A digital payment token is an electronic instrument used to convey monetary value in euro-related transactions. Its value may derive from euro assets or claims, a promise of euro redemption, or eligibility for use within an arrangement that supports euro payments. Depending on its technical and institutional design, it can facilitate transfers directly between users rather than through traditional account-based payment infrastructure. This concept does not include a security substitute that merely masks confidential data, since such a token has no independent financial value or corresponding asset claim.
Source: European Central Bank (ECB) (source). This glossary entry is an independently worded adaptation of the cited information.