While businesses are required to accept both cash and electronic means of payment in Belgium, 785 reports have already been filed about traders (possibly) not complying with the rules in the first half of the year.
The economic inspection already received 519 reports of refusal of electronic payments in 2024," Lien Meurisse, spokesperson for the Federal Public Economy Service, told VRT. "182 of the 519 were effectively a violation of the mandatory provision of an electronic means of payment."
They also received 266 reports of refusal of cash, but only eight violations were found. "These are so few because the ban on refusing cash did not come into force until 2024."
The rule is simple: as a consumer, you must have the option between paying in cash or via electronic means, but business owners are allowed to highlight their payment preference (without being misleading).
"If you find that you have been disadvantaged, you can report it to consumerconnect," said Meurisse. "We can then investigate, especially if there are many reports about the same firm."
Exceptions
There are a number of situations in which a business is allowed to refuse cash:
- Businesses in an unsafe environment are allowed to say they temporarily do not accept cash. In other words: no cash if it is not safe, but that measure may not become permanent.
- Businesses are legally allowed to refuse to accept more than 50 coins.
- If the amount is disproportionate to the price: if someone buys something for €5 and wants to pay with a €500 note, it may be refused.
- If there is a suspicion of falsity.
- If the amount involved exceeds €3,000 in cash.
