rec_38

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 Text with EEA relevance · European Union

(38) Member States should ensure that the number of credit institutions offering payment accounts with basic features is sufficient to ensure the reach of all consumers, to avoid any kind of discrimination against them and to prevent distortions of competition. When determining the sufficient number of credit institutions, the factors to be taken into account should include the coverage of the network of the credit institutions, the size of the territory of the Member State, the distribution of consumers on the territory, the market share of the credit institutions and whether payment accounts with basic features represent only a small part of the payment accounts provided by the credit institution. In principle, payment accounts with basic features should be offered by as many credit institutions as possible, with a view to guaranteeing that consumers can open such accounts at premises of a credit institution that is within close reach of their place of residence and that consumers are in no way discriminated against when accessing such accounts and can use them effectively. In particular, Member States should ensure that there is no visible discrimination illustrated by, for example, a different appearance of the card, a different account number or a different card number. However, it should be possible for a Member State to envisage that payment accounts with basic features are offered by a smaller number of credit institutions, but this should be justified on the basis that, for example, those credit institutions have such a widespread presence on the territory of that Member State that they could serve all consumers without forcing them to travel too far away from their home to reach them. Moreover, consumers accessing payment accounts with basic features should not be stigmatised in any way, and that objective can be better achieved if a larger number of credit institutions are designated.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-29 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.