Directive 2007/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2007 on payment services in the internal market amending Directives 97/7/EC, 2002/65/EC, 2005/60/EC and 2006/48/EC and repealing Directive 97/5/EC (Text with EEA relevance)

Where a payment institution is required to safeguard funds under paragraph 1 and a portion of those funds is to be used for future payment transactions with the remaining amount to be used for non-payment services, that portion of the funds to be used for future payment transactions shall also be subject to the requirements under paragraph 1. Where that portion is variable or unknown in advance, Member States may allow payment institutions to apply this paragraph on the basis of a representative portion assumed to be used for payment services provided such a representative portion can be reasonably estimated on the basis of historical data to the satisfaction of the competent authorities.

The Member States or competent authorities may require that payment institutions which are not engaged in other business activities referred to in Article 16(1)(c) shall also comply with the safeguarding requirements under paragraph 1 of this Article.

The Member States or competent authorities may also limit such safeguarding requirements to funds of those payment service users whose funds individually exceed a threshold of EUR 600.

Member States shall require undertakings other than those referred to in Article 1(1)(a) to (c), (e) and (f) and other than legal or natural persons benefiting from a waiver under Article 26, who intend to provide payment services, to obtain authorisation as a payment institution before commencing the provision of payment services. An authorisation shall only be granted to a legal person established in a Member State.

An authorisation shall be granted if the information and evidence accompanying the application complies with all the requirements under Article 5 and if the competent authorities' overall assessment, having scrutinised the application, is favourable. Before an authorisation is granted, the competent authorities may, where relevant, consult the national central bank or other relevant public authorities.

A payment institution which under the national law of its home Member State is required to have a registered office, shall have its head office in the same Member State as its registered office.

The competent authorities shall grant an authorisation only if, taking into account the need to ensure the sound and prudent management of a payment institution, the payment institution has robust governance arrangements for its payment services business, which include a clear organisational structure with well-defined, transparent and consistent lines of responsibility, effective procedures to identify, manage, monitor and report the risks to which it is or might be exposed, and adequate internal control mechanisms, including sound administrative and accounting procedures; those arrangements, procedures and mechanisms shall be comprehensive and proportionate to the nature, scale and complexity of the payment services provided by the payment institution.

Where a payment institution provides any of the payment services listed in the Annex and, at the same time, is engaged in other business activities, the competent authorities may require the establishment of a separate entity for the payment services business, where the non-payment services activities of the payment institution impair or are likely to impair either the financial soundness of the payment institution or the ability of the competent authorities to monitor the payment institution's compliance with all obligations laid down by this Directive.

The competent authorities shall refuse to grant an authorisation if, taking into account the need to ensure the sound and prudent management of a payment institution, they are not satisfied as to the suitability of the shareholders or members that have qualifying holdings.

Where close links as defined in Article 4(46) of Directive 2006/48/EC exist between the payment institution and other natural or legal persons, the competent authorities shall grant an authorisation only if those links do not prevent the effective exercise of their supervisory functions.

The competent authorities shall grant an authorisation only if the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of a third country governing one or more natural or legal persons with which the payment institution has close links, or difficulties involved in the enforcement of those laws, regulations or administrative provisions, do not prevent the effective exercise of their supervisory functions.

An authorisation shall be valid in all Member States and shall allow the payment institution concerned to provide payment services throughout the Community, either under the freedom to provide services or the freedom of establishment, provided that such services are covered by the authorisation.

The competent authorities may withdraw an authorisation issued to a payment institution only where the institution:

Reasons shall be given for any withdrawal of an authorisation and those concerned shall be informed accordingly.

The withdrawal of an authorisation shall be made public.

Directive 78/660/EEC and, where applicable, Directives 83/349/EEC and 86/635/EEC and Regulation (EC) 1606/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 July 2002 on the application of international accounting standards ([^E0027]) shall apply to payment institutions mutatis mutandis.

Unless exempted under Directive 78/660/EEC and, where applicable, Directives 83/349/EEC and 86/635/EEC, the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of payment institutions shall be audited by statutory auditors or audit firms within the meaning of Directive 2006/43/EC.

For supervisory purposes, Member States shall require that payment institutions provide separate accounting information for payment services listed in the Annex and activities referred to in Article 16(1), which shall be subject to an auditor's report. That report shall be prepared, where applicable, by the statutory auditors or an audit firm.

The obligations established in Article 53 of Directive 2006/48/EC shall apply mutatis mutandis to the statutory auditors or audit firms of payment institutions in respect of payment services activities.

Apart from the provision of payment services listed in the Annex payment institutions shall be entitled to engage in the following activities:

When payment institutions engage in the provision of one or more of the payment services listed in the Annex, they may hold only payment accounts used exclusively for payment transactions. Any funds received by payment institutions from payment service users with a view to the provision of payment services shall not constitute a deposit or other repayable funds within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2006/48/EC, or electronic money within the meaning of Article 1(3) of Directive 2000/46/EC.

Payment institutions may grant credit related to payment services referred to in points 4, 5 or 7 of the Annex only if the following conditions are met:

Payment institutions shall not conduct the business of taking deposits or other repayable funds within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2006/48/EC.

This Directive shall be without prejudice to national measures implementing Directive 87/102/EEC. This Directive shall also be without prejudice to other relevant Community or national legislation regarding conditions for granting credit to consumers not harmonised by this Directive that are in conformity with Community law.

When a payment institution intends to provide payment services through an agent it shall communicate the following information to the competent authorities in its home Member State:

When the competent authorities receive the information in accordance with paragraph 1 then they may list the agent in the register provided for in Article 13.

Before listing the agent in the register, the competent authorities may, if they consider that the information provided to them is incorrect, take further action to verify the information.

If, after taking action to verify the information, the competent authorities are not satisfied that the information provided to them pursuant to paragraph 1 is correct, they shall refuse to list the agent in the register provided for in Article 13.

If the payment institution wishes to provide payment services in another Member State by engaging an agent it shall follow the procedures set out in Article 25. In that case, before the agent may be registered under this Article, the competent authorities of the home Member State shall inform the competent authorities of the host Member State of their intention to register the agent and take their opinion into account.

If the competent authorities of the host Member State have reasonable grounds to suspect that, in connection with the intended engagement of the agent or establishment of the branch, money laundering or terrorist financing within the meaning of Directive 2005/60/EC is taking place, has taken place or been attempted, or that the engagement of such agent or establishment of such branch could increase the risk of money laundering or terrorist financing, they shall so inform the competent authorities of the home Member State, which may refuse to register the agent or branch, or may withdraw the registration, if already made, of the agent or branch.

Where a payment institution intends to outsource operational functions of payment services, it shall inform the competent authorities of its home Member State accordingly.

Payment institutions shall ensure that agents or branches acting on their behalf inform payment service users of this fact.

Member States shall ensure that, where payment institutions rely on third parties for the performance of operational functions, those payment institutions take reasonable steps to ensure that the requirements of this Directive are complied with.

Member States shall require that payment institutions remain fully liable for any acts of their employees, or any agent, branch or entity to which activities are outsourced.

Member States shall designate as the competent authorities responsible for the authorisation and prudential supervision of payment institutions which are to carry out the duties provided for under this Title either public authorities, or bodies recognised by national law or by public authorities expressly empowered for that purpose by national law, including national central banks.

Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities designated under paragraph 1 possess all the powers necessary for the performance of their duties.

Where there is more than one competent authority for matters covered by this Title on its territory, Member States shall ensure that those authorities cooperate closely so that they can discharge their respective duties effectively. The same applies in cases where the authorities competent for matters covered by this Title are not the competent authorities responsible for the supervision of credit institutions.

The tasks of the competent authorities designated under paragraph 1 shall be the responsibility of the competent authorities of the home Member State.

Paragraph 1 shall not imply that the competent authorities are required to supervise business activities of the payment institutions other than the provision of payment services listed in the Annex and the activities listed in Article 16(1)(a).

Member States shall ensure that the controls exercised by the competent authorities for checking continued compliance with this Title are proportionate, adequate and responsive to the risks to which payment institutions are exposed.

Without prejudice to the procedures for the withdrawal of authorisations and the provisions of criminal law, the Member States shall provide that their respective competent authorities, may, as against payment institutions or those who effectively control the business of payment institutions which breach laws, regulations or administrative provisions concerning the supervision or pursuit of their payment service business, adopt or impose in respect of them penalties or measures aimed specifically at ending observed breaches or the causes of such breaches.

Notwithstanding the requirements of Article 6, Article 7(1) and (2) and Article 8, Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities are entitled to take steps described under paragraph 1 of this Article to ensure sufficient capital for payment services, in particular where the non-payment services activities of the payment institution impair or are likely to impair the financial soundness of the payment institution.

Member States shall ensure that all persons working or who have worked for the competent authorities, as well as experts acting on behalf of the competent authorities, are bound by the obligation of professional secrecy, without prejudice to cases covered by criminal law.

In the exchange of information in accordance with Article 24, professional secrecy shall be strictly applied to ensure the protection of individual and business rights.

Member States may apply this Article taking into account, mutatis mutandis, Articles 44 to 52 of Directive 2006/48/EC.

Member States shall ensure that decisions taken by the competent authorities in respect of a payment institution pursuant to the laws, regulations and administrative provisions adopted in accordance with this Directive may be contested before the courts.

Paragraph 1 shall apply also in respect of failure to act.

The competent authorities of the different Member States shall cooperate with each other and, where appropriate, with the European Central Bank and the national central banks of the Member States and other relevant competent authorities designated under Community or national legislation applicable to payment service providers.

Member States shall, in addition, allow the exchange of information between their competent authorities and the following:

Any authorised payment institution wishing to provide payment services for the first time in a Member State other than its home Member State, in exercise of the right of establishment or the freedom to provide services, shall so inform the competent authorities in its home Member State.

In order to carry out the controls and take the necessary steps provided for in Article 21 in respect of the agent, branch or entity to which activities are outsourced of a payment institution located in the territory of another Member State, the competent authorities of the home Member State shall cooperate with the competent authorities of the host Member State.

By way of cooperation in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, the competent authorities of the home Member State shall notify the competent authorities of the host Member State whenever they intend to carry out an on-site inspection in the territory of the latter.

The competent authorities shall provide each other with all essential and/or relevant information, in particular in the case of infringements or suspected infringements by an agent, a branch or an entity to which activities are outsourced. In this regard, the competent authorities shall communicate, upon request, all relevant information and, on their own initiative, all essential information.

Paragraphs 1 to 4 shall be without prejudice to the obligation of competent authorities under Directive 2005/60/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1781/2006, in particular under Article 37(1) of Directive 2005/60/EC and Article 15(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1781/2006 to supervise or monitor the compliance with the requirements laid down in those instruments.

Notwithstanding Article 13, Member States may waive or allow their competent authorities to waive the application of all or part of the procedure and conditions set out in Sections 1 to 3, with the exception of Articles 20, 22, 23 and 24, and allow natural or legal persons to be entered in the register provided for in Article 13, where:

Any natural or legal person registered in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be required to have its head office or place of residence in the Member State in which it actually carries on its business.

The persons referred to in paragraph 1 shall be treated as payment institutions, save that Article 10(9) and Article 25 shall not apply to them.

Member States may also provide that any natural or legal person registered in accordance with paragraph 1 may engage only in certain activities listed in Article 16.

The persons referred to in paragraph 1 shall notify the competent authorities of any change in their situation which is relevant to the conditions specified in that paragraph. Member States shall take the necessary steps to ensure that where the conditions set out in paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 are no longer fulfilled, the persons concerned shall seek authorisation within 30 calendar days in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10.

This Article shall not be applied in respect of provisions of Directive 2005/60/EC or national anti-money-laundering provisions.

Member States shall ensure that the rules on access of authorised or registered payment service providers that are legal persons to payment systems shall be objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate and that those rules do not inhibit access more than is necessary to safeguard against specific risks such as settlement risk, operational risk and business risk and to protect the financial and operational stability of the payment system.

Paragraph 1 shall not apply to:

This Title shall apply to single payment transactions, framework contracts and payment transactions covered by them. The parties may agree that it shall not apply in whole or in part when the payment service user is not a consumer.

Member States may provide that the provisions in this Title shall be applied to micro enterprises in the same way as to consumers.

This Directive shall be without prejudice to national measures implementing Directive 87/102/EEC. This Directive shall also be without prejudice to other relevant Community or national legislation regarding conditions for granting credit to consumers not harmonised by this Directive that are in conformity with Community law.

The payment service provider shall not charge the payment service user for providing information under this Title.

The payment service provider and the payment service user may agree on charges for additional or more frequent information, or transmission by means of communication other than those specified in the framework contract, provided at the payment service user's request.

Where the payment service provider may impose charges for information in accordance with paragraph 2, they shall be appropriate and in line with the payment service provider's actual costs.

In cases of payment instruments which, according to the framework contract, concern only individual payment transactions that do not exceed EUR 30 or that either have a spending limit of EUR 150 or store funds that do not exceed EUR 150 at any time:

For national payment transactions, Member States or their competent authorities may reduce or double the amounts referred to in paragraph 1. For prepaid payment instruments, Member States may increase those amounts up to EUR 500.

This Chapter shall apply to single payment transactions not covered by a framework contract.

When a payment order for a single payment transaction is transmitted by a payment instrument covered by a framework contract, the payment service provider shall not be obliged to provide or make available information which is already given to the payment service user on the basis of a framework contract with another payment service provider or which will be given to him according to that framework contract.

Member States shall require that before the payment service user is bound by any single payment service contract or offer, the payment service provider, in an easily accessible manner, makes available to the payment service user the information and conditions specified in Article 37. At the payment service user's request, the payment service provider shall provide the information and conditions on paper or on another durable medium. The information and conditions shall be given in easily understandable words and in a clear and comprehensible form, in an official language of the Member State where the payment service is offered or in any other language agreed between the parties.

If the single payment service contract has been concluded at the request of the payment service user using a means of distance communication which does not enable the payment service provider to comply with paragraph 1, the payment service provider shall fulfil its obligations under that paragraph immediately after the execution of the payment transaction.

The obligations under paragraph 1 may also be discharged by supplying a copy of the draft single payment service contract or the draft payment order including the information and conditions specified in Article 37.

Member States shall ensure that the following information and conditions are provided or made available to the payment service user:

Where applicable, any other relevant information and conditions specified in Article 42 shall be made available to the payment service user in an easily accessible manner.

Member States shall require that, in good time before the payment service user is bound by any framework contract or offer, the payment service provider provide the payment service user on paper or on another durable medium with the information and conditions specified in Article 42. The information and conditions shall be given in easily understandable words and in a clear and comprehensible form, in an official language of the Member State where the payment service is offered or in any other language agreed between the parties.

If the framework contract has been concluded at the request of the payment service user using a means of distance communication which does not enable the payment service provider to comply with paragraph 1, the payment service provider shall fulfil its obligations under that paragraph immediately after the conclusion of the framework contract.

The obligations under paragraph 1 may also be discharged by supplying a copy of the draft framework contract including the information and conditions specified in Article 42.

Any changes in the framework contract as well as the information and conditions specified in Article 42, shall be proposed by the payment service provider in the same way as provided for in Article 41(1) and no later than two months before their proposed date of application.

Changes in the interest or exchange rates may be applied immediately and without notice, provided that such a right is agreed upon in the framework contract and that the changes are based on the reference interest or exchange rates agreed on in accordance with Article 42(3)(b) and (c). The payment service user shall be informed of any change in the interest rate at the earliest opportunity in the same way as provided for in Article 41(1), unless the parties have agreed on a specific frequency or manner in which the information is to be provided or made available. However, changes in interest or exchange rates which are more favourable to the payment service users, may be applied without notice.

Changes in the interest or exchange rate used in payment transactions shall be implemented and calculated in a neutral manner that does not discriminate against payment service users.

The payment service user may terminate the framework contract at any time, unless the parties have agreed on a period of notice. Such a period may not exceed one month.

Termination of a framework contract concluded for a fixed period exceeding 12 months or for an indefinite period shall be free of charge for the payment service user after the expiry of 12 months. In all other cases charges for the termination shall be appropriate and in line with costs.

If agreed in the framework contract, the payment service provider may terminate a framework contract concluded for an indefinite period by giving at least two months' notice in the same way as provided for in Article 41(1).

Charges for payment services levied on a regular basis shall be payable by the payment service user only proportionally up to the termination of the contract. If such charges are paid in advance, they shall be reimbursed proportionally.

The provisions of this Article are without prejudice to the Member States' laws and regulations governing the rights of the parties to declare the framework contract unenforceable or void.

Member States may provide more favourable provisions for payment service users.

After the amount of an individual payment transaction is debited from the payer's account or, where the payer does not use a payment account, after the receipt of the payment order, the payer's payment service provider shall provide the payer without undue delay in the same way as laid down in Article 41(1) with the following information:

A framework contract may include a condition that the information referred to in paragraph 1 is to be provided or made available periodically at least once a month and in an agreed manner which allows the payer to store and reproduce information unchanged.

However, Member States may require payment service providers to provide information on paper once a month free of charge.

After the execution of an individual payment transaction, the payee's payment service provider shall provide the payee without undue delay in the same way as laid down in Article 41(1) with the following information:

A framework contract may include a condition that the information referred to in paragraph 1 is to be provided or made available periodically at least once a month and in an agreed manner which allows the payee to store and reproduce information unchanged.

However, Member States may require payment service providers to provide information on paper once a month free of charge.

Payments shall be made in the currency agreed between the parties.

Where a currency conversion service is offered prior to the initiation of the payment transaction and where that currency conversion service is offered at the point of sale or by the payee, the party offering the currency conversion service to the payer shall disclose to the payer all charges as well as the exchange rate to be used for converting the payment transaction.

Where, for the use of a given payment instrument, the payee requests a charge or offers a reduction, the payee shall inform the payer thereof prior to the initiation of the payment transaction.

Where, for the use of a given payment instrument, a payment service provider or a third party requests a charge, he shall inform the payment service user thereof prior to the initiation of the payment transaction.

Where the payment service user is not a consumer, the parties may agree that Article 52(1), Article 54(3), and Articles 59, 61, 62, 63, 66 and 75 shall not apply in whole or in part. The parties may also agree on a time period different from that laid down in Article 58.

Member States may provide that Article 83 does not apply where the payment service user is not a consumer.

Member States may provide that provisions in this Title are applied to micro enterprises in the same way as to consumers.

This Directive shall be without prejudice to national measures implementing Directive 87/102/EEC. This Directive shall also be without prejudice to other relevant Community or national legislation regarding conditions for granting credit to consumers not harmonised by this Directive that are in conformity with Community law.

The payment service provider may not charge the payment service user for fulfilment of its information obligations or corrective and preventive measures under this Title, unless otherwise specified in Articles 65(1), 66(5) and 74(2). Those charges shall be agreed between the payment service user and the payment service provider and shall be appropriate and in line with the payment service provider's actual costs.

Where a payment transaction does not involve any currency conversion, Member States shall require that the payee pays the charges levied by his payment service provider, and the payer pays the charges levied by his payment service provider.

The payment service provider shall not prevent the payee from requesting from the payer a charge or from offering him a reduction for the use of a given payment instrument. However, Member States may forbid or limit the right to request charges taking into account the need to encourage competition and promote the use of efficient payment instruments.

In the case of payment instruments which according to the framework contract, solely concern individual payment transactions not exceeding EUR 30 or which either have a spending limit of EUR 150 or store funds which do not exceed EUR 150 at any time payment service providers may agree with their payment service users that:

For national payment transactions, Member States or their competent authorities may reduce or double the amounts referred to in paragraph 1. They may increase them for prepaid payment instruments up to EUR 500.

Articles 60 and 61 shall apply also to electronic money within the meaning of Article 1(3)(b) of Directive 2000/46/EC, except where the payer's payment service provider does not have the ability to freeze the payment account or block the payment instrument. Member States may limit that derogation to payment accounts or payment instruments of a certain value.

Member States shall ensure that a payment transaction is considered to be authorised only if the payer has given consent to execute the payment transaction. A payment transaction may be authorised by the payer prior to or, if agreed between the payer and his payment service provider, after the execution of the payment transaction.

Consent to execute a payment transaction or a series of payment transactions shall be given in the form agreed between the payer and his payment service provider.

Consent may be withdrawn by the payer at any time, but no later than the point in time of irrevocability under Article 66. Consent to execute a series of payment transactions may also be withdrawn with the effect that any future payment transaction is to be considered as unauthorised.

The procedure for giving consent shall be agreed between the payer and the payment service provider.

In cases where a specific payment instrument is used for the purposes of giving consent, the payer and his payment service provider may agree on spending limits for payment transactions executed through that payment instrument.

If agreed in the framework contract, the payment service provider may reserve the right to block the payment instrument for objectively justified reasons related to the security of the payment instrument, the suspicion of unauthorised or fraudulent use of the payment instrument or, in the case of a payment instrument with a credit line, a significantly increased risk that the payer may be unable to fulfil his liability to pay.

In such cases the payment service provider shall inform the payer of the blocking of the payment instrument and the reasons for it in an agreed manner, where possible, before the payment instrument is blocked and at the latest immediately thereafter, unless giving such information would compromise objectively justified security reasons or is prohibited by other relevant Community or national legislation.

The payment service provider shall unblock the payment instrument or replace it with a new payment instrument once the reasons for blocking no longer exist.

The payment service user entitled to use a payment instrument shall have the following obligations:

For the purposes of paragraph 1(a), the payment service user shall, in particular, as soon as he receives a payment instrument, take all reasonable steps to keep its personalised security features safe.

The payment service provider issuing a payment instrument shall have the following obligations:

The payment service provider shall bear the risk of sending a payment instrument to the payer or of sending any personalised security features of it.

Member States shall require that, where a payment service user denies having authorised an executed payment transaction or claims that the payment transaction was not correctly executed, it is for his payment service provider to prove that the payment transaction was authenticated, accurately recorded, entered in the accounts and not affected by a technical breakdown or some other deficiency.

Where a payment service user denies having authorised an executed payment transaction, the use of a payment instrument recorded by the payment service provider shall in itself not necessarily be sufficient to prove either that the payment transaction was authorised by the payer or that the payer acted fraudulently or failed with intent or gross negligence to fulfil one or more of his obligations under Article 56.

Member States shall ensure that, without prejudice to Article 58, in the case of an unauthorised payment transaction, the payer's payment service provider refunds to the payer immediately the amount of the unauthorised payment transaction and, where applicable, restores the debited payment account to the state in which it would have been had the unauthorised payment transaction not taken place.

Further financial compensation may be determined in accordance with the law applicable to the contract concluded between the payer and his payment service provider.

By way of derogation from Article 60 the payer shall bear the losses relating to any unauthorised payment transactions, up to a maximum of EUR 150, resulting from the use of a lost or stolen payment instrument or, if the payer has failed to keep the personalised security features safe, from the misappropriation of a payment instrument.

The payer shall bear all the losses relating to any unauthorised payment transactions if he incurred them by acting fraudulently or by failing to fulfil one or more of his obligations under Article 56 with intent or gross negligence. In such cases, the maximum amount referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply.

In cases where the payer has neither acted fraudulently nor with intent failed to fulfil his obligations under Article 56, Member States may reduce the liability referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, taking into account, in particular, the nature of the personalised security features of the payment instrument and the circumstances under which it was lost, stolen or misappropriated.

The payer shall not bear any financial consequences resulting from use of the lost, stolen or misappropriated payment instrument after notification in accordance with Article 56(1)(b), except where he has acted fraudulently.

If the payment service provider does not provide appropriate means for the notification at all times of a lost, stolen or misappropriated payment instrument, as required under Article 57(1)(c), the payer shall not be liable for the financial consequences resulting from use of that payment instrument, except where he has acted fraudulently.

Member States shall ensure that a payer is entitled to a refund from his payment service provider of an authorised payment transaction initiated by or through a payee which has already been executed, if the following conditions are met:

However, for the purposes of point (b) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1, the payer may not rely on currency exchange reasons if the reference exchange rate agreed with his payment service provider in accordance with Articles 37(1)(d) and 42(3)(b) was applied.

It may be agreed in the framework contract between the payer and the payment service provider that the payer has no right to a refund where he has given his consent to execute the payment transaction directly to his payment service provider and, where applicable, information on the future payment transaction was provided or made available in an agreed manner to the payer for at least four weeks before the due date by the payment service provider or by the payee.

Member States shall ensure that the payer can request the refund referred to in Article 62 of an authorised payment transaction initiated by or through a payee for a period of eight weeks from the date on which the funds were debited.

Within ten business days of receiving a request for a refund, the payment service provider shall either refund the full amount of the payment transaction or provide justification for refusing the refund, indicating the bodies to which the payer may refer the matter in accordance with Articles 80 to 83 if he does not accept the justification provided.

Member States shall ensure that the point in time of receipt is the time when the payment order transmitted directly by the payer or indirectly by or through a payee is received by the payer's payment service provider. If the point in time of receipt is not on a business day for the payer's payment service provider, the payment order shall be deemed to have been received on the following business day. The payment service provider may establish a cut-off time near the end of a business day beyond which any payment order received shall be deemed to have been received on the following business day.

If the payment service user initiating a payment order and his payment service provider agree that execution of the payment order shall start on a specific day or at the end of a certain period or on the day on which the payer has set funds at his payment service provider's disposal, the point in time of receipt for the purposes of Article 69 is deemed to be the agreed day. If the agreed day is not a business day for the payment service provider, the payment order received shall be deemed to have been received on the following business day.

Where the payment service provider refuses to execute a payment order, the refusal and, if possible, the reasons for it and the procedure for correcting any factual mistakes that led to the refusal shall be notified to the payment service user, unless prohibited by other relevant Community or national legislation.