Article 80 Limits to large cash payments in exchange for goods or services

Persons trading in goods or providing services may accept or make a payment in cashmeans cash as defined in Article 2(1), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 of the European Parliament and of the Council(39) Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on controls on cash entering or leaving the Union and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1889/2005 (OJ L 284, 12.11.2018, p. 6).;Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on controls on cash entering or leaving the Union and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1889/2005 (OJ L 284, 12.11.2018, p. 6). only up to an amount of EUR 10 000or the equivalent in national or foreign currency, whether the transaction is carried out in a single operation or in several operations which appear to be linked.

Member States may adopt lower limits following consultation of the European Central Bank in accordance with Article 2(1) of Council Decision 98/415/EC(⁴⁷)Council Decision 98/415/EC of 29 June 1998 on the consultation of the European Central Bank by national authorities regarding draft legislative provisions (OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 42).. Those lower limits shall be notified to the Commission within 3 months of the measure being introduced at national level.

When limits already exist at national level which are below the limit set out in paragraph 1, they shall continue to apply. Member States shall notify those limits to the Commission by 10 October 2024.

1. payments between natural persons who are not acting in a professional capacity;

2. payments or deposits made at the premises of credit institutionsmeans:a credit institution as defined in Article 4(1), point (1), of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013;a branch of a credit institution, as defined in Article 4(1), point (17), of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013, when located in the Union, whether its head office is located in a Member State or in a third country;, electronic moneymeans electronic money as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Directive 2009/110/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(38) Directive 2009/110/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions amending Directives 2005/60/EC and 2006/48/EC and repealing Directive 2000/46/EC (OJ L 267, 10.10.2009, p. 7)., but excluding monetary value as referred to in Article 1(4) and (5) of that Directive;Directive 2009/110/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on the taking up, pursuit and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions amending Directives 2005/60/EC and 2006/48/EC and repealing Directive 2000/46/EC (OJ L 267, 10.10.2009, p. 7). issuers as defined in Article 2, point (3), of Directive 2009/110/EC and payment service providers as defined in Article 4, point (11), of Directive (EU) 2015/2366.

Member States shall ensure that appropriate measures, including the imposition of penalties, are taken against natural or legal persons acting in their professional capacity which are suspected of a breach of the limit set out in paragraph 1, or of a lower limit adopted by the Member States.

The overall level of the penalties shall be calculated, in accordance with the relevant provisions of national law, in such way as to produce results proportionate to the seriousness of the infringement, thereby effectively discouraging further offences of the same kind.

Where, by reason of force majeure, means of payment by fundsor ‘property’ means property as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Directive (EU) 2018/1673; as defined in Article 4, point (25), of Directive (EU) 2015/2366 other than banknotes and coins become unavailable at national level, Member States may temporarily suspend the application of paragraph 1 or, where applicable, of paragraph 2 of this Article and shall inform the Commission thereof without delay. Member States shall also inform the Commission of the expected duration of the unavailability of means of payment by fundsor ‘property’ means property as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Directive (EU) 2018/1673; as defined in Article 4, point (25), of Directive (EU) 2015/2366 other than banknotes and coins and of the measures taken by Member States to reinstate their availability.

Where, on the basis of the information communicated by the Member State, the Commission considers that the suspension of the application of paragraph 1 or, where applicable, of paragraph 2 is not justified by a case of force majeure, it shall adopt a decision addressed to that Member State requesting the immediate lifting of such suspension.