2021-09-01
The Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Supervision issued this order to implement EU Directive 2014/92/EU regarding the portability of payment accounts and payment orders. It mandates that payment service providers offer account transfer services, defining strict timelines, consent requirements, and fee structures to ensure seamless transitions for consumers. The regulation assigns specific operational duties to both transferring and receiving providers while prohibiting fees for providing account data lists.
Order on the Transfer of Payment Accounts or Payment Orders¹)
Pursuant to Section 7 of the Act on Payment Accounts, cf. Consolidation Act No. 1805 of 12 December 2018, the following is prescribed:
Scope and Definitions
Section 1. This Order applies to payment service providers offering payment accounts on which a consumer can deposit funds, withdraw cash, and carry out and receive payment transactions, including credit transactions to and from third parties.
Section 2. In this Order, the following terms are understood in accordance with Section 2 of the Act on Payment Accounts:
Subsection 2. Furthermore, in this Order, the following terms are understood:
Implementation of Transfer of Payment Accounts or Payment Orders
Section 3. A payment service provider must offer the transfer of payment accounts or payment orders to payment service providers in Denmark, if these are held in the same currency.
Subsection 2. The transfer of payment accounts or payment orders is initiated by the receiving payment service provider with the consent of the consumer, cf. Section 4. Consent must be given in paper form or on another durable medium in Danish or another language agreed with the consumer. If there are multiple holders of a payment account, the payment service provider must obtain consent from all holders.
¹) The Order contains provisions implementing parts of Directive 2014/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on the comparability of fees related to payment accounts, payment account switching and access to payment accounts with basic features, OJ EU 2014, No. L 257, page 214.
Danish Official Journal A 2021 Published on 3 September 2021 1 September 2021. No. 1761. Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Supervision, Financial Supervision, Ref. No. 21-001451 CQ001878
Section 4. Consent must contain the following information:
Subsection 2. The payment service provider may, as an addition to the consent, choose to prepare a transfer request containing the information mentioned in Subsection 1. In this case, the consent must refer to the transfer request.
Subsection 3. The receiving payment service provider may obtain and store the consent on behalf of the transferring payment service provider.
Subsection 4. The date, cf. Subsection 1, No. 4, must be at least 6 working days after the date on which the receiving payment service provider is to receive the list pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 1, No. 1.
Subsection 5. If the date indicated by the consumer, cf. Subsection 1, No. 4, is more than 6 working days after the date on which the receiving payment service provider receives the list pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 1, No. 1, the deadline for the receiving payment service provider to request the transferring payment service provider to carry out the tasks pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 1, shall be extended by a corresponding number of days.
Section 5. The receiving payment service provider must, to the extent indicated in the consumer's consent or transfer request, cf. Section 4, Subsection 1, at the latest 2 working days after receiving the consumer's consent or transfer request, cf. Section 4, request the transferring payment service provider to carry out the following tasks:
Subsection 2. The receiving payment service provider ensures that the consumer has access to any payment instruments when initiating the transfer so that the delivery of payment services to the consumer is not interrupted during the transfer of the payment account. This does not apply if the receiving payment service provider has access to block a payment instrument in accordance with a framework agreement due to security or unauthorized use thereof, cf. Section 92, Subsection 1, of the Act on Payments.
Subsection 3. The receiving payment service provider, upon request from the consumer, reviews transactions carried out during the last 13 months to identify recurring incoming credit transactions and direct debits.
Subsection 4. Upon receiving a request from the receiving payment service provider, the transferring payment service provider carries out the tasks mentioned in Subsection 1. However, the transferring payment service provider may only close the consumer's payment account, cf. Subsection 1, No. 5, if the tasks mentioned in Subsection 1, Nos. 1, 2, and 4, have been completed. This does not apply if a notice period has been agreed upon, cf. Section 75, Subsection 1, of the Act on Payments. Furthermore, the transferring payment service provider may not close the account if outstanding obligations prevent it. If outstanding obligations prevent the closure of the account, the transferring payment service provider must immediately inform the consumer thereof.
Subsection 5. The transferring payment service provider informs the consumer about the transfer of the balance at the latest simultaneously with the transfer thereof, cf. Subsection 1, No. 4.
Section 6. The receiving payment service provider must, to the extent indicated in the consent or transfer request, at the latest 5 working days after receiving the list pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 1, No. 1, from the transferring payment service provider, carry out the following tasks to the extent possible according to information from the transferring payment service provider or the consumer:
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Subsection 2. If the receiving payment service provider does not possess the information to be communicated to the payer, cf. Subsection 1, Nos. 4 and 5, or the information to be communicated to the payees, cf. Subsection 1, No. 7, it shall request the consumer or the transferring payment service provider to make the missing information available.
Subsection 3. If the consumer chooses to carry out the tasks mentioned in Subsection 1, Nos. 4, 5, and 7 themselves, the receiving payment service provider must send standard letters with payment account information to the consumer within the deadline mentioned in Subsection 1.
Subsection 4. If the transferring payment service provider transfers the balance from the consumer's account before the deadline expires, cf. Subsection 1, the receiving payment service provider must carry out the tasks immediately after receiving the balance. If the receiving payment service provider carries out the tasks mentioned in Subsection 1 before receiving the balance from the transferring payment service provider, the receiving payment service provider must reimburse the consumer for any costs the consumer may have incurred as a result of the balance not being transferred.
Fees for Transfer
Section 7. A fee for the transfer of payment accounts or payment orders must be in reasonable proportion to the costs associated therewith, cf. however Subsections 2-4.
Subsection 2. The transferring and receiving payment service providers must provide a consumer with access to information regarding existing standing orders and direct debits free of charge.
Subsection 3. The transferring payment service provider must not charge the consumer or the receiving payment service provider a fee or other consideration for delivering the list that the receiving payment service provider requests in accordance with Section 5, Subsection 1, No. 1.
Subsection 4. To the extent that the transferring payment service provider charges fees to the consumer for the termination of the payment account, the fee must be in accordance with Section 75, Subsections 4 and 5, of the Act on Payments regarding the charging of fees for the termination of framework agreements and the charging of ongoing fees for payment services in connection with termination.
Advice and Information on Transfer
Section 8. The receiving payment service provider must provide sufficient advice to the consumer before initiating the transfer of payment accounts or payment orders. As part of the advice, the consumer must be provided with the following information:
Subsection 2. A payment service provider must make the information mentioned in Subsection 1 available to consumers free of charge in paper form or on another durable medium at the payment service provider's business premises. The information must also be available on the payment service provider's website, if any.
Entry into Force
Section 9. This Order enters into force on 1 October 2021.
Subsection 2. Order No. 555 of 1 June 2016 on the transfer of payment accounts or payment orders is repealed.
Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Supervision, 1 September 2021 Simon Kollerup / Hans Høj
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