EU Bans Manual Bank Transfers for Public Broadcasting Fees from October 2023
A significant change is coming to payment methods for public broadcasting fees in the European Union. Starting October 1st, 2023, manual bank transfers and standing orders will no longer be allowed. The new EU-wide rule aims to reduce errors and costs through digital SEPA direct debits or online payment services.
This change affects all payment traffic in the European Union, not just broadcasting transfers. Citizens paying by transfer or standing order should check if they have specified the payee correctly. The correct spelling is 'Broadcasting ARD, ZDF, DRadio'.
From this date, banks in the European Union must match the IBAN with the name of the payee for all payments, including those to the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio contribution service. A 'traffic light system' will be implemented, with red warnings for mismatches, yellow for minor differences, and green for matches. This system could potentially lead to cancelled transactions.
The European Parliament aims to reduce incorrect transfers and prevent fraud through this requirement. Setting up a SEPA direct debit mandate is recommended to allow independent withdrawal of money from the account.
The new EU rule, effective October 1st, 2023, requires digital SEPA direct debits or online payment services for public broadcasting fees. Manual bank transfers and standing orders are no longer allowed. This change seeks to reduce errors and costs, with a 'traffic light system' in place to monitor and manage payments.
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