Guiding Clients Through the Technical Evolution of Global Payments
Eduard Keberle, Product Manager of ICC, shares how KBC ICC anticipated ISO 20022 and delivers future‑ready cross‑border payments.
The technical evolution of global payments reached a significant milestone with the mandatory migration to ISO 20022 in November 2025. Eduard Keberle, Product Manager, reflects on how KBC ICC anticipated this shift as an early adopter and how the bank now supports clients with advanced standards, real-time compliance screening, and the future of cross-border payments.
What is ISO 20022 migration and why is it such an important step forward for international payments?
Eduard Keberle: “ISO 20022 represents a fundamental evolution in how international payments and financial messages are structured and processed. In the past, crossborder transfers, especially to accounts outside Europe, relied on fairly rigid message formats with limited fields. That made identification, matching, and validation more complex and more error-prone. With ISO 20022, messages contain richer, more structured data. There are dedicated tags for elements such as postal code, city, and country, which makes address information far more precise and machinereadable. All of this data is automatically read, validated, and matched, reducing the need for manual intervention. As a result, payments are processed faster and more efficiently, with fewer errors along the way.
It’s also important to note that ISO 20022 is not limited to payments alone. The same standard applies to statements, reporting, and other financial messages. This consistency across the entire payment chain significantly improves processing and overall operational efficiency.”
How did KBC ICC approach this migration?
Eduard Keberle: “We saw this coming early and decided to act ahead of the market. Instead of waiting until the deadline, we positioned ourselves as an early adopter. This allowed us to build experience long before the mandatory deadline of November 2025. While the migration posed a significant challenge for many institutions, particularly smaller banks, we already had the infrastructure, expertise, and capacity in place. As a result, we were able to actively support our clients throughout the transition. This included for example multi-format processing, helping clients send/receive compliant messages even if their back-end wasn’t fully upgraded yet,but also ad hoc consultancy and joint testing.”
So this was more than a technical exercise?
Eduard Keberle: “Absolutely. ISO 20022 was part of a broader roadmap. It fits into our wider strategy around expanding payment channels and continuously improving operational excellence. From our perspective, standards are not just about compliance, they are enablers for better services.”
Security is another key concern in payments. How does KBC ICC handle AML and embargo screening?
Eduard Keberle: “All electronic payments at KBC ICC are screened for anti-money laundering and embargo compliance. That applies across all channels and the screening is also supported by AI. Transactions without a hit go straight through. If there is a potential match, the transaction is routed to a problem queue for manual review by our compliance experts. Confirmed violations are blocked and false positives are released. This enables our AI tools to learn from previous mistakes and become even more efficient.”
How do cross-border payments fit into the G20 Roadmap and where do we stand today?
Eduard Keberle: “The G20 Roadmap is an international initiative aimed at making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, more transparent and more inclusive by 2027. Key elements include ISO 20022 harmonization, more transparency, robust AML/CFT frameworks, the interlinking of domestic instant payment systems, and clearly defined service level agreements. At KBC ICC, staying aligned with market standards and regulatory expectations is part of our DNA. The roadmap reinforces this ambition and sets a clear pace for the industry as a whole.”
What motivates you personally in this role?
Eduard Keberle: “What motivates me is understanding the mechanics behind complex systems. I like to see how the wheels turn, to dig deep into a subject and translate that knowledge into tangible outcomes. Working at the intersection of innovation and compliance and seeing how that makes life easier for clients is incredibly rewarding.”
You plan to launch a business continuity plan for the IDE@ tool in the near future. What can clients expect?
Eduard Keberle: “IDE@ is a client-facing tool that gives customers more visibility into their nostro accounts with us. They can consult balances, track the status of individual transactions, and download reports. It’s important to see IDE@ as a consultation tool rather than internet banking: payments themselves are not initiated there. Given the volumes involved, payment instructions continue to be securely submitted via the SWIFT network. In addition, we’re kicking off a business continuity procedure linked to IDE@. In very specific situations – for example, if a client temporarily cannot access SWIFT – the tool could serve as a controlled backup channel, allowing a limited number of critical payments to be registered under strict authorization. This functionality has been approved and is now entering development. Based on client feedback so far, it’s something many of them genuinely value.”