Summary
- HUB3 with PDF417 is the dominant payment barcode standard in Croatia, mandated by the Croatian Banking Association for all payment slips
- Croatia uses a unique model + reference number system not compatible with standard European QR codes
- EuroNKSInst is the instant payment system, integrated with TIPS since June 2023
- All major mobile banking apps support 2D barcode scanning (HUB3/PDF417)
- SEPA Instant payments mandatory from January 2025 (receiving) and October 2025 (sending)
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: Hrvatska narodna banka (HNB) - Croatian National Bank
- Website: https://www.hnb.hr/
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank |
Bank Name |
Total Assets (EUR) |
Market Share |
Parent Group |
| 1 |
Zagrebačka banka d.d. (ZABA) |
21,171 M |
25.16% |
UniCredit (Italy) |
| 2 |
Privredna banka Zagreb d.d. (PBZ) |
16,990 M |
20.19% |
Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy) |
| 3 |
Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. |
15,113 M |
17.96% |
Erste Group (Austria) |
| 4 |
OTP banka d.d. |
8,546 M |
10.15% |
OTP Bank (Hungary) |
| 5 |
Hrvatska poštanska banka d.d. (HPB) |
~3,500 M |
~4% |
Croatian State |
| 6 |
Raiffeisenbank Austria d.d. |
~2,500 M |
~3% |
Raiffeisen (Austria) |
| 7 |
Addiko Bank d.d. |
2,344 M |
2.78% |
Addiko Group |
Market Concentration: Top 3 banks hold ~60% of assets; Top 6 hold ~90%
Banking Association
- Name: Hrvatska udruga banaka (HUB) - Croatian Banking Association
- Website: https://www.hub.hr/
- Role: Defines payment standards including HUB3
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System |
Operator |
Type |
Status |
| EuroNKS |
FINA |
Batch clearing |
Active |
| EuroNKSInst |
FINA |
Instant payments |
Active (since Oct 2020) |
| TIPS |
ECB/Eurosystem |
Pan-European instant |
Connected June 2023 |
EuroNKSInst (Instant Payments)
- Operator: FINA (Croatian Financial Agency)
- Launch: October 2020 (as NKSInst for HRK), converted to EUR January 2023
- Coverage: 24/7/365
- Max Amount: €100,000 per transaction
- TIPS Integration: June 24, 2023
- SEPA SCT Inst: Fully compliant
SEPA Compliance Timeline
- January 9, 2025: All banks must receive SEPA instant payments
- October 9, 2025: All banks must send SEPA instant payments
- Fee Requirement: Instant payment fees must equal standard SEPA fees
Mobile payment apps
| App Name |
Bank |
2D Barcode Scan |
QR Scan |
Barcode Generate |
Notes |
| m-zaba |
Zagrebačka banka |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
"m-foto pay" feature |
| PBZ Mobile |
PBZ |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Full HUB3 support |
| George Hrvatska |
Erste Bank |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
"Scan & Pay" |
| OTP Mobile |
OTP banka |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Full HUB3 support |
| mHPB |
HPB |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Full HUB3 support |
| BKS mBanka |
BKS Bank |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
"Scan and pay" |
All major apps support:
- PDF417 (HUB3) barcode scanning
- QR code scanning
- Automatic payment form population
- Camera-based scanning
Third-party payment apps
| App Name |
Type |
HUB3 Support |
Bank Integration |
| KEKS Pay |
P2P/Bill Pay |
Yes |
Multi-bank (any card) |
| Google Pay |
NFC/Online |
No |
Limited banks |
| Apple Pay |
NFC/Online |
No |
Limited banks |
KEKS Pay
- Developed by Erste Bank but works with any Croatian bank card
- Supports HUB3 barcode scanning for bill payments
- Can be used abroad to pay Croatian bills
- P2P payments between users
Schemes
| Scheme |
Type |
Symbology |
Adoption |
Technical standard |
| HUB3 |
Payment slip barcode |
PDF417 |
100% |
hub3 |
| EPC QR |
Payment QR |
QR Code |
Growing |
epc-qr |
Sources
Full country report
HR-croatia.md