All traders in Spain will soon be required to provide card payment solutions for any purchase concluded in Spain which has a value of more than EUR 30. This will be imposed under a new rule of law created by the Spanish authorities, following a European directive on this matter – PSD2, which refers to payment services. Our team of lawyers in Spain can advise on the new proposed rule of law. 

 

 

As a general rule, Spain is known as market which prefers cash payments but under the new regulation, the local government wants to promote modern payment solutions, such as:

 

• payments by card;

• mobile phone payments;

• online payments. 

 

In the last years, more and more companies in Spain adjusted their payment solutions by including modern means of payment, besides the standard cash payment that is familiar to local consumers. 

 

At the moment, certain types of companies in Spain, such as local retailers, accept card payments for any value and this is also available for businesses operating in the catering industry, such as bars and coffee shops. 

 

This new trend is also available in the country’s airports or large commercial sites. It is important to know that card payments do not assume any extra fees. 

 

 

Once the law will be adopted on the Spanish territory, all operators will be required to display the accepted payment methods in a visible area of the premises. Our team of Spanish lawyers can provide more details concerning the obligations available for local operators. 

 

Under the regulations of the PSD2 (Payment Services Directive), enforced at the level of the European Union on 13 January 2018, the consumer protection will increase. For example, in the situation in which the consumer’s credit card was stolen or if unauthorized payments were concluded, the owner of the card will be responsible of bearing the cost for only the first EUR 50 (prior to this regulation the threshold was set up as EUR 150). 

 

Businessmen are invited to contact our law firm in Spain for more details related to card payment regulations available here.