Payment providers asked to share concerns on indirect access to payment systems

The regulator has launched a survey inviting PSPs to share their "experience and concerns" in accessing payment systems indirectly.

The PSR is currently conducting a market review in which it is assessing the way major banks facilitate other PSPs' access to payment systems. It is also in the middle of reviewing the "ownership and competitiveness" of payment systems infrastructure and said that the results from its survey will give it "valuable insight and context as we begin considering what actions, if any, we could take as part of our two market reviews".

The survey asked PSPs for details such as which major bank they use to facilitate their access to payment systems, how long they have used those providers and what their reasons are for choosing to access the payment systems indirectly.

PSPs have also been asked to disclose information about their tendering for an indirect access provider and note recent provider switches they made and why. The PSR has also asked PSPs to outline what barriers, if any, they see to switching and whether they have ever had their access to a payment system "terminated" by their provider. PSPs have also been invited to rate the quality of service they are given by banks that facilitate their accessing of payment systems.

The deadline for responding to the online survey is 23 September. The PSR said it would treat the responses it receives as "commercially confidential" but that it will anonymise and aggregate the information and consider publishing it in that form.