The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a report on card payments in Europe, along with an accompanying press release, which focuses on the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) for cards. The report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the status of card payments in Europe.

Following near completion of the migration of the first two payment instruments (credit transfers and direct debits) to the SEPA, the Eurosystem is now turning its attention to the harmonisation of card payments. The report therefore:

• explains the basic concepts of card payments;
• considers the security of card payments;
• provides aggregate statistics on card payments at the EU level; and
• presents the Eurosystem’s views, policies and objectives on SEPA for cards.

View Card payments in Europe – a renewed focus on SEPA for cards, 29 April 2014

View SEPA for cards continues efforts to create a truly European payments area, 29 April 2014