EBICS: secure bank communication protocol

Q: What is the difference between EBICS and standard e-banking?

Standard e-banking is a web interface used manually by a human user. EBICS is a machine-to-machine protocol: the ERP or accounting software connects directly to the bank in an automated manner, without human intervention. With EBICS, a business can schedule statement imports every morning at 7 a.m., or automatically send payment batch files after approval in the ERP.

Q: How do you connect to a bank via EBICS?

EBICS initialisation (known as 'INI/HIA') is a one-time process: the business generates a cryptographic key pair in its software, transmits it to the bank (via an initialisation form or the e-banking portal), and the bank activates the connection. Once initialised, the EBICS channel is available on a permanent, automated basis.

Q: Which Swiss banks offer EBICS?

The main Swiss banks offer EBICS for their SME and corporate clients: PostFinance, UBS, Raiffeisen, the Cantonal Banks and other institutions. Offerings and pricing vary by bank — some include it in their professional packages, others charge separately. The EBICS connection is available in parallel with the e-banking portal.

Definition

EBICS (Electronic Banking Internet Communication Standard, in German Elektronisches Bankkommunikationssystem für Internetbasierte Kommunikation) is a standardised protocol for secure bank communication between businesses and their banks. It enables the automated exchange of payment files and account statements via the internet, outside of any e-banking portal.

EBICS originated in Germany and has progressively established itself as the reference protocol in Switzerland, France, Austria and other European countries.

How it works

EBICS is based on a secure client-server architecture:

Initialisation (one-time): the business generates cryptographic keys (RSA) in its software and submits them to the bank via an initialisation form (INI/HIA). The bank activates the EBICS account.
Automated communication: once initialised, the business's software can connect to the bank at any time without human interaction.
File transmission: the ERP sends payment orders (pain.001) or requests statements (camt.052, camt.053, camt.054) via encrypted EBICS requests.
Strong authentication: each transaction is electronically signed with the company's private key. Some banks require a dual signature (two-level approval).

The advantages

Compared to manual e-banking, EBICS provides:

Full automation: statement imports every morning, batch payments sent after approval in the ERP.
Multi-bank capability: a single software can simultaneously manage several EBICS connections to different banks.
Enhanced security: AES-256 encryption, RSA signature, HTTPS protocol — more secure than most e-banking portals.
Speed: CAMT statements are available as soon as they are generated by the bank, without waiting for a user to log in.

Swiss context

In Switzerland, EBICS was adopted as the standard for bank-to-corporate exchanges as part of the ISO 20022 migration. It replaced legacy proprietary file transfer channels (ETTV, BTL91). SIX Group coordinates EBICS implementation rules for the Swiss market (technical specifications in the Swiss Payment Standards, SPS).

For very large companies with significant international payment flows, SWIFTNet FileAct remains an alternative, but EBICS is generally sufficient and less costly for Swiss SMEs and mid-sized enterprises.

How Neoffice uses it

Neoffice includes an EBICS connector configurable per bank. After initialisation (a guided process within the ERP), CAMT.053 and CAMT.054 statements are automatically imported every day. Approved pain.001 payment orders in the ERP are transmitted directly to the bank via EBICS with an electronic signature. No manual downloading or uploading is required.