In short: a basic payment account is a payment account with the essential services — paying in, withdrawing, card payments, transfers — that banks in the EU must offer to anyone legally resident in the Union.
Simply put: It is the simplest account: to receive a salary or pension and pay your bills. The bank cannot tie it to buying other products. It may refuse only for specific reasons — for example if you already have such an account — in writing, with the reason. The EU rule is Directive 2014/92/EU, Article 16.
Example: Ivan has only a pension and wants to pay his bills by transfer. He declines the package with a credit card — the account is opened without it.
Example: Bulgaria — Payment Services and Payment Systems Act, Articles 117–120a: an answer within 10 days of all documents (Article 119(3)); services free or for reasonable fees (Article 120). If salary, pension, benefits or a grant are paid in, there is no maintenance fee, and up to 3 transfers and up to 10 withdrawals a month from the bank's own cash machines or POS terminals are free (Article 120a).
Check in your country — where to complain about a refusal (central bank or consumer protection authority).
Source: Directive 2014/92/EU, Article 16: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/92/oj · amending act, State Gazette No. 64/2025 (in Bulgarian): https://dv.parliament.bg/DVWeb/showMaterialDV.jsp?idMat=236379