CHAPTER II

INTERCHANGE FEES

Interchange fees for consumer debit card transactions
Article 3
1
Payment service providers shall not offer or request a per transaction interchange fee of more than 0,2 % of the value of the transaction for any debit card transaction.
2
For domestic debit card transactions Member States may either:
a
define a per transaction percentage interchange fee cap lower than the one provided for in paragraph 1 and may impose a fixed maximum fee amount as a limit on the fee amount resulting from the applicable percentage rate; or
b
allow payment service providers to apply a per transaction interchange fee of no more than EUR 0,05, or, in the Member States whose currency is not the euro, the corresponding value in the national currency on 8 June 2015, which shall be revised every five years or whenever there is a significant variation in exchange rates. This per transaction interchange fee may also be combined with a maximum percentage rate of no more than 0,2 %, provided always that the sum of interchange fees of the payment card scheme does not exceed 0,2 % of the total annual transaction value of the domestic debit card transactions within each payment card scheme.
3
Until 9 December 2020, in relation to domestic debit card transactions, Member States may allow payment service providers to apply a weighted average interchange fee of no more than the equivalent of 0,2 % of the annual average transaction value of all domestic debit card transactions within each payment card scheme. Member States may define a lower weighted average interchange fee cap applicable to all domestic debit card transactions.
4
The annual transaction values referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 shall be calculated on a yearly basis, commencing on 1 January and ending on 31 December and shall be applied starting from 1 April of the following year. The reference period for the first calculation of such value shall commence 15 calendar months before the date of application of paragraphs 2 and 3 and shall end three calendar months before that date.
5
The competent authorities referred to in Article 13 shall, upon their written request, require payment card schemes and/or payment service providers to provide all information necessary to verify the correct application of paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Article. Such information shall be sent to the competent authority before 1 March of the year following the reference period referred to in the first sentence of paragraph 4. Any other information enabling the competent authorities to verify compliance with the provisions of this Chapter shall be sent to the competent authorities upon their written request and within the deadline set by them. The competent authorities may require that such information is certified by an independent auditor.

Interchange fees for consumer credit card transactions
Article 4
Payment service providers shall not offer or request a per transaction interchange fee of more than 0,3 % of the value of the transaction for any credit card transaction. For domestic credit card transactions Member States may define a lower per transaction interchange fee cap.

Prohibition of circumvention
Article 5
For the purposes of the application of the caps referred to in Articles 3 and 4, any agreed remuneration, including net compensation, with an equivalent object or effect of the interchange fee, received by an issuer from the payment card scheme, acquirer or any other intermediary in relation to payment transactions or related activities shall be treated as part of the interchange fee.