All companies and merchants in Romania must accept card payments, new regulation says

Merchants everywhere in Romania, including at markets, must now accept card payments according to a new regulation.

Starting from June 16, companies, authorized individuals, and other legal entities are required to offer customers the option to pay online for goods and services purchased. This means that customers can pay by card.

The law does not explicitly state that a merchant must have a POS terminal, as there is currently the possibility of using a phone as a POS terminal so that customers can pay with a bank card. However, merchants must have an account where this money can be transferred, according to Digi24.

The new regulation means that merchants are obliged to offer customers the option to pay for products in ways other than cash.

ANAF may soon start inspections to see if companies are following the new rule. However, this measure does not apply to agricultural producers.

The fines for merchants who do not offer the possibility of electronic payment start at RON 5,000.

According to BNR data, there are over 21 million active cards in Romania.

(Photo source: Sonerbakir | Dreamstime.com)