What is the difference between sweeping VRP and commercial VRP?

Sweeping VRP moves money between accounts owned by the same person, such as topping up savings. Commercial VRP (cVRP) pays a third-party business, such as a utility or a government body. In the UK, cVRP launched in June 2026 under the UKPI scheme.

Sweeping VRP

The UK's largest banks were required by the competition authority to support sweeping. Typical uses are moving money to a savings account, paying off a credit card from a current account, or keeping a balance above a threshold. Because the money stays with the same person, the risk is low.

Commercial VRP

Paying a business introduces more questions: who bears liability when something goes wrong, how disputes are handled, and how much banks can charge. A scheme was needed to set these rules, which is why cVRP arrived later and started with selected sectors.

Key differences

• Payee: same person for sweeping, third party for cVRP.
• Rules: regulatory requirement for sweeping, scheme rules for cVRP.
• Consumer protection: cVRP includes scheme safeguards and a dispute process.
• Pricing: sweeping is largely free for users; cVRP involves fees between participants.

What it means for payment operators

For your merchants in eligible UK sectors, cVRP is a new recurring option. Recurring payment infrastructure connected to account-to-account rails prepares them to use it as coverage grows.