CBI-Comp

CBI-Comp is the multilateral clearing system developed and managed by CBI S.c.p.a. Società Benefit for domestic retail payments in Italy.

Designed to take over the legacy of the Bank of Italy’s BI-Comp system, it ensures a smooth transition and full operational continuity for the market.

On 26 February 2026, the Steering Committee of CIPA (Interbank Convention for Automation between the Bank of Italy, the Italian Banking Association, and other financial institutions – www.cipa.it) endorsed the market’s choice in favor of the CBI solution. The banks’ position confirms the trust placed in CBI, particularly in its technical robustness, governance, and its ability to operate within a highly complex environment.

On 2 July 2026, the CIPA Steering Committee approved CBI’s acquisition of the role of Application Centre within SITRAD. SITRAD (System for the Electronic Transmission of Data) enables the electronic exchange of data and information flows among connected participants involved in banking and financial operations. It is an infrastructure based on shared networks and communication standards, as well as on the operation of processing facilities known as Application Centres. These centres are the processing core of the interbank system: they manage the exchange of messages and information flows among operators, ensure their control, security and delivery, establish contractual and technical relationships with System participants and network infrastructure providers, and carry out statistical reporting for the Bank of Italy. With this qualification, CBI joins a select group of entities overseeing the national interbank infrastructure, alongside the Application Centers already operating in the market.

 As an Application Center, CBI can:

• communicate with other Application Centers through the interbank network, in accordance with the application standards defined by CIPA and ABI;
• manage the exchange, control, and aggregation of domestic retail payment flows (checks, commercial collections, and Bancomat transactions), up to settlement in central bank money on TARGET;
• ensure continuity and “zero impact” for banks: the protocols, formats, and channels currently in use remain unchanged.

• Multilateral clearing of domestic retail payments
• Management of balances for key instruments: cheques, commercial collections, and card-based transactions
• Calculation of net balances between PSPs
• Settlement in central bank money
• High standards of security, resilience, and reliability
• Full regulatory compliance

CBI-Comp represents a strategic infrastructure capable of offering:

• Operational continuity: no disruption to market processes
• Reliability: high performance on systemic volumes
• Efficiency: optimization of clearing flows
• Scalability: ability to evolve with the market
• Predictability: cost stability and transparency

With CBI-Comp, CBI takes a significant step forward, evolving from a model based on messaging services to a direct role in the core dynamics of payments, strengthening its position within the national infrastructure and contributing concretely to the modernization and competitiveness of the country’s financial system.

The platform is designed to:

• align with European integration processes
• support the evolution of digital payments
• enable future developments in an increasingly interconnected environment