The possibility of paying with a universal QR code is already available at 74,000 points of sale, both in the regional and federal networks, the NSPK says. As reported in the press service of the company, a unified QR code allows the buyer to choose several payment options at once: via the fast payment system (FPS), the bank’s payment service or even in installments, and in the future – digital rubles. Simply point the camera at it and all available methods will appear on the screen. In other words, it will unite the payment infrastructures of any bank.
NSPK announced the start of the pilot project in June 2024. “Trade and service companies, once connected to the NSPK solution, can display a universal QR code in any way convenient for them: on the terminal screen, print the code, even on a paper receipt,” they say.
The emergence of a universal QR code will significantly improve the customer experience for both citizens and businesses, Rosselkhozbank says. The customer will no longer have to think about which service code to scan when paying, said Elena Baturova, deputy chairman of the bank’s board of directors.
Universal QR will be in demand for several reasons, Oleg Komlik, head of the Digital Products for Business division at DOM.RF bank, told RG. “Firstly, this type of customer scenario is quite popular in Russia and is understandable for our consumers. Secondly, universal QR payments will be compatible with the Fast Payment System (FPS), which means that this type of payment will be available to the user of any online bank,” the expert notes.
The idea of a universal QR code arose from the need to improve the customer experience when using alternative payment methods, Eryaniya Bochkina, an analyst at Banki.ru, explained to RG. “At some point, a situation arose when, firstly, the buyer at the checkout was offered, in principle, several cashless payment tools, and secondly, even among them there was more than one QR code,” she says. This can lead to the fact that the customer does not fully understand whether he pays through a bank or SBP and what bonuses he will receive for this (or not at all).”
In this sense, the universal code solves the problem. It allows you to set the source of debiting funds for all purchases using this code once. “Therefore, we can expect that the concept will benefit both merchants and customers, as it will improve the transparency of payments and reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings,” he believes. This is confirmed by VTB. As the bank’s press service notes, customers do not always understand which QR code they are offered: the one of one of the banks or the one of SBP. The appearance of a universal one will make the payment process more understandable and also speed it up, they claim.
The main thing is that people choose their own payment method and that banks do not confuse them, said Olga Skorobogatova, First Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia. If a unified “query” is not implemented, a person will have 15-20 QR codes to pay for goods and services, which will make non-cash transactions inconvenient, she said.
The new payment method has been launched at the cash registers of several retail chains, the bank’s main clients, VTB reported. DOM.RF Bank notes that small retail outlets, such as several fast food outlets and flower shops, were among the first to join the pilot test of the universal QR code.
It will be effective not only for businesses, but also for the banking sector, VTB says. Banks still have the opportunity to develop their own loyalty programs for customers and grant cashback based on the customer’s choice. That is, there will be no dominance of the SBP. At the same time, the consortium of banks still plans to develop its unified QR code in parallel with the decision of the Central Bank and the NSPK. Its task is clear: to integrate new services and payment scenarios into this choice.
“Some banks have expressed concern that centralised promotion of a common QR code by the regulator would have a chilling effect on the desire of market participants to develop and implement their own innovations and would weaken competition,” Bochkina confirms. However, recent discussions, she said, allow us to hope that a compromise will be reached.
