Hungary Just Shocked the Retail World With This Payment Rule

What’s Required

Retailers must provide cash payment options, including:

• In-store payments at point of sale
• Cash on delivery services
• ATM deposits or account deposits
• Yellow check payments

Exceptions apply to online subscriptions, cross-border e-sales, and fully automated stores.

Industry Concerns

The National Trade Association’s OKSZ has criticised the law, warning it imposes unrealistic obligations on certain business types.

Key issues identified:

• Self-service stores face operational difficulties
• Parcel lockers require costly modifications
• Vending machines need security upgrades
• High conversion costs for existing cashless operations
• Potential service disruptions

The association argues the regulation overlooks the trend toward electronic payments and may cause challenges for smaller businesses.

Impact on Retail

The amendment goes against the broader European trend toward digital payments. While it ensures customers who prefer cash aren’t excluded from purchases, it creates compliance requirements for businesses that have moved to cashless operations.

Retailers must implement compliant payment systems by the July deadline.