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European platform for accessible electronic payments

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Where should I insert my debit card, what amount is shown on the screen and when should I press OK? Electronic payments cause a great deal of stress for large groups of people, including older people and people with a visual impairment. Pay-Able aims to change that.

Pay-Able logo with pedestrian icon and embossed mark, with text “pay-able.eu” on gray background.

That is why the Pay-Able platform was launched at the European Parliament in Brussels on 22 June 2016. The platform aims to bring international organisations together and jointly advocate payment terminals that are accessible and easy for everyone in the European Union to use.

2020 update: The EU is not the only organisation working to make payments accessible. The Dutch Payments Association also examined how it could play a coordinating and connecting role and, in consultation with its members, decided in July 2020 to establish the Accessibility and Inclusivity Working Group. Its members include representatives of ABN AMRO, ING (chair Jake Abma), Rabobank, Triodos and de Volksbank.

Payments rely on an infrastructure chain provided by many different payment service providers, traditionally with security, efficiency and reliability as their main priorities. These parties work together effectively, with each individual area contributing to a strong payment chain. The accessibility of payments as a whole is also of vital social importance. Digital payment services and solutions should be as accessible as possible, so that vulnerable groups can continue to use them.

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