LLB: Real time across borders
Zurich, 17.12.2025 – Reference case LLB
By expanding CardX to include SEPA Instant Payments, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (LLB) enables its European customers to make real-time payments around the clock, even from foreign currency accounts. Ergon has adapted the existing platform to the new regulatory requirements, setting another benchmark for real-time banking in Europe.
Real time becomes standard
Liechtensteinische Landesbank (LLB) has stood for stability, trust and innovation for over 160 years. With the implementation of SEPA Instant Payments, it is taking another step towards the future of payment transactions. For several years now, LLB has been using CardX, Ergon's real-time payment platform, to authorise card payments, TWINT transactions and Swiss instant payments (SIC-IP) in a fraction of a second.
The mandatory introduction of EU-wide SEPA Instant Credit Transfers (SEPA-ICT) marks the beginning of a new chapter: in future, payments must be processed within a maximum of ten seconds – seven days a week, 365 days a year. For LLB, this presented a technical and regulatory challenge: the solution had to comply with European requirements and the bank's high security and stability standards.
Agile implementation with CardX at its core
LLB entrusted Ergon, its long-standing partner in the field of payment authorisation, with the implementation. Ergon's project team specifically expanded CardX with new modules for SEPA Instant Credit Transfers, including instant currency conversion (7x24 Instant FX) and cross-account limit management.
This means that LLB can now also offer its European customers SEPA instant payments in real time – without the risk of overdrafts, even for foreign currency accounts and Lombard loans.
Thanks to the modular architecture of CardX, the expansion could be seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure.
A key success factor was the close cooperation between the teams at LLB, Ergon and Swisscom, with short decision-making processes, iterative development and a clear focus on stability and compliance.
"Together with Ergon, we have implemented a solution that not only meets regulatory requirements but also creates real added value for our customers – quickly, securely and around the clock."
24/7 in motion: new opportunities for customers
Customers benefit from the immediate availability of their payments, greater transparency regarding their account movements and a seamless user experience – regardless of the time of day or currency.
The solution also reduces operational risks. CardX performs automated compliance and fraud checks in real time. Configurable timeouts and limits ensure stable operation.
LLB is thus proving that regulatory requirements, customer proximity and technological excellence can be combined, positioning itself as a pioneer in real-time banking in Europe.
Partnership with a future
"CardX has once again demonstrated its flexibility," says Michael Hartmann, Instant Payment Project Manager at LLB. "Together with Ergon, we have implemented a solution that not only meets regulatory requirements but also creates real added value for our customers – quickly, securely and around the clock."
For Ergon, too, the project is proof of the scalability of its own solutions: "CardX is now able to authorise all instant payments – from debit cards and TWINT to national and, now, European SEPA real-time payments," says Rolf Sigg, Team Leader Finance & Telecom Solutions at Ergon.