Paying by bank transfer in advance: how it works
Order, take the bank details from the confirmation e-mail, use the order number as payment reference, then invoice and dispatch once the payment arrives. Plus the rules for SEPA transfers.
3 min read
- bank transfer
- prepayment
- sepa
At Novo Labo you pay in advance by bank transfer, before dispatch. Checkout offers no other payment method. After you order, you receive an e-mail with the bank details; you transfer the amount with your order number as the payment reference, and once the payment has arrived Novo Labo sends you the invoice and ships the goods.
Step by step
- Cart and checkout. You do not need a customer account. Checkout asks for your e-mail address, delivery address, shipping, payment method and billing address, one step at a time; in the last step you review everything once more. Delivery is by DHL to Germany and Austria.
- Place the order. Click "Place order" to complete your order.
- Read the confirmation. Novo Labo sends a confirmation to the e-mail address you entered. It contains your order number and the bank details.
- Transfer. Transfer the amount to the bank details from the e-mail. Enter your order number as the payment reference.
- Invoice and dispatch. After your payment has arrived, you receive the invoice, and the goods go out with DHL.
Why the order number belongs in the payment reference
Novo Labo matches your payment to your order through the order number in the payment reference. So copy the number exactly as it appears in the e-mail.
What applies to your transfer
Transfers in euro follow common rules across the EU. The ones that matter most to you as the payer:
| Topic | Rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Account details | Within the European Economic Area (EEA), the IBAN is enough. The BIC is needed in addition only for SEPA payments involving countries outside the EEA. | Deutsche Bundesbank |
| Execution time | Your bank must ensure the amount reaches the payee's bank by the end of the business day after it received your order. For paper transfers the period may be one business day longer. | § 675s(1) BGB, Art. 83 Directive (EU) 2015/2366 |
| Credit to the payee | The payee's bank makes the amount available immediately after it has been credited to that bank. | Art. 87 Directive (EU) 2015/2366 |
| Instant transfers | Since 9 October 2025, banks in the euro area must also offer their customers instant transfers. These may not cost more than other transfers of the same type. | Regulation (EU) 2024/886, per the ECB |
Verification of payee
Since 9 October 2025, your bank in the euro area checks before each transfer whether the payee name you enter matches the account with the IBAN you gave. The basis is again Regulation (EU) 2024/886, and the check is free for you as the payer. You get one of four results:
- the name matches;
- the name almost matches, and your bank shows you the name on the account;
- the name does not match;
- the check could not be carried out.
So enter the account holder exactly as it appears in the bank details in the e-mail. If your bank reports "no match", check what you typed. If the message remains, do not release the payment and write to hello@novolabo.com.
If something does not fit
If you forgot the payment reference or transferred the wrong amount, write to hello@novolabo.com. Give your order number and the date and amount of the transfer so the payment can be matched.
If you withdraw from an order, § 357(3) BGB requires the seller to refund using the same means of payment, which for payment in advance normally means by bank transfer. Periods and exceptions are explained in Right of withdrawal for online orders. Novo Labo's conditions are in the terms, the shipping policy and the withdrawal policy.
Sources
- Deutsche Bundesbank, SEPA credit transfer, read 28 October 2026. IBAN and BIC, execution time.
- German Civil Code, § 675s (execution time for payment transactions) and § 357 (refund after withdrawal), read 28 October 2026.
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services in the internal market, Art. 83 and 87.
- European Central Bank, Instant Payments Regulation, read 28 October 2026. Deadlines for instant transfers and verification of payee in the euro area, charges.
- Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO), EU-Instant-Payment-Verordnung, read 28 October 2026. The four results of the payee check.
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