The Payment Services Regulations 2017

Limits on the use of payment instruments and access to payment accounts U.K.

71.—(1) Where a specific payment instrument is used for the purpose of giving consent to the execution of a payment transaction, the payer and its payment service provider may agree on spending limits for any payment transactions executed through that payment instrument.

(2) A framework contract may provide for the payment service provider to have the right to stop the use of a payment instrument on reasonable grounds relating to—

(a) the security of the payment instrument;

(b) the suspected unauthorised or fraudulent use of the payment instrument; or

(c) in the case of a payment instrument with a credit line, a significantly increased risk that the payer may be unable to fulfil its liability to pay.

(3) The payment service provider must, in the manner agreed between the payment service provider and the payer and before carrying out any measures to stop the use of the payment instrument—

(a) inform the payer that it intends to stop the use of the payment instrument; and

(b) give its reasons for doing so.

(4) Where the payment service provider is unable to inform the payer in accordance with paragraph (3) before carrying out any measures to stop the use of the payment instrument, it must do so immediately after.

(5) Paragraphs (3) and (4) do not apply where provision of the information in accordance with paragraph (3) would compromise reasonable security measures or is otherwise unlawful.

(6) The payment service provider must allow the use of the payment instrument or replace it with a new payment instrument as soon as practicable after the reasons for stopping its use cease to exist.

(7) An account servicing payment service provider may deny an account information service provider or a payment initiation service provider access to a payment account for reasonably justified and duly evidenced reasons relating to unauthorised or fraudulent access to the payment account by that account information service provider or payment initiation service provider, including the unauthorised or fraudulent initiation of a payment transaction.

(8) If an account servicing payment service provider denies access to a payment account under paragraph (7)—

(a) the account servicing payment service provider must notify the payment service user of the denial of access and the reason for the denial of access, in the form agreed with the payment service user;

(b) the notification under sub-paragraph (a) must be provided before the denial of access if possible, or otherwise immediately after the denial of access;

(c) the account servicing payment service provider must immediately report the incident to the FCA in such form as the FCA may direct, and such report must include the details of the case and the reasons for taking action;

(d) the account servicing payment service provider must restore access to the account once the reasons for denying access no longer justify such denial of access.

(9) Paragraph (8)(a) and (b) do not apply if notifying the payment service user—

(a) would compromise reasonably justified security reasons; or

(b) is unlawful.

(10) When the FCA receives a report under paragraph (8)(c), it must assess the case and take such measures as it considers appropriate.