EBA Confirms Standardised Payment Account Terms Remain Effective Across the EU

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has today reaffirmed the continued relevance and effectiveness of standardised terminology used across the European Union for the most common services linked to payment accounts. In a new report published in line with the Payment Accounts Directive (PAD), the EBA concludes that no immediate changes are necessary to the existing Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS), which were first introduced in 2018 to improve fee transparency and consumer choice in payment account services.

The review was carried out during the first half of 2025 and drew on a broad evidence base, including recent EU payments legislation, feedback from National Competent Authorities (NCAs), input from the EBA Banking Stakeholder Group, and data from recently published EBA reports. The goal of the review was to determine whether the standardised terms remain fit-for-purpose, especially in the context of evolving payment technologies and market practices.

While the EBA acknowledged growing usage of instant credit transfers driven by the new Instant Payment Regulation (IPR), it determined that the inclusion of such services in the RTS at this stage would impose disproportionate costs on both NCAs and industry stakeholders. These costs include the requirement to update consumer disclosure documents and regulatory frameworks across Member States.

Consequently, the EBA will not propose amendments at this time but has committed to revisiting the situation in four years or sooner should major market or legal developments emerge. This decision aligns with the PAD’s requirement under Article 3(6) for the EBA to review and update standardised terminology as needed to ensure clarity and consistency for consumers across the Union.

The EBA’s reaffirmation of the RTS supports cross-border transparency, enhances consumer trust, and contributes to a more integrated EU retail banking market by enabling easy comparison of payment account offers across Member States.

Read the full report here.