The Bank of Russia did not support the project of its own payment system, which Sber, Alfa-Bank, and T-Bank had been discussing for almost a year, RBC writes, citing sources. The initiative could have become an addition or an alternative to the National Payment Card System.
Initially, banks proposed to keep several QR codes and set up payment roaming between different services. Later, the concept grew into a separate system with payment via QR code, biometrics, Bluetooth, and other scenarios without being tied to cards.
The first version did not satisfy the Central Bank due to the lack of technological advantage over already operating solutions. The second option, according to RBC sources, overlapped with what the regulator itself is developing through a universal QR, the Faster Payments System, digital ruble, and biometrics.
Instead of a new circuit, the Central Bank proposed that banks discuss participation in the capital of NSPC or its individual services. Negotiations will continue, but for now, the market, it seems, will remain with one basic payment infrastructure.
For banks, the project was needed not only for new payment methods: it could help develop commission services and not give part of the payment flow to marketplaces. However, now the discussion has returned to the old idea – to give the largest participants a share in NSPC and, possibly, influence its development.