Betaaljournaal 28
Newsletter Dutch Payments AssociationThis is already our last Payment Journal before the summer vacation, in a new fresh and sunny look! Among others, the proposed domestic and EU cash legislation is in the spotlight, as well as our relentless work on the Accessible Banking program. Furthermore, we are pleased to welcome two new members to our association: payment service providers myPOS and YabandPay. I wish you a happy summer and hope to greet you again in September.
Gijs Boudewijn, managing director
- Impact for the Netherlands of proposed mandatory cash acceptance
- Almost full acceptance of Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit in the Netherlands
- Stakeholder forum on cash, accessibility, ID wallets and more
- Workshops by Bankinformatiepunt.nl abound
- Biggest card payments outage in 5 years
- OVpay: increasingly frequent and increasingly affordable
- Payments Association responds to consultations by EPC
- Baseline for Accessible Banking Monitor completed
- Association News
- Agenda
Impact for the Netherlands of proposed mandatory cash acceptance
Halfway last year, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal for mandatory cash acceptance throughout the EU and for good accessibility and availability of cash for EU citizens and entrepreneurs. This prompted us to investigate the impact of this intended obligation, together with point-of-sale establishments. The study is not only about the financial impact for point-of-sale establishments (the costs) but also about how this obligation could be introduced with as few objections as possible: safely, innovatively and affordably. We have commissioned this study to research institute SEO.
The study takes stock of the implications of mandatory cash acceptance with a model analysis for eleven types of point-of-sale establishments. The first phase examines three sectors (retail, public transportation and municipalities). We presented the preliminary results at our general members’ assembly in May. A second phase will examine the eight remaining sectors. We expect the final report by the end of the summer.
Almost full acceptance of Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit in the Netherlands
By now, 97% of the payment terminals of Dutch bank acquirers have been updated to accept Debit Mastercard (DMC) and Visa Debit (VDebit). This means that VDebit and DMC transactions are processed at the usual debit card rates. Actual acceptance of DMC and VDebit is much higher at 99%, due to many full acceptance contracts with one rate for all card types. When we include the full acceptance terminals of non-bank acquirers, the coverage rate is slightly higher.
The main group of terminals still lagging behind are severely outdated payment terminals that need to be completely replaced. These terminals are mainly found in SMEs, where some business owners wait as long as possible to replace them. By the end of 2024, these obsolete terminals can no longer be used. Some unmanned terminals (for parking, vending machines and petrol stations) also have not yet been updated. This is expected to happen soon.
This makes the infrastructure almost fully capable of accepting and processing VDebit and DMC. More and more updated debit cards are coming into circulation and virtually no more acceptance problems are being reported. Triodos Bank, Knab, Van Lanschot Kempen and bunq had already started issuing VDebit and DMC. Recently, Rabobank and SNS also started doing so.
Stakeholder forum on cash, accessibility, ID wallets and more
Our stakeholder forum again covered a variety of topics. The program included the cost to POS establishments of mandatory cash acceptance, recent developments for digital ID wallets in the EU and more.
Our stakeholder forum is a platform for information exchange and discussion for our members and for other major stakeholders in the Dutch point-of-sale and giro-based payment system. It meets three times a year. The meeting takes half a day and we conclude with snacks, drinks and networking.
Sign up for out stakeholder forums
Workshops by Bankinformatiepunt.nl abound
Bankinformatiepunt.nl workshops on common banking and payment issues are in high demand. They offer information and assistance on topics such as “how can I pay safely online?” or “how can I use mobile banking?” The workshops take about an hour and a half, are interactive and allow for plenty of questions by participants. Nearly a hundred workshops are held across the country, for about a thousand participants. We reported on the workshop of Ruthmila Cicilia in Rotterdam.
Dates and locations of all workshops
Biggest card payments outage in 5 years
On May 16, there was an outage at a major processor of debit card transactions, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Nationwide, an estimated one-third of all card payments could not be made during that period. This was the largest card payment failure in the last five years and consequently it received a lot of media attention. Fortunately, card payment failures are rare. Nevertheless, card transactions may briefly not be possible, also as a result of a telecom or electricity failure. To minimize the impact, alternative payment methods are available.
Alternative payment methods in case of card payment failure
OVpay: increasingly frequent and increasingly affordable
This month, OVpay is celebrating the first year that we can all travel anywhere in the Netherlands with a debit or credit card. By now, almost one in seven people check in with a payment card. Travelers who check in without a discount use a payment card in more than one in three cases. Gradually, more and more carriers allow you to add travel discounts to your debit or credit card. In addition, seniors will soon be able to add a seniority discount for public transport – except for trains – to their payment card.
Payments Association responds to consultations by EPC
The Instant Payments Regulation requires payment service providers to offer a Verification of Payee service with a European scope. In the Netherlands, we are already familiar with this service as the ‘IBAN Name Check’. In the future, this service will also work on a European scale. For that European reach, the European Payments Council is working on a new scheme. Until May 19, EPC participants could respond to the draft version of the scheme rulebook. Our response focuses mainly on textual adjustments and comments on datasets and attributes.
Until June 9, 2024, participants could also respond to other rulebooks, in consultations on change requests for the SRTP, SCT, SCT Inst and SDD rulebooks. Together with our members we submitted responses to all these consultations.
Our responses to consultations
Baseline for Accessible Banking Monitor completed
On June 12, 2024, the baseline for the Accessible Banking Monitor was published. The monitor provides insights into how people who don’t bank (entirely) independently conduct and experience their daily banking. By monitoring every year how they bank and how they experience this, we can see shifts. With this information, banks can check to what extent they are achieving the goals of the Accessible Banking program and, if necessary, make interim adjustments.
Association News
At the recent General Members’ Assembly (GMA), Hans Overeem, Suzan van Eeten, Paul Scholten and Hans Reus were appointed to the board. The GMA also approved the proposed acquisition of Currence Incassomachtigen BV. Digitaal Incassomachtigen will play an important role in the repositioning of direct debit authorization. In addition, the financial statements were approved. Finally, we are proud to welcome myPOS and YabandPay as new members of our association.
Agenda
- June 27 – Board meeting
- September 5 – Advisory Council
- September 10 – Payment Institutions Advisory Council
- September 26 – Board meeting
- November 7 – Annual Conference
Member Bulletins
In addition to this Betaaljournaal, the Dutch Payments Association issues Member Bulletins. These bulletins usually appear a few times a month and relate to a specific topic. If you are a member and you do not yet receive these bulletins, you can subscribe to the mailing list via secretariaat@betaalvereniging.nl.
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