Halt to retirement of Dutch payment method sought until alternative found

With the Acceptgiro, a widely accepted method of payment in the Netherlands, set to be retired as of 1 June, Goede Doelen Nederland has written to Minister Hoekstra, calling for an extension if a suitable paper-based alternative is not in place by then.

The payment method, Acceptgiro, allows people to pay via bank transfer by filing in a paper form as well as to make digital payments. According to its owner Currence, which is behind the decision, its use is declining fast, falling by around 30% a year. In a recent news story on the plans, Currence revealed that in its heyday, around 1995, some 300 million Acceptgiro ​​forms were processed per year. However, in 2021, more than nine out of ten Acceptgiros received were thrown away with recipients preferring to pay the invoice or donation via mobile or internet banking.

According to Goede Doelen Nederland, Dutch Minister Hoekstra recently gave the impression during parliamentary questions that suitable alternatives have been developed but that this is not the case. In its letter to the minister, it says that if an adequate paper alternative to the Acceptgiro ​​is not available before 1 June 2023, an extension must therefore be provided to ensure charities are not negatively impacted.

The letter states that in Currence’s decision-making, it only took into account the decline in the total volume of payments made. Goede Doelen Nederland believes that insufficient attention was paid to the use and needs of specific user groups such as charity donors. Research among its members shows that a large proportion of donors that do not yet use internet banking, such as the elderly, still like and often give via an Acceptgiro. As such, it argues that it remains a popular payment method for these donors in particular, and that stopping Acceptgiro payments without a replacement in operation will therefore have serious implications for the country’s nonprofits.

Photo by Ernest Ojeh on Unsplash