Any legal disputes with Adyen must be resolved under Dutch law in Dutch courts, regardless of where your business is located.
This analysis describes what Adyen's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
For merchants based outside the Netherlands, this provision means that pursuing a legal claim against Adyen requires engaging with a foreign legal system, which can be costly and practically difficult.
Interpretive note: The exact governing law and jurisdiction clause language could not be extracted verbatim due to document truncation; the Dutch law and Amsterdam jurisdiction characterization reflects standard Adyen contractual terms as publicly documented.
This provision requires merchants in non-EU jurisdictions, or those in EU member states other than the Netherlands, to litigate disputes in Amsterdam under Dutch law, creating a practical barrier to legal recourse for smaller merchants.
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"These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Netherlands. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.— Excerpt from Adyen's Adyen Terms
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Dutch law governs as the choice of law, and Amsterdam courts have exclusive jurisdiction under the agreement's terms. In the EU context, the Brussels I Recast Regulation governs jurisdictional rules for civil and commercial matters, and B2B exclusive jurisdiction clauses are generally enforceable within the EU. Outside the EU, enforcement of a Dutch court judgment requires recognition proceedings in the merchant's home jurisdiction, which may add cost and delay. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The Dutch governing law and Amsterdam jurisdiction clause is standard for a Netherlands-incorporated payment institution and does not represent an unusual departure from comparable payment processor agreements. However, the practical cost of Amsterdam litigation may effectively deter smaller merchants from pursuing valid claims. JURISDICTION FLAGS: UK merchants post-Brexit face uncertainty about the enforceability of EU court judgments in UK courts following the UK's exit from the Lugano Convention framework. US, Australian, and other non-EU merchants face significant practical barriers to enforcing claims in Amsterdam. Some jurisdictions may apply mandatory local law protections that override foreign choice-of-law clauses. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise merchants with significant annual processing volumes should negotiate dispute resolution clauses including arbitration options or at minimum alternative dispute resolution mechanisms before escalating to Amsterdam litigation. Legal teams in non-EU markets should assess whether local mandatory law provisions override the Dutch choice of law for any specific regulatory claims. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Contracts team should flag this provision for merchants domiciled in jurisdictions with mandatory local dispute resolution requirements or where foreign court judgments require extensive recognition proceedings. Some regulated industries may have mandatory local arbitration or regulatory escalation requirements that conflict with this clause.
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For merchants based outside the Netherlands, this provision means that pursuing a legal claim against Adyen requires engaging with a foreign legal system, which can be costly and practically difficult.
This provision requires merchants in non-EU jurisdictions, or those in EU member states other than the Netherlands, to litigate disputes in Amsterdam under Dutch law, creating a practical barrier to legal recourse for smaller merchants.
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