The retail and wholesale sector has expressed its general support for the digital euro while also highlighting some key concerns, according to EuroCommerce, which represents the retail and wholesale trade in Europe.
A legislative proposal to enable the digital euro has been published, and the investigation phase of the digital euro is progressing towards a decision later in 2023.
EuroCommerce director-general, Christel Delberghe commented, "In principle, retailers and wholesalers would welcome the digital euro as an additional payment method, but it must be designed and implemented in a way that ensures sufficient consumers embrace it and that the cost of adoption for our sector is acceptable."
Key Concerns
Retailers and wholesalers have urged for more exemptions from the mandatory cash acceptance.
The current proposal links cash acceptance too tightly to digital euro acceptance, which will not work in many retail use cases, such as unmanned self-checkouts, fuel stations, vending machines and e-commerce, EuroCommerce said.
The body also highlighted that with the acceptance of the digital euro becoming mandatory yet ‘free to consumers for basic use’, the sector needs strong safeguards against the imposition of overly high fees charged by banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs).
It has also highlighted that the digital euro should not seek to replicate the existing landscape as it would potentially limit innovation.
Affordable Pricing
Retailers and wholesalers are keen to add European payment methods, bringing in more competition and affordable pricing versus the current, relatively dominant non-European card-based payment methods, the EuroCommerce noted.
In addition to instant payments, the digital euro will allow the creation of simpler fee structures, such as fee-per-transaction, rather than applying a percentage of value.
While the basic premise of the digital euro is to provide cash in digital form, the sector sees the potential for innovative uses.
It highlighted offline use as a key benefit to both consumers and the retail and wholesale sector. It means that at times of internet or power outages, an adequate number of transactions with the digital euro can still take place.
It would make the digital euro important in supporting resilience and fall back, much like cash is today, it added.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
