OF ADDITIONAL CHARGES OR COMMISSIONS , SUCH AS VAT , LOCAL TAX , STAMP DUTY , COLLECTION FEE AND THE LIKE .
( D ) THE UNIFORM FIXING OF THE MAXIMUM GUARANTEED AMOUNT IN A GIVEN COUNTRY ( POINTS 20 AND 24 ) IS INDISPENSABLE IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATING THE SYSTEM AND MAKING CENTRALIZED , SIMPLIFIED CLEARING VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE . THE SYSTEM WOULD BE UNWORKABLE IF EVERY PERSON ACCEPTING A UNIFORM EUROCHEQUE - IN THE BANKING SECTOR AND PARTICULARLY IN THE NON-BANKING SECTOR - HAD TO MAKE SURE EACH TIME THAT THE SPECIFIC MAXIMUM AMOUNT GUARANTEED BY THE ISSUING INSTITUTION CONCERNED HAD NOT BEEN EXCEEDED .
( 40 ) THIS DECISION DOES NOT COVER ANY NATIONAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN BANKS OR DECISIONS BY NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATIONS TO FIX THE LEVEL OF COMMISSION THAT INDIVIDUAL ISSUING INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY CONCERNED SHOULD CHARGE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS . NATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR DECISIONS OF THAT TYPE , WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE RESIDUAL COMPETITION BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS ISSUING UNIFORM EUROCHEQUES ( SEE ALSO POINT 43 BELOW ) , COULD NOT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE REGARDED AS INDISPENSABLE WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 85 ( 3 ) ( A ) OF THE TREATY .
4 . SCOPE FOR COMPETITION
( 41 ) THE AGREEMENTS AND DECISIONS CONCERNED DO NOT AFFORD THE CREDIT INSTITUTIONS WHICH ISSUE UNIFORM EUROCHEQUES THE POSSIBILITY OF ELIMINATING COMPETITION IN RESPECT OF A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF INTERNATIONAL MEANS OF PAYMENT . ANY PERSON TRAVELLING TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY GENERALLY HAS A CHOICE BETWEEN SEVERAL MEANS OF PAYMENT , SUCH AS :
- CASH IN THE CURRENCY OF THE COUNTRY VISITED , THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR OTHER COUNTRIES ,
- TRAVELLERS' CHEQUES DENOMINATED IN ONE OR OTHER OF THESE CURRENCIES ,
- POSTAL PAYMENT ORDERS ,
- CREDIT CARDS ,
- CARDS FOR AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINES , WHICH CAN BE USED IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY , AND
- EUROCHEQUES .
( 42 ) THE AGREEMENTS AND DECISIONS IN QUESTION DO NOT GOVERN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE DRAWEE BANKS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS . SCOPE FOR COMPETITION THEREFORE REMAINS IN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN EACH ISSUING INSTITUTION AND ITS CUSTOMERS . THE EXTENT TO WHICH COMMISSIONS ARE PASSED ON TO THE CUSTOMERS IS LEFT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE DRAWEE BANK ( POINT 27 ) . THE AMOUNT OF COMMISSION CHARGED TO THE CUSTOMER MAY THUS , IN THEORY AT LEAST , BE LOWER THAN THE COMMISSIONS REMUNERATING THE SERVICES OF THE FOREIGN PAYEE BANK AND OF THE DRAWEE BANK'S CLEARING CENTRE .
( 43 ) HOWEVER , THE ABOVE ASSESSMENT APPLIES ONLY IF THE AGREEMENTS AND DECISIONS IN QUESTION ARE NOT SUPPLEMENTED BY NATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR DECISIONS OF ASSOCIATIONS GOVERNING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE BANKS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS ON THE QUESTION OF COMMISSIONS ( SEE POINT 40 ABOVE ) . THE CUSTOMER MUST BE FREE TO APPROACH THE CREDIT INSTITUTION OF HIS CHOICE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT AND OBTAIN A CHEQUE-BOOK . THIS FREEDOM OF CHOICE OF THE CUSTOMER WOULD BE ILLUSORY IF ALL CREDIT INSTITUTIONS