Art. 80 Limits to large cash payments in exchange for goods or services | Anti-money laundering regulation (AMLR) | AML

This article establishes a Union-wide cap on large cash payments in a commercial context.

Any person trading in goods or providing services is prohibited from accepting or making cash payments above EUR 10,000, whether in a single transaction or in several linked operations.

The article also sets out how this limit interacts with national rules, carves out certain exceptions, and addresses enforcement and penalty obligations for Member States.

A force majeure mechanism is also included, allowing temporary suspension of the limit if non-cash payment means become unavailable at national level.

Important points:

Cap your cash transactions at EUR 10,000 when trading in goods or providing services, regardless of whether the payment is made in one or multiple linked operations.
The limit does not apply to payments between private individuals not acting professionally, nor to payments or deposits made directly at the premises of credit institutions, electronic money issuers, or payment service providers — though those above the limit must be reported to the FIU.
Member States are required to ensure penalties are in place for professional breaches of the cash limit, with penalty levels set to discourage further infringements.

1. Persons trading in goods or providing services may accept or make a payment in cash only up to an amount of EUR 10 000 or 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.
1. 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). Those lower limits shall be notified to the Commission within 3 months of the measure being introduced at national level.
1. 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. The limit referred to in paragraph 1 shall not apply to:
  1. payments between natural persons who are not acting in a professional capacity;
  2. payments or deposits made at the premises of credit institutions, electronic money 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.
2. Payments or deposits referred to in the first subparagraph, point (b) above the limit shall be reported to the FIU within the deadlines imposed by the FIU.
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. Where, by reason of force majeure, means of payment by funds 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 funds 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.
2. 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.