The code with them: small firms want to be released from the obligation to accept payment by QR

The possibility of making it mandatory to provide a universal QR code only for large companies with revenues above 20 million rubles is being discussed, Alexey Guznov, deputy chairman of the Central Bank, told Izvestia. It is assumed that the new tool will simplify access to payment for Russians: there will be only one code at the checkout, which will combine the dollars of different banks, SBPs, and even in the future payment in digital rubles. If you make it mandatory for everyone, it will kill the microbusiness, experts say. The threshold of 20 million in revenue is now valid for the obligation to accept Mir cards. Whether universal QR will really make life easier for citizens and how expensive it will be for businesses is in the Izvestia article.

How will the universal QR code work and where can they be used to pay for purchases

The authorities want to free small companies from the need to provide a universal QR code for payment. This possibility is currently being discussed, Alexey Guznov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, told Izvestia. According to him, the division can be set depending on the size of the companies' revenue. One of the possible options is from 20 million rubles per year.

Currently, outlets with this income level are required to accept Mir cards. Previously, this threshold was 30 million, but since July 1, 2021, it has been lowered by a third.

Probably, even in the case of a universal QR code, a cut-off is required, Alexey Guznov noted. It should be implemented by enterprises that are more adapted to investing in such technologies.

Initially, it was assumed that all companies would be required to provide a universal QR code, said Alexey Voylukov, MBA professor of business practice in digital finance at RANEPA, former vice president of the Association of Banks of Russia. However, according to him, this is not a working option, since the self-employed or sole proprietors trading on the market may not have the money at all to buy a bank terminal to show a QR code. This could simply lead to the death of the microbusiness. Therefore, the threshold of 20 million seems more logical.

The bill on the introduction of universal QR was actively discussed in the fall of 2024, and at the end of the year it was transferred to the State Duma. Initially, it was supposed to make such a code mandatory starting from July 2025. However, according to the deputy chairman of the Central Bank, if this does not happen, they hope that the lower house will adopt the document at least in the spring session.

A universal QR code will help create equal working conditions for all market participants, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said earlier. According to her, it will make it easier for Russians to access payments — only one code will remain at the cash registers in stores instead of several, as it is now.

The solution will allow using one QR code for several payment methods: through the SBP, using pay services from different banks, installment services - and all these options will immediately pop up on the phone screen when the code is scanned, explained Pavel Solomin, head of the Product Development Department of the Corporate Business Department of the BBR Bank. In the future, universal QR will also make it possible to pay using a digital ruble.

Initially, this form of money was also supposed to be launched into mass circulation on July 1, 2025, but the deadline was postponed indefinitely, Elvira Nabiullina said on February 27. Its implementation was probably postponed until at least 2026, market participants believe. Most likely, it won't start working until next summer, was written earlier by Izvestia.

What to expect from a universal QR: pros and cons

Universal QR allows you to create a single payment scenario for the buyer, which is definitely good for all companies, says Vitaly Kopysov, Director of Innovation at Sinara Banking Group. The obvious advantage is a more convenient payment method for customers: the buyer will not think about how he needs to scan the code and which application is better to use at the moment, Pavel Solomin from the BBI agreed.

The phased introduction of universal QR is fully justified, said the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Dom Bank.Russian Federation" Nikolay Kozak. According to him, this will enable major players to thoroughly refine the technology and offer the market an improved solution with a clear implementation and scaling mechanism. And in the future, it will be much easier for small companies to join a project with established industry patterns.

Is the threshold of 20 million rubles justified

Almost any "convenience store" falls under the threshold of 20 million, Pavel Solomin emphasized. In his opinion, perhaps at the first stage the service should be made mandatory only for the largest players. Then small retail outlets will "catch up" because they will have to fight for the loyalty of their customers.

Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global, argued with this: according to her, the threshold of 20 million rubles per year would be more than sufficient. The fact is that QR code payment technology is being implemented specifically in the interests of small and medium-sized businesses to help small businesses save on acquiring costs, the expert explained.

According to her, relief is needed only by very small companies, especially sole proprietors who apply a simplified tax regime. Not all of their customers are ready to pay using a QR code and generally make digital payments. We are talking, apparently, about street vendors or sellers at fairs and clothing markets who are generally ready to accept payment only in cash.

At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) spoke exclusively for the voluntary use of the new technology by all companies, regardless of their size. This will reduce the financial burden, including on small businesses, and enable enterprises to choose the most suitable payment methods for them, said Sergey Katyrin, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Proposals for the mandatory implementation of a business solution entail only additional unjustified equipment costs and unnecessary system integrations, agrees Irina Myslivchik, a member of the Moscow regional branch of Delovaya Rossiya, CEO of KargoSert LLC.

However, it is assumed that QR will not be implemented by the outlet itself, but by the bank that provides payment acceptance (acquiring), Natalia Milchakova explained.

At the same time, for the implementation of universal QR, the acquiring bank can charge the company an additional fee if infrastructure development is necessary, the press service of the Post Bank noted. As a rule, additional expenses are unprofitable when the company's turnover is low. For this, the proposed threshold of 20 million is needed.

Why are banks and the Central Bank arguing about a universal QR code

Another discussion has flared up around the introduction of universal QR: banks and the regulator are arguing whether the NSPK mechanism (the operator of Mir cards and SBP) should be the only solution, or whether options from other players can also be allowed on the market. The largest banks, Sber, Alfa and T—Bank, decided at the end of June to form a consortium to create a single QR code as an alternative to the NSPK, as previously reported href="https://iz.ru/1719406/vasilii-gromov/kod-v-meshke-krupneishie-banki-obedinilis-dlia-sozdaniia-edinogo-qr " target="_blank">Izvestia".

Earlier, the head of Sberbank, German Gref, stated that restricting consumers to a single instrument — from the NSPK — leads to a monopoly of the Central Bank. Now, according to Alexei Voylukov from RANEPA, the consortium's QR code is already available on almost 80% of terminals and market participants have already incurred the costs of its implementation.

Replacing all bank codes with one universal one violates free competition, Alexey Voylukov agrees. It would be more correct to oblige companies with revenues of more than 20 million to provide, among other things, a universal code, but you should not make it the only one.