This is an English translation. The original Dutch article is authoritative.
Four months ago, the preliminary relief judge ruled that Worldline may not terminate agreements with multiple coffeeshops on categorical grounds until a final judgment is rendered in the proceedings on the merits or a settlement is reached.
Although this ruling was an important step, the underlying problem has still not been resolved. On the contrary. Since the verdict, we have again received dozens of reports from coffeeshops whose contracts have been cancelled by Worldline. The number of cancellations known to us has now risen above 90.
This is serious. Not only because the number continues to increase, but especially because it shows that the judge's ruling has not stopped the problem in practice. While the judge made it clear that categorical termination is not permitted, coffeeshop entrepreneurs continue to be faced with termination or restrictions of their payment options.
New cancellations and persistent problems
The reports we receive come from different parts of the country. In many cases, they concern entrepreneurs who have been using Worldline's services for years and who depend on regular debit card payments for their business operations.
The fact that the number of known cancellations has risen above 90 shows that the issue is not incidental but appears to be part of a structural policy. This raises serious questions about the way Worldline interprets the preliminary relief judge's ruling concerning other coffeeshops that were not part of the proceedings, and the due diligence that can be expected in that regard.
In addition, we still receive signals regarding service problems. For example, certain foreign payment cards are being refused on various Worldline terminals. This leads to problems at the cash register, misunderstanding among customers, and loss of turnover. We have addressed Worldline regarding this and asked for clarification. As far as we are aware, this problem also remains unresolved.
Legal follow-up
Meanwhile, the legal proceedings continue. In the appeal against the summary judgment, the new developments have been introduced. This also looks at the extent to which Worldline is adhering to the previous judicial ruling and what consequences the recent cancellations and restrictions have for the assessment of the case.
For us, it is clear that this file is not about a few individual entrepreneurs, but about the access of an entire sector to regular payment transactions. Debit card payments are essential for coffeeshops. Not only for business operations, but also for safety, transparency, and limiting cash flows.
We continue to collect developments and follow up legally. We request entrepreneurs who have received a cancellation notice from Worldline or are experiencing problems with their Worldline terminal to continue reporting this to us. This information is of great importance to maintain a complete picture of the scale and consequences for the sector.