The Credit Cards (Merchant Acquisition) Order 1990
On and after 7th March 1991, this Order makes it unlawful for a payment card organization to make or carry out any agreement or arrangement to the extent that it requires or has the effect of requiring a person authorized to carry on business as a payment card issuer in the United Kingdom to issue any payment cards before that person can act as a merchant acquirer in the United Kingdom. It also prohibits a payment card organization from making or carrying out any agreement or arrangement to the extent that it prevents or has the effect of preventing a person authorized to carry on business as a payment card issuer from acting as a merchant acquirer after the person commences to carry on business in the United Kingdom as a credit card issuer, or from withholding supplies or services relative to the conduct of the business of merchant acquisition after that time, unless the payment card organization has reasonable grounds to believe that the card issuer is not capable of efficiently conducting the business of merchant acquisition or is unlikely to comply with the operating requirements of the payment card organization with respect to the conduct of such business. All such agreements or arrangements must be terminated before 7th March 1991.