Payments Landscape in Belgium: Opportunities and Risks to 2022

Payments Landscape in Belgium: Opportunities and Risks to 2022

Summary

"Payments Landscape in Belgium: Opportunities and Risks to 2022", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Belgian cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, cards, credit transfers, direct debits, and cheques during the review-period (2014-18e).

The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2018e-22f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.

The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.

This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Belgian cards and payments industry, including -

• Current and forecast values for each market in the Belgian cards and payments industry, including debit and pay-later cards.


• Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, cards, credit transfers, direct debits, and cheques. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.


• E-commerce market analysis.


• Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Belgian cards and payments industry.


• Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and pay-later cards.

Scope

• To offer instant payment services in Belgium, the Centre for Exchange and Clearing signed an agreement with payment system operator Systèmes Technologiques d’Échange et de Traitement in July 2017. The service will operate on a 24/7 basis, enabling users to make fund transfers within seconds. From the beginning of 2019, the banks that will start processing instant payments are Argenta, Kremer Bank, Bank J. Van Breda & Co., Bank Nagelmackers, Belfius Bank, BNP Paribas Fortis, CBC Bank, CPH Banque, Crelan, Europabank, Fintro, Hello bank!, ING Belgium, KBC Bank, and vdk Bank.


• To promote competition in the card payment processing space, in January 2018 the European Commission issued new rules that allow merchants to select suitable processors for their card transactions. The new directives also seek to boost the independence of payment card schemes and processing entities. Effective from February 7, 2018 the new rules introduced detailed requirements pertaining to the separation of certain functions to ensure the independence of processing activities within card schemes. Payment card schemes have to limit information exchange besides maintaining separate profit and loss accounts, a separate corporate organization (workspaces, management, and staff), and separate decision-making. The partition of functions will allow merchants to select the most suitable processor for their card transactions. The commission stated that the rules are aimed at preventing card schemes from favoring their own processing entities over competitors. It also stopped schemes from clubbing processing services with other services.


• To encourage point of sale (POS) terminal installation and card acceptance among Belgian SMEs, sole traders, and self-employed individuals, in January 2018 the government introduced a new tax relief measure for merchants and small businesses that purchase a POS terminal between January 2018 and December 2019. Any small business or sole trader registered in Belgium can claim back 20% of the purchase costs by declaring the investment in their annual tax return.

Reasons to buy

• Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Belgian cards and payments industry and each market within it.


• Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Belgian cards and payments industry.


• Assess the competitive dynamics in the Belgian cards and payments industry.


• Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Belgium.


• Gain insights into key regulations governing the Belgian cards and payments industry.