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Finance

Payment services

The European Commission is working to create an efficient and integrated market for payment services in the EU.

What the EU is doing and why

An efficient market for retail payment services in Europe should guarantee

  • the same rules all over the EU
  • clear information on payments
  • fast and instant payments
  • consumer protection
  • a wide choice of payment services

The EU is aiming to create a single payment area

  • which lets citizens and businesses make cross-border payments as easily and safely as they would in their own countries
  • where cross-border payments are subject to the same charges as domestic payments

Policy making timeline

  1. 19 March 2024
    Legislation - Instant payments

    Publication of the Instant Payments Regulation in the Official Journal.
    The Regulation will enter into force on 8 April.

  2. 28 June 2023
    Legislative proposal - Payments services and electronic money services

    Financial data access and payments package including

    • a proposal for a new Payment Services and Electronic Money Services Directive (PSD3)
    • a proposal for a new Payment Services Regulation (PSR)
  3. 26 October 2022
    Legislative proposal - Instant payments
  4. 10 May 2022
    Consultation - Payments services and open finance
  5. 31 March 2021
    Consultation - Instant payments

    The Commission launched 2 consultations

  6. 24 September 2020
    Strategy - Retail payments
  7. 21 June 2019
    Opinion - Strong customer authentication
  8. 12 January 2018
    Legislation - PSD2
  9. 2015
    Legislation - PSD2

    In 2015 the EU adopted a new directive on payment services (PSD2) to improve the existing rules and take new digital payment services into account. The directive became applicable in January 2018. It includes provisions to

    • make it easier and safer to use internet payment services
    • better protect consumers against fraud, abuse, and payment problems
    • promote innovative mobile and internet payment services
    • strengthen consumer rights
    • strengthen the role of the European Banking Authority (EBA) to coordinate supervisory authorities and draft technical standards

    The directive is part of a legislative package that also includes a regulation on multilateral interchange fees. Together, the regulation and the second payment services directive,

    • limit the fees for transactions based on consumer debit and credit cards
    • ban retailers from imposing surcharges on customers for the use of these types of cards
  10. 2007
    Legislation - PSD1

    The EU set up common rules for payments with the adoption of the first payment services directive (PSD1) in 2007.

    The payment services directive established the same set of rules on payments across the whole European Economic Area (European Union, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), covering all types of electronic and non-cash payments, such as

    • credit transfers
    • direct debits
    • card payments
    • mobile and online payments

    The directive laid down rules about the information that payment services providers have to give to consumers and about the rights and obligations linked to the use of payment services.

    The directive introduced a new category of payment service providers other than banks – the so-called 'payment services'. This has increased competition and choice for consumers.

    The directive also laid the groundwork for the single euro payments area, which allows consumers and businesses to make payments under the same conditions across the euro area.

Relevant legislation