New EU directive caps cross border fees
Some good news for travel retailers. Credit and debit card transactions costs in Europe are coming down, and just as importantly, become more transparent for merchant and consumer alike. On June 8 EU regulations capping cross border payment fees came into effect.
In a landmark deal, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission finally endorsed the hard work of the Travel Retail Fair Payment Alliance, which has been pushing for a fairer deal for years.
There are several facets to the new Interchange Fee regulations but for travel retailers the Multilateral Interchange Fee (MIF) is the most important one. MIF is now capped at a maximum 0.2% for debit transactions and 0.3% for credit transactions with immediate effect for cross-border transactions.
Then in December, these limits come into force for domestic transactions, which includes an alternative 0.5 euro cents debit cap which can be applied for smaller payments to cover processing costs.
Aside from capping fees, the Payments Services Directive reform has been passed which sets out very definite policy on aspects such as credit card surcharges. This directive is likely to come into force EU-wide by October this year.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season