Payment Services Directive 2 (EU) 2015/2366 is issued by European Parliament and Council of the European Union and applies most commonly in European Union, United Kingdom. This page covers who typically pursues it, what drives the decision, and when it's worth the investment.
Who PSD2 Applies To
PSD2 is most relevant to:
- Enterprise
- Saas
- Startups
Industries That Pursue PSD2
Teams working in the following sectors regularly engage with PSD2:
- Finance
- E Commerce
- Technology
Common Drivers
Organizations typically pursue PSD2 for one or more of:
- Customer or enterprise procurement: prospects or existing customers require it as part of security review and vendor onboarding.
- Regulatory obligation: PSD2 audits are formally required and gated by regulators or auditors.
- Risk reduction: the control framework surfaces real gaps — access management, change control, incident response — that would eventually bite without structure.
- Market signal: many buyers now treat the framework as a trust shortcut; achieving it accelerates sales cycles.
Where It Applies
PSD2 is recognised in European Union, United Kingdom. If you sell outside those regions, confirm whether buyers will accept PSD2 or whether a locally-recognised alternative is required.
Alternatives and Adjacent Frameworks
If PSD2isn't the right fit, buyers in the same space typically also accept:
Decision Checklist
- Is a customer or regulator asking for it in writing?
- Will the audit output be used repeatedly across prospects, or just once?
- Do you have the budget and six-month calendar required to see the process through?
- Could an adjacent framework (PCI DSS or GDPR) satisfy the same ask more cheaply?
For a full step-by-step walkthrough, see the PSD2 certification process page. For cost breakdowns, see the cheapest path to PSD2.