Ban payment processors stopping services based on objections to legal content

Government should legislate that payment processing companies may not place stipulations on use of their services regarding sales of otherwise legal content and, if they do so, must face legal penalties and must remunerate platforms and individuals for lost income until service is restored.

There are reports that payment processing companies have recently placed pressure on companies that rely on their services, pressuring them to remove legitimate content.

Because there are a small number of major payment processing companies, we believe this poses an unacceptable threat to small businesses and private individuals, and undermines democratic free speech through censorship from unaccountable companies.

The Government recognises the important role payments plays in supporting a resilient, diverse and growing economy. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK’s payment system works for all, allowing businesses and customers to transact with confidence.

The Government recognises that it is important for businesses to have greater choice in the forms of payment that they can accept. The National Payments Vision, published in November 2024, set out the Government’s ambition for a world-leading payments ecosystem, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. A key part of this ambition is the continued development of Open Banking, which enables consumers to make purchases using a wider range of payment methods, including account-to-account payments, thereby increasing competition in the payments sector. HM Treasury is working closely with the financial services regulators to deliver these outcomes.

Decisions regarding which businesses payment processors contract with are a commercial matter, taking into account the relevant requirements on the firm. These decisions will be influenced by a variety of factors, and the Government has no plans to intervene in those commercial decisions.

HM Treasury