |
Your account number. |
Always |
| Account holder name | The name your Holvi account is registered in, usually your business name. [CONFIRM: where customers can see the exact account holder name in Holvi] | Always. It needs to match for the name check (see below). |
| BIC | The code that identifies Holvi as your bank. You’ll find it next to your IBAN. | Sometimes. Most banks in the SEPA zone only need the IBAN, but some still ask for the BIC. |
| Payment reference | An invoice number or reference number that tells you what the payment is for. | Recommended, so you can match the payment to the right invoice. |
Why your account holder name matters
Since October 2025, banks in the SEPA zone check the recipient’s name against the IBAN before a euro transfer is sent. This is called a name check (or Verification of Payee).
If the payer types a name that doesn’t match your Holvi account, for example a trading name, a shortened name or your personal name, their bank warns them that the name doesn’t match. Many people stop the payment at this point, or contact you to check.
To avoid this, give payers your account holder name exactly as it appears in Holvi, and use the same name on your invoices. Learn more about how the name check works.
How long it takes
- SEPA Instant: Usually within seconds, 24/7 – if the payer’s bank supports instant payments.
- Regular SEPA transfer: Usually within 1 business day. See When will my incoming bank transfer arrive?
- SWIFT transfer: Usually takes longer, depending on the banks involved. See When will my international transfer arrive?
If you’ve turned on push notifications, we’ll let you know when a payment arrives.
Getting paid with Holvi invoices
If you send invoices from Holvi, your bank details and a payment reference are added to the invoice automatically. When the payment arrives with the right reference, it’s automatically matched to the invoice for you. If the payer forgets to use the reference, you can match a payment manually: How do I match a payment to an invoice?
Note: Flex and Lite plans don’t include invoicing. To start invoicing with Holvi, upgrade your plan first.
Getting paid from outside the SEPA zone or in other currencies
Payments from outside the SEPA zone, or in currencies other than euro, are sent as SWIFT transfers. These need a few extra details and may incur additional fees. See:
- How to receive international payments (SWIFT)
- Send and receive foreign currency transfers directly with Holvi
- Fees and deductions for international transfers (SWIFT)
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to share my IBAN?
Yes. Your IBAN and name let people send money to you. They don’t let anyone take money out of your account.
Does Holvi charge me for receiving payments?
Most Holvi plans include a set amount of SEPA transfers per month. With Holvi Flex, transfers cost €0.25 each. Check your plan’s limits on our pricing page.
For SWIFT transfers, see Fees and deductions for international transfers.
A payment hasn’t arrived. What should I do?
First check Where is my money?. If the expected time has passed, ask the payer for proof of payment from their bank, then contact us.