THE RETAIL SECTOR AND SEPA

1

• THE RETAIL SECTOR AND SEPA
• National Bank of Belgium
• 30/05/06
• Baudouin Velge, CEO Fedis

2
INTRODUCTION

• OK with philosophy of integrated market with
  competition
• Basic requirements
• Common open transparent standards
• Full commercial interoperability of the
  infrastructure
• Transparent cost-based pricing

3
CONTEXT

• 98 of payments national
• Two topics
• Debit/credit cards
• Invoices

4
DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS

• Belgium quite efficient
• Belgium much cheaper than average
• E-money (Proton) better developed than average

5
DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS

• Requirement
• As efficient
• Debit cheaper
• Proton cheaper
• International integration not a priority
• Competition !
• European Commission
•  Migration that leads to decreasing services
  levels or increasing price levels is not
  acceptable 

6
DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS

• Transition
• No interruption of quality of services
• Zero cost for
• Retailer
• Consumer

7
INVOICES

• Present features must remain
• Structured message
• Payment maximum day 1
• Electronic invoicing in Belgium not even
  realised
• To high (costly) security level
• 500.000 invoices out of 1 billion (5/10.000 !)

8
CONCLUSION

• Retail wants to be consulted
• No migration without cost/service improvement
• No cost for retail industry
• General impression of  running before walking