Russia is preparing to launch a new feature that will allow bank customers to receive service notifications via the national Max messenger. According to Kommersant, the discussion is underway at the Ministry of Digital Development level, and the service may be launched as early as the end of 2025.
According to sources in the telecom market, this is not about replacing traditional SMS, but about creating an additional channel for information. Banks will be able to connect sending notifications via Max at their discretion. The Ministry of Digital Development emphasizes that there are no plans to force credit organizations to abandon SMS.
However, telecom operators fear financial losses. According to their estimates, the mass transition of banks to the messenger will lead to a decrease in revenue from SMS by up to 15 billion rubles per year. The industry warns that losses may lead to an increase in the cost of mobile tariffs for users. Representatives of major operators — MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom and T2 — declined to comment.
Banks, on the contrary, see the initiative as beneficial. Sovcombank reported that they are considering the transition to Max as an economically feasible solution due to the constant increase in SMS prices. At the same time, all changes will be implemented only after risk assessment and data security checks.
