meta_id 3255982

On an unspecified date in 2026, Albania's Central Bank Governing Council approved a regulation establishing interchange fee caps for domestic card-based payment transactions conducted within Albania's territory. The regulation applies when both the payer's payment service provider and the payee's payment service provider are located within Albania. The regulation sets maximum interchange fees at 0.2 percent of transaction value for debit card transactions and 0.3 percent for credit card transactions. These caps apply to payment service providers offering or requesting interchange fees for consumer card transactions. The regulation excludes certain categories of card-based payment instruments, including commercial cards, automated teller machine (ATM) withdrawals, and transactions involving three-party payment card schemes, though specific exemptions apply to four-party schemes under certain licensing conditions. The regulation establishes business rules requiring separation between card payment schemes and processing entities regarding accounting, organisation, and decision-making processes. It prohibits discrimination between scheme members and other contractual partners, and mandates that payment schemes allow co-badging of multiple payment brands on a single card instrument. The regulation also requires merchants to receive individually specified tariff information for different card categories and brands, prohibits rules forcing merchants to accept all cards within a scheme, and permits merchants to guide consumers toward preferred payment instruments while informing them of applicable fees. Payment service providers must report interchange fee implementation details to Albania's Central Bank as specified by the bank. The regulation enters into force 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette and remains in effect until Albania's accession to the European Union. Albania's Central Bank serves as the responsible supervisory authority, with enforcement powers including supervisory measures and sanctions under payment services legislation.