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Payments newsletter: Betaaljournaal 28

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This is already our last Payment Journal before the summer holidays, in an all-new summery and fresh look! Among other things, the proposed domestic and EU cash legislation is in the spotlight, as is our relentless work on the Accessible Banking programme. 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 see you again in September.

Gijs Boudewijn, managing director

Klant rekent af aan de toonbank van een lichte koffiebar terwijl een medewerker een betaalpas aanneemt, met zichtbaar een grafisch blok met het getal 28.

Impact for the Netherlands of proposed mandatory acceptance of cash

In the middle of last year, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal for mandatory EU-wide acceptance of cash as a means of payment and for good accessibility and availability of cash for citizens and businesses. This intended acceptance obligation prompted us to commission a study, together with point-of-sale establishments, on its impact. The study is not only about the financial impact for point-of-sale establishments (the costs), but also about how such an acceptance obligation could be introduced with as few objections as possible: safely, innovatively and affordably. We engaged research institute SEO for this purpose.

The study maps the consequences of compulsory acceptance with a model analysis for 11 types of point-of-sale establishments. The first phase examines three sectors (retail, public transport and municipalities). We presented the preliminary results at our AGM 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

Meanwhile, 97% of the payment terminals of Dutch banking acquirers have been adapted to accept Debit Mastercard (DMC) and Visa Debit (VD). This means that VD and DMC transactions are processed at normal pin rates. Actual acceptance of DMC and VD is much higher at 99%, due to many ‘full acceptance’ contracts with one rate for all card types.if we include the full acceptance terminals of non-bank acquirers, the coverage rate is even 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The main group of terminals still lagging behind are severely outdated payment terminals that need to be completely replaced.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 operators wait as long as possible to replace them. By the end of 2024, these obsolete terminals can no longer be used. There is also a small group of unmanned terminals (for parking, vending machines and petrol pumps) that have not yet been upgraded. This is expected to happen soon.

This makes the infrastructure almost fully suitable for acceptance and processing of VD and DMC. More and more updated payment cards are coming into circulation and virtually no more acceptance problems are reported. Triodos Bank, Knab, Van Lanschot Kempen and bunq had previously started issuing VD and DMC. Recently, Rabobank and SNS also started doing so.

Stakeholder forum on cash, accessibility, ID-wallets and more

Our stakeholder forum was again rich with a variety of topics. The programme included the costs for point-of-sale establishments of mandatory cash acceptance, recent developments on digital ID-wallets in the EU and much 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 cashless payment system. It meets three times a year. The programme always lasts half a day and we conclude with networking drinks.

Bankinformatiepunt.nl workshops are taking a battering

Bankinformatiepunt.nl’s workshops on everyday banking and payments issues are in high demand. They offer explanations and help around questions such as “how can I pay safely online?” or “how can I do mobile banking?” The meetings last about an hour and a half, are interactive and allow plenty of room for questions by participants. Nearly 100 workshops are held across the country, for about a thousand interested people. We watched Ruthmila Cicilia ‘s workshop in Rotterdam.

Biggest pin failure in 5 years

On 16 May, there was an outage at a major processor of debit card transactions, between 18:00 and 21:00. Nationwide, an estimated one-third of all PIN payments could not be made during that period. This was the biggest pin failure in the last five years and it therefore received a lot of publicity. PIN chain failures are fortunately rare. Nevertheless, it may happen that PIN transactions are briefly not possible, even as a result of a telecom or electricity failure. To minimise the impact, alternative means of payment are available.

OVpay: ever more frequent and ever more advantageous

This month, OVpay celebrates the first year that we can travel anywhere in the Netherlands with a debit or credit card. By now, almost one in seven people check in with a debit card. Travellers who check in without a discount use a debit or credit card in more than one in three cases. Gradually, more and more carriers allow you to link a discount season ticket to your payment card. Moreover, seniors will soon be able to link their age discount for public transport – except for trains – to their debit or credit card.

Payments Association responds to consultations at 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 developing an agreement system. Until 19 May, EPC participants could respond to the draft version of the rulebook. Our reaction focuses mainly on textual adjustments and comments on datasets and attributes.

Until 9 June 2024, participants could also comment on 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.

Zero measurement monitor Accessible Banking completed

The results of the baseline measurement for the Accessible Banking Monitor were published on 12 June 2024. The monitor provides insight into how people who do not bank (fully) independently conduct and experience their daily banking. By annually monitoring how they bank and how they experience it, we can see shifts. With this information, banks can check the extent to which they achieve the goals of the Accessible Banking programme and, if necessary, make interim adjustments.

About payments

Over 506 million transactions were made in May.

43.6% of all these transactions were paid contactless by mobile phone.

More key figures via pin.nl

Association news

At the recent General Assembly (ALV), Hans Overeem, Suzan van Eeten, Paul Scholten and Hans Reus were appointed to the board. The ALV also approved the proposed acquisition of Currence Incassomachtigen BV. With this, Digitaal Incassomachtigen will play an important role in the repositioning of direct debit authorisation. In addition, the financial statements were approved. Finally, we are proud to welcome myPOS and YabandPay as new members of our association.

Agenda

Member Bulletin

In addition to this Payment Journal, the Payments Association also publishes Member Bulletins. In these, we inform members about practical matters of interest. The bulletins usually appear a few times a month and relate to a specific topic. Are you a member but not yet receiving these bulletins? You can get yourself placed on the mailing list at secretariaat@betaalvereniging.nl.

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