They will only embrace the SDD scheme if it is clear that the prices of these services will not go up. In this respect, the review of EU Regulation 2560 2 will extend its scope from credit transfers and card payments to include direct debits. Thus, the price of making a cross-border direct debit will not exceed that of making a national direct debit.
Increasing the national prices would clearly be against the spirit of the review and would severely affect banks’ reputations and credibility in the eyes of their customers. Costs and prices are not only a matter of concern in the customer-to-bank domain, but also in the bank-to-bank domain. The multilateral interchange fee for the SDD has proven to be a controversial issue.