April 22 10:47
All Russian trade and service enterprises must accept any payment technologies, and NSPK, as an equidistant player, must resolve the issue of interoperability this year. Olga Skorobogatova, first deputy chairman of VTB, stated this in an interview with RBC.
NSPK JSC (National Payment Card System) is the operator of the Mir payment system and the Fast Payment System (SBP), created by the Bank of Russia in 2014 to ensure the independence and security of domestic financial transactions. NSPK processes all card transactions within the country, including cards from international systems, and develops mobile payments (Mir Pay).
Against the backdrop of increased interest among Russians in alternative payments, the share of such transactions in the country already reaches 50% of all non-cash payments. Half of the payments are made by cards, half are made using alternative methods (biometrics, QR codes and others). But, according to Skorobogatova, inconvenience arises for consumers when a retail outlet, for example, works with one technology but does not accept another.
“I believe that NSPK, as an equidistant player, should come to a decision on interoperability this year so that any payment technology is accepted at any trade and service point. Colleagues from NSPK know how to solve this technically. It is not expensive and does not require much time. I think this is still a matter of national standards and a fairly stable desire to resolve this issue,” Olga Skorobogatova emphasized.
She said that VTB plans to provide payment via Bluetooth technology already in the second or third quarter at its acquiring points. Olga Skorobogatova noted that the bank will insist that the technology become universal for all banks, clients and trade and service enterprises.
In addition, the expert believes that the share of card payments in Russia will decline in the coming years as the popularity of alternative payment methods grows. According to her, in recent years, users’ payment habits have changed noticeably – clients are increasingly choosing alternative tools, including SBP, QR codes, biometrics and pay services.
“If we count from 2019, when SBP was actually introduced, in five years there has been a dramatic change in habit. People are increasingly using QR codes. It works, and it works fast. I think that over the next three to five years, the share of alternative payment methods will grow exponentially. I can’t say that in five years the share of card payments will be 0%, but I think that the figure will be about 10%,” noted Olga Skorobogatova.
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