The messaging service enables billers to directly request funds rather than sending traditional invoices. For each request, receivers are asked whether they would like to pay in full or in part, request an extension, communicate directly with the biller, or decline to pay.

Initially scheduled for release at the end of April, Pay.UK has delayed the publication of its R2P framework (the message standards, rules and terms and conditions) to avoid increasing the load on banks as they deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the delay, Paul Horlock, Pay.UK CEO told banks: "I want to personally reassure all our stakeholders that Pay.UK remains fully committed to request to pay. The framework has already been the subject of a successful pilot - where the full range of messages and potential responses were successfully tested. Like you we are looking forward to the framework’s publication at the appropriate time as well as request to pay services being available in the market."

For the pilot, Visa tested over 100 biller and consumer use cases and over 40 exceptions.

Mat Lane, head of Europe real time payments & global applications, Visa, says: “We are keen to continue working with Pay.UK to develop the offering and join the full service when it launches.”

He says all participants involved in the pilot will now gain full accreditation to join the live request to pay service at go live.

Pay.UK's Horlock adds: “The huge variety of companies that have been involved in request to pay’s development and testing phases - more than 400 in all, from start-ups to large payment service providers - is a clear demonstration that there is market appetite."