Commercial Card Fees: A Hidden Cost Burdening European Businesses and Consumers
09 October 2025METRO is calling for an EU-wide cap on commercial card fees to ease the burden on SMEs, strengthen competition and reduce hidden costs for consumers.
Digital payments now drive global trade, exceeding €1 trillion annually. However, the growing use of commercial cards – especially among SMEs – is exposing merchants to disproportionately high interchange fees.
Unlike consumer cards, commercial card fees remain uncapped under EU regulation, reaching up to 2% per transaction. This hidden cost inflates prices and undermines the competitiveness of businesses, ultimately burdening consumers.
METRO calls for urgent reform of the EU Interchange Fee Regulation 2015 /751 (IFR) to cap commercial card fees in line with consumer cards. The current fee structure is opaque and non-negotiable, with commercial cards representing just 7% of transaction value but generating nearly 30% of total interchange revenue. This imbalance distorts competition and acts as a silent tax on every purchase.
The European Commission’s proposed solutions – such as refusing commercial cards or surcharging customers – are impractical and legally restricted in many Member States. Moreover, merchants often cannot distinguish between card types at the point of sale, making selective surcharging impossible.
A recent UK legal ruling confirmed that uncapped commercial card fees violate competition law, reinforcing the need for EU-level enforcement. METRO urges the Commission to investigate and sanction anti-competitive practices in commercial card schemes, just as it did for consumer cards.
While the Digital Euro offers long-term promise, immediate action is needed. METRO advocates for a payment system that mirrors the simplicity and neutrality of cash, ensuring fair costs and transparency. Reforming the IFR and enforcing competition law will protect European businesses, support SMEs, and safeguard consumers from hidden payment costs.