Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the comparative merits of flat rate Interchange Fees as opposed to fees proportional to the value of the transaction; and whether his Department plans to exercise section 7 of the Interchange Fee (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 to decrease the per transaction interchange fee.

The Government is open to hearing views on this issue, and digital payments more broadly, as evidenced by its call for evidence on cash and digital payments in the new economy. Amongst other things, this explored how the Government can best support digital payments. The Government will formally respond to the call for evidence in due course.

The European Commission is in the process of reviewing the effectiveness of the Interchange Fee Regulation as part of its usual process. The Payment Systems Regulator, who is the UK’s lead competent authority for the Interchange Fee Regulation, is also conducting a review into the supply of card-acquiring services. Amongst other things, this review will examine the fees merchants pay for these services. The Government has therefore not made a formal assessment of the Interchange Fee Regulation.