International Services Surveys: BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions

This final rule amends the regulations of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (BEA) to add new entities that are required to report information on the BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions, to change the survey title, and to collect data in greater detail. Specifically, this rule expands the covered entities to include companies that operate debit networks based on a personal identification number (PIN). PIN-based debit network companies will be required to report on cross- border transactions between U.S. cardholders traveling abroad and foreign businesses and foreign cardholders traveling in the United States and U.S. businesses. This change improves the identification of cross-border travel transactions. This rule also changes the survey title from Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions to Quarterly Survey of Payment Card and Bank Card Transactions Related to International Travel to reflect this change to the regulations. In addition, this rule makes certain changes to the BE-150 form to collect data in greater detail. The revised BE-150 survey will be conducted on a quarterly basis beginning with the first quarter of 2012.

Agency Contact: Chris Emond, Chief, Special Surveys Branch, Balance of Payments Division (BE-50), Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; email Christopher.Emond@bea.gov; or phone (202) 606-9826.