Payment services, large-value payment systems and retail payment systems
The statistics on payment services, large-value payment systems and retail payment systems comprise data from several data sets and contains information on:
- Statistics on access and usage of payment services (PAY, PCT, PDD, PEM, PCP, PPC, PMC, PCN, PIS, including fraud data where relevant)
- Statistics on institutions offering payment services (SSP)
- Statistics on access and usage of payment terminals (PTT, PTN)
- Statistics on TARGET2 and national retail and large-value payment systems (PSN, PST)
- Statistics on banknotes (BKN)
- Statistics on settlement media (currency in circulation, overnight deposits) used in the economy (BSP)
- Statistics on losses due to fraud per liability bearer related to fraudulent payment transactions (PLB)
Data are collected with a semi-annual frequency. High level indicators and information on electronic card-based payment transactions are available with a quarterly frequency.
Quarterly data are published two months and a half following the end of the quarter while data for the first half-year is published by end-January of the following year and data for the second half-year is published by end-July of the following year.
For further information on statistics on payment services, large-value payment systems and retail payment systems, please refer to the links below.
A manual supporting the reporting under the Regulation ECB/2020/59 and Guideline ECB/2021/13 is available here
Payments statistics were compiled annually starting from the reference year 2007 (for some indicators, back data are available as of 2000) and based on a ECB Regulation on payments statistics as from reference year 2013. Since the Regulation was first adopted, there have been several changes in the payments landscape both in Europe and globally that needed to be reflected in the amendment of the Regulation. Additionally, the aim has been to cover all uses of payments statistics, including that of better monitoring cross-border trade, with a single Regulation.
With the amending Regulation, the scope of data collection enhanced significantly through including new payments methods and channels, statistical requirements on fraudulent payment transactions involving non-MFIs, detailed merchant category code breakdowns for card payments, and enhanced geographical breakdowns. Some data collected under the amending Regulation are confidential and thus not available in the EDP. The frequency of data collection has increased from annual to semi-annual and quarterly.
Regulation ECB/2020/59 amending Regulation ECB 2013/49 on payments statistics
Guideline (EU) 2021/832 on reporting requirements on payments statistics (ECB/2021/13)
Regulation ECB/2013/43 on payments statistics
Recommendation ECB/2013/44 on payments statistics
Disclaimer on fraud data
The accuracy and correctness of the data depends on the data quality reported by the responsible reporting agents. Owing to the sensitive nature of fraud-related data, any representations, analyses or interpretations derived from this data should be approached and evaluated with caution and prudence. This will help avoid drawing premature or imprudent conclusions due to information that may be contextually limited, potentially incomplete, or wrongly classified. As is generally the case for the most recent releases of payments statistics and other statistical datasets, fraud data for the latest reference period are flagged as provisional and may be subject to revisions, more so than for earlier reference periods. Furthermore, the ECB publishes an annual joint report on payment fraud with the European Banking Authority. The first joint report was published in August 2024 with the next edition planned for end-2025.