New Commission guidance on the interpretation of European e-money rules could allow consumers to pay for vending-machine drinks and snacks, buy theatre tickets and pay out other small amounts of money from their "phone purse".
Results of a consultation launched in May 2004 showed that member states had interpreted the 2000 E-Money Directive as imposing restrictions on pre-paid phone cards. This meant that they could only be used to buy services directly related to the phone – such as ring-tones and wallpaper.
Now, the Commission has issued guidance indicating that member states need not classify pre-pay cards as "electronic money" and that the restrictions of the directive need not apply. The Commission will decide on a possible revision of the directive itself later this year.
The change could greatly open the market in ‘m-commerce’ (mobile phone commerce), which is still in its infancy in Europe. Recent strides have also been made by the industry in resolving technical problems which hindered the use of ‘m-commerce’ across different networks.
