The PSR adopts decisions in individual cases.

‘Specific directions and requirements’ are the decisions that the PSR adopts under FSBRA which relate to individual named industry participants.

Individual specific directions and requirements may include guidance to clarify how a decision will be applied.

We decide which is the most appropriate and proportionate way to intervene – a rule or a decision – based on the specific circumstances of the matter.  The procedures we follow when adopting rules and decisions are set out in our Powers and Procedures Guidance (see box).  We will normally publish all specific directions and requirements.

Latest specific directions and requirements

  • Specific Direction 1 – this requires sponsor banks to publish information on their sponsor bank services and indirect access offerings, and to provide indicative timetables for those seeking indirect access to payment systems. This is the revised version of Specific Direction 1 we published in March 2020.  

  • Specific Direction 2 – this requires the operator of the Bacs payment system to procure any future contracts for central infrastructure services in a competitive manner. The first central infrastructure contract competitively procured in accordance with this specific direction should be capable of receiving and sending all relevant messages (used in the payment system) in the ISO 20022 messaging standard. Additionally, the operator must submit a plan for developing the future long-term strategy for Bacs to the PSR by 31 March 2023 and then submit subsequent reports on progress within nine months of the previous report.

  • Specific Direction 3 – this requires the operator of the Faster Payment Scheme (FPS) to procure any future contracts for central infrastructure services in a competitive manner. Additionally, the first central infrastructure contract competitively procured in accordance with this specific direction:

    • must be capable of receiving and sending all relevant messages (used in the payment system) in the ISO 20022 messaging standard
    • must, as a minimum, buy services needed to support single push payments (with purchase of any additional services and system functionality subject to PSR’s non-objection)

  • Specific Direction 4 – this requires the operator of the LINK payment system to procure any future contracts for central infrastructure services in a competitive manner

  • Specific Direction 5 – this requires the operator of the FPS payment system to prepare and make available the documentation required to allow conversion between existing messaging standards and ISO 20022.

  • Specific Direction 6 – this requires the operator of the Bacs payment system to prepare and make available the documentation required to allow conversion between existing messaging standards and ISO 20022.

  • Specific Direction 7 – on Bacs Payment System relating to Direct Debit Facilities Management - this requires the operator of the Bacs payment system Direct Debit scheme to:

    • ensure that commercial Facilities Management service providers that wish to do so, can use the Bacs bulk change process to help clients to switch to / from another provider; and
    • submit, for our approval, a plan and timetable to achieve that outcome.

  • Specific Direction 8 – as of 3 March 2022, Specific Direction 12 revokes Specific Direction 8. 

  • Specific Direction 9 – this requires Visa Europe (Visa) to ensure that Visa's participants, stakeholders and service users receive enough information in the event of any future major incident.  

  • Specific Direction 10 – this requires Bank of Scotland plc, Barclays Bank UK plc, Barclays Bank plc, HSBC Bank plc, HSBC UK Bank plc, Lloyds Bank plc, National Westminster Bank plc, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland plc (except its brand Adam & Company), Santander UK plc and Ulster Bank Limited to ensure the full implementation of Confirmation of Payee (CoP) by 31 March 2020. Specific Direction 10 is revoked at midnight on 30 June 2022.

  • Specific Direction 11 – this requires the closure of the initial technical environment for Phase 1 of Confirmation of Payee and requires the migration to Phase 2 by 30 June 2022. Specific Direction 10 is revoked at midnight on 30 June 2022.
  • Specific Direction 12 - this requires the operator of the LINK ATM network, Link Scheme Holdings Ltd (LINK), to maintain the broad geographic spread of the UK’s free-to-use (FTU) cash machine network. 
  • Specific Direction 13 - this requires Barclays Bank UK plc, Barclays Bank plc and TSB Bank plc to migrate to the Phase 2 technical environment for Confirmation of Payee by no later than 30 June 2022.
  • Specific Direction 14 - requiring providers of card-acquiring services to provide information to merchants. 
  • Specific Direction 15 - requiring providers of card-acquiring services to provide prompts to merchants.  
  • Specific Direction 16 - limiting the length of initial terms for point-of-sale terminal contracts. 
  • Specific Direction 14/15/16a - varying Specific Directions 14, 15 and 16, relating to card-acquiring services.
  • Specific Direction 17 - on expanding Confirmation of Payee.
  • Specific Direction 18 - requiring publication of information relating to authorised push payment (APP) scams. 
  • Specific Direction 19 - directing Pay.UK to create and propose to us their plans for an effective compliance monitoring regime for APP scams reimbursement.  
  • Specific Direction 20 - containing the APP scams reimbursement requirement and directing in scope PSPs to comply with the reimbursement rules.  
  • Specific Requirement 1 - requiring Pay.UK to create the APP scams reimbursement rules.