meta_id 3340371

On an unspecified date in 2026, Albania's Central Bank Supervisory Council approved a regulation establishing interchange fee caps for card-based payment transactions conducted within Albania's territory. The regulation applies to domestic payment transactions where both the payer's and payee's payment service providers are located within Albania. The regulation establishes maximum interchange fees of 0.2 percent of transaction value for debit card transactions and 0.3 percent for credit card transactions involving consumers. These caps align with European Union (EU) standards under EU Regulation 2015/751. The regulation applies to payment service providers licensed to offer services under Albania's Payment Services Law and excludes certain transaction types, including those involving commercial cards, automated teller machine withdrawals, and three-party card payment schemes. The regulation introduces business rules requiring card payment schemes and payment processors to maintain operational independence and prohibits cross-subsidization between scheme and processing activities. It mandates co-badging arrangements allowing consumers to request multiple payment brands on a single card instrument and establishes non-discrimination requirements. Payment service providers must furnish merchants with itemized information on interchange fees and merchant service fees for individual transactions. The regulation also prohibits rules that force merchants to accept all cards within a scheme and permits merchants to steer consumers toward preferred payment instruments. The Albania Central Bank serves as the responsible authority for supervising implementation. Payment service providers must report on interchange fee compliance to the Central Bank as specified. The regulation remains in effect until Albania's accession to the European Union. Violations trigger supervisory measures and sanctions under Albania's Payment Services Law.