Euronet. ATM network strike. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection decided on the explanatory proceedings

“The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has decided to initiate explanatory proceedings. We do not determine at this stage whether any violations have occurred. It is crucial to establish the relations between market participants, including the mechanisms for sharing fees for cash withdrawal transactions from ATMs,” said the spokeswoman for the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection when asked about whether the office is currently taking or planning to take any action against the Euronet network in connection with its protest action. She added that the office will investigate this situation primarily in terms of competition protection regulations.

Euronet announced on Tuesday that on June 18 this year. is carrying out a one-day protest aimed at drawing the attention of consumers, decision-makers and business partners to the current situation of ATM operators in Poland.

“Today, we are lowering the domestic cash withdrawal limit to PLN 200 in one transaction because VISA, Mastercard and the Polish Payment Standard (BLIK) do not cover the costs of domestic cash withdrawals from ATMs incurred by ATM operators in Poland,” the company said in a statement.

She added that for 14 years the rate for withdrawing cash using a domestic card has been the same, and since 2015 also using the code BLIK (so-called ATM interchange) paid by VISA, Mastercard and Polski Standard Płatności (the company managing the Blik system) to ATM operators has practically not changed.

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Earlier on Tuesday, RMF24 reported that UOKiK will “screen” the protest of the ATM network, checking whether Euronet is acting to the detriment of customers. “The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has reservations about the commission. Euronet's protest forces customers to pay higher commissions,” the radio reported.