Participants in Dutch payments
The Dutch Payments Association brings together participants in the entire payments infrastructure, from providers and banks to end users, regulators, and infrastructure suppliers. Through consultation, joint agreements, rules, and standards, we aim for reliable and future-proof payments. Both the stakeholder diagram and the overview of participants provide insight into the cooperation in the payments ecosystem.
Many participants in the payments sector
Payments are the blood stream of our economy. Every day, millions of payments are made, using debit cards and account-to-account transfers, both domestic and cross-border. There are various instruments and rules in payments, both at home and abroad. It is a market that benefits from continuous innovation in services and products.
The Dutch Payments Association organizes the collective non-competitive tasks in national payments for its members. We consult with many participants on behalf of our members, such as with umbrella organizations for merchants and consumers, social interest groups, infrastructure suppliers, scheme owners, and regulators.
Stakeholder management
In the payments infrastructure many parties work together. The Dutch Payments Association brings them together, coordinates developments, and works on joint agreements, rules, and standards.
The Dutch Payments Association initiates various stakeholder forums. These forums address topics that are relevant to various areas of payments.
Supply side
The members of the Dutch Payments Association are providers in the payments system. They are payment service providers that independently offer end products on the market, both to businesses and private individuals. In other words: banks, electronic money institutions, and payment institutions.
The Dutch Payments Association works closely with its members and consults with them periodically on developments and activities.
Banks
Dutch banks are important participants in the collective payments system. Every account-to-account payment, every iDEAL payment and every payment with a debit card begins and ends with a payments account, usually at a bank. For most consumers, their bank is the gateway to electronic payments, via debit cards, mobile banking and internet banking.
In addition, banks play a broader role in the economy and society. The NVB has published a booklet on this subject, entitled Understanding banks 2025 (Inzicht in banken in Dutch), which explains what banks do and what role they play.
Demand side
The demand side includes the end users of payment services, both merchants and consumers. The Dutch Payments Association considers it very important to actively involve representatives of end users in its activities. In this way, the Dutch Payments Association fulfills its social role in payments.
Legislation and supervision
Payments are subject to various laws and regulations, both national and international. As a result, the Dutch Payments Association has to deal with government bodies such as the Ministry of Finance and supervisory authorities such as DNB, Autoriteit Consument en Markt, Autoriteit Financiële Markten and Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. European regulators such as the European Commission and the European Banking Authority also play an important role.
Regulations and standards
Regulations governing payment products are necessary to clarify the roles and activities that parties in the payment market are permitted to perform. Standards ensure that different parties and components in the payments infrastructure can work together effectively.
For example, there are standards for the connection between cash register systems and payment terminals, so that devices from different manufacturers are compatible with each other. Standards are also used in account-to-account transactions.
The Dutch Payments Association monitors rules and standards in the Netherlands and abroad that are relevant to its members and stakeholders, works out how these can be applied, and supports its members in developing their own rules and standards.
Infrastructure
Hardware, software, communication connections, and networks are required to process electronic and account-to-account payments. Parties that play a role in this include document processors, debit card suppliers, transaction processors, data communication suppliers, payment terminal suppliers, cash register suppliers, and software suppliers.
The Dutch Payments Association manages rules and requirements for these parties in the payments system and certifies, among other things, payment terminals and data communication lines. In addition, it monitors compliance with rules and agreements to guarantee and further improve the security and reliability of the payments system.
Overview of participants
Would you like to know which stakeholders are involved in payments and what role they play? View our stakeholder overview. At the bottom of this page, you will also find a complete overview of all participants in payments.
