In April, acquiring the traffic, as in the ordinary course of trade, and online continued to decline, despite the introduction by the Bank of Russia restriction of the Commission on a number of goods that are sold in the online stores. The first Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank Olga Skorobogatova has acknowledged that such regulation commissions does not bring the discounts to the buyers and recovery in e-Commerce. However this recognition has not prevented to enter the next constraint acquiring commissions — this time to pay for medical services.VTB has calculated that in April, acquiring Bank turnover decreased in comparison with April of last year, 35% in POS terminals and 30% in online trading. While the April momentum in acquiring decreased as compared to March of this year by 51% in the offline and on 13% in e-Commerce. If the reduced credit card payment in the ordinary course of trade was quite predictable, from the e-com segment expected more on the background of the General transition to self-isolation and buy online. In addition, the Bank of Russia from 15 April to 30 September has set a limit on the size of the fee for acquiring for online stores for online purchases at 1%. It was supposed to support online sellers and develop online trade.According to bankers, the Commission reduced the growth of online sales is not affected. “Cost reduction for noncash transactions, obviously, was not translated in the prices of goods and, therefore, not create additional motivation for people to buy more. Even if it will happen, it is unlikely that the discount of 1% is a strong reason for buyers to increase spending,” explained in VTB. The increase in turnover in the individual categories was observed only in comparison with April of 2019. In Gazprombank then said that the Bank was forced to cancel the accrual of cashback for such operations despite the reduction regulator of the acquiring fee and further reductions in interbank commissions payment systems. The President of the Association of companies the Internet-trade (AKIT) Artem Sokolov explained the lack of growth of online sales and discounts for the end customer that the reduced fee does not apply to cases where payment is made for courier delivery or collection point. But such a payment option, according to him, accounted for more than 70% of purchases.In a letter to the head of AKITA from may 12, 2020, the first Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank Olga Skorobogatova pointed out that foreign experience of state regulation of acquiring commissions shows that it “does not lead to a proportional reduction of prices for consumers or more active stimulation of cashless payments on the side of the merchants”. So Olga Skorobogatova drew the attention of Mr. Sokolov that “a further reduction of the size of the acquiring fee could negatively affect the development of the Russian paymenttion of the market, including the terms of service of citizens—holders of Bank cards, namely, may result in the reduction of loyalty programs, the introduction of additional, or increase existing fees charged from cardholders”.However, on 13 may, the Bank of Russia has announced the establishment of the limit of 1% for the fee (will apply from 1 June to 30 September) that banks charge when you pay medical services payment cards. Limit fee applies to clinics and hospitals, medical labs, emergency care and licensed physicians engaged in General or specialized medicine.Maxim Builov, Olga Cherenkova
