Specific guidelines on chatting with clients contained in Chapter 2 of BCOBS regarding the FCA Handbook on interacting with customers (that have been initially made for credit organizations) now additionally connect with companies payment that is providing and electronic cash solutions. The overarching requirement is the fact that companies communicate information to customers that is reasonable, clear rather than deceptive and in addition now pertains to the actions linked to the supply of electronic cash and re payment solution tasks.
The payments regime is put down mainly within the PSRs, supplemented by detailed guidance within the FCA’s ‘Payment Services and Electronic Money: Our Approach’ document. The PSRs applied the EU that is second Payment Directive (PSD2) with impact from 13 January 2018 – changing the Payment Services Regulations 2009, which had implemented the very first EU Payment Services Directive (PSD1). The PSRs include both a licensing regime for ‘payment organizations’ and a enrollment regime for username and passwords providers (AISPs), both of that are types of non-bank banking institutions, along with considerable conduct demands, which use not just to re payment organizations (and, up to a restricted level, to AISPs) but in addition with other forms of banking institutions such as for instance banking institutions and electronic cash organizations (EMIs) whenever supplying re re payment solutions with regards to their products or services. We describe the PSRs in greater detail later on in this chapter.
Closely associated with the payments regime may be the electronic cash (or e-money) regime underneath the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (EMRs), which implement the EU 2nd Electronic cash Directive. The EMRs include a certification regime for EMIs, that are non-bank monetary organizations permitted to issue and hold e-money balances (efficiently quasi-deposit balances being meant as a method of investing instead of as a method of saving), and which could additionally supply the payment that is same as re re payment organizations and restricted credit facilities such as for instance charge cards or quasi-overdraft facilities. The EMRs have actually a restricted quantity of conduct demands designed for e-money, including prohibitions on re payment of great interest (or equivalent) and consumer liberties to refunds of these e-money. The conduct demands generally connect with all clients, though there is an opt-out that is partial the reimbursement conditions designed for non-consumers (much like the method by which (as talked about below) larger company clients can choose away from particular conditions when you look at the PSRs).
The areas of re payments regulation consist of:
- the EU Interchange Fee Regulation, which caps interchange costs, calls for separation of card scheme activities (such as for example Visa and MasterCard) and processing activities, and affords merchants with liberties whenever taking re payments through the card schemes. The Payment Card Interchange Fee Regulations 2015
had been implemented in the united kingdom to adhere to the responsibilities to designate competent authorities, lay out rules on penalties and simply take measures for the settlement of disputes beneath the EU Interchange Fee Regulation;
- the EU Payment Accounts Directive, as implemented in britain by the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, which enforce charges transparency, account switching and accessibility responsibilities typically pertaining to present records supplied by banking institutions but in addition possibly particular other re payment records; and
- a solely British regime under the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013, which include broad conditions aimed toward enhancing competition, innovation additionally the solution consumer experience within the context of re re payment systems ( ag e.g., Visa, MasterCard and domestic UK clearing systems like the quicker payments service).
You can find, also, a number of horizontal needs generally speaking relevant across most of the customer financing, retail banking and re payment solutions known above, including, for instance:
- the anti-money laundering, counterterrorist finance and sanctions regimes under legislation like the cash Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (informative data on the Payer) Regulations 2017, profits of Crime Act 2002, Terrorism Act 2000, EU Wire Transfer Regulation and Consolidated listing of HM Treasury as well as the workplace of Financial Sanctions Implementation;
- fairness needs underneath the customer Rights Act 2015 (CRA). The FCA could be the regulator underneath the CRA and thus, this has the charged capacity to give consideration to complaints and challenge companies on unjust agreement terms;
- the FCA’s axioms for organizations, including especially, the ‘fair remedy for clients regime’. It is essential to note the present expansion from 1 August 2019 of this application regarding the FCA’s axioms for companies (like the requirement under Principle 6 to ‘treat clients fairly’) to your supply of re payment solutions, the issuance of e-money as well as other connected tasks by re re payment organizations and e-money issuers;
- prohibitions on surcharging within the customer liberties ( re Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012;
- customer termination liberties and information requirements for economic solutions agreements entered into remotely with customers ( e.g., online or via a phone, underneath the Financial Services (Distance advertising) Regulations 2004);
- information requirements and provisions on the confirmation and placing of sales beneath the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, which also use in component to non-consumers;
- prohibitions on a selection of improper methods pertaining to consumers, including, for instance, misleading omissions from marketing, underneath the customer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008; and
- limitations and demands regarding utilization of individuals’ individual information, including for advertising purposes, under legislation like the Data Protection Act 1998 (deriving from the EU information Protection Directive 1995, that was changed because of the EU General information Protection Regulation with effect from might 2018) while the Privacy (Electronic Communications) Regulations 2003 (deriving from the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive).