Romanian Senate passes bill obliging ATMs to allow custom withdrawal sums for all cardholders

Senate approval and legislative scope

The Romanian Senate approved a legislative proposal on 30 September 2026 that obliges automated teller machine operators to let all cardholders enter exact withdrawal amounts. The bill passed the upper chamber with 96 votes in favor, one vote against, and six abstentions during a plenary session in Bucharest. The draft legislation amends Law 209/2019 on payment services to prevent banking terminals from restricting external cardholders to preset withdrawal figures. Prior to the plenary ballot, the Senate Economic and Budget committees reviewed the measure and adopted a joint favorable report with amendments. The initiative now moves to the Chamber of Deputies, which serves as the decision-making body for final adoption.

Interface rules and operational limitations

Under the approved provisions, payment service providers must configure ATM interfaces so that users can type in custom cash amounts regardless of which bank issued their card. The rules apply equally to terminals operated directly by card issuers and to those managed by independent cash withdrawal service providers. While operators may retain fast-withdrawal buttons displaying preset sums, these shortcuts cannot replace the option to enter a tailored figure manually. Lawmakers emphasized that current restrictions stem entirely from software interface choices rather than technical limitations of the cash distribution machinery. The physical execution of each withdrawal remains dependent on the total cash volume and the specific banknote denominations available inside the ATM terminal.

Technical standards and financial penalties

Any operational or security boundaries set by ATM operators must remain objective, non-discriminatory, proportionate, and applied identically across comparable cardholders. The bill establishes administrative sanctions for payment institutions that fail to update their terminal software to comply with the standard. Non-compliance that harms or risks harming consumer interests will be classified as a contravention punishable by fines ranging between 50,000 and 100,000 lei. Lawmakers noted that forced preset values often induce customers to withdraw more cash than needed while paying service charges for each transaction. The sanction structure aims to ensure that all financial institutions operating on Romanian territory align their terminal software with consumer protection rules.

Parliamentary coalition and regulatory reviews

The legislative proposal was authored by a cross-party coalition of parliamentarians representing the PSD, AUR, UDMR, USR, and national minority parliamentary groups. The National Bank of Romania evaluated the initiative and issued a favorable advisory opinion accompanied by technical suggestions and observations. Endorsements were also submitted by the Romanian Government, the Legislative Council, and the Economic and Social Council during the preliminary review phases. The Competition Council assessed the draft provisions and confirmed that the mandatory interface requirements do not breach domestic competition rules. Authors of the initiative stated that the legislation will eliminate unequal treatment between bank clients and reinforce the right of consumers to manage their payment accounts freely.