9600 Electronic transfers using SEPA credit transfers

I've just been into my bank in the UK (Barclays) to pay the gas bill by electronic transfer (long form completed as usual) and they suggested I pay by SEPA Credit Transfer instead. It's £15 instead of the usual £20 charge and there's no need to fill out a form manually, the cashier will type it out on the computer for you. Well, anyway, I've taken a chance and done it. Just hope it goes through. Has anyone heard about this (apparently new) alternative?

Category

Cost of living - Utility Services

I'd read about it, there's a good FAQ here [url=http://www.albany.co.uk/solutions/initiatives/sepa.htm#scc]All you need to know about SEPA - Single European Payments Area[/url]

no reason why it shouldn't work (It's purpose designed to make the process easier/cheaper .. .and if we ever get the Euro I think it should make it more or less free ...)

If that's what I think it is. :veryconfused: EU rules require the fee too be no more then local transfers if both countries use the same currency. So for example if you had a French bank account and they charged 1 Euro for payments within France then it would be 1 Euro to any other Euro country. Assuming you dot all the Is so the transfer can be done electronically.