The State Duma proposed to introduce a universal payment code for non-cash payments

A bill on the introduction of a universal payment code for non-cash payments has been submitted to the State Duma. The corresponding document was published on November 20 in the electronic database of the State Duma.

The bill stipulates that a money transfer operator is obliged to ensure the possibility of using a universal QR code in all software or technical devices of both its own and trade and service enterprises.

Operators are also obliged to organize interaction with the operator of services on provision of the universal payment code, which will be the National Payment Card System (NPCS).

It is noted that the introduction of such a code will provide medium and small credit organizations the possibility of equal access to the payment infrastructure and fair conditions of competition.

The law should come into force 180 days after the day of its official publication. The delayed deadline is set due to the need to prepare money transfer operators to comply with the requirements.

At the end of June it became known that the National Payment Card System (NPCS) together with the Bank of Russia is conducting a pilot project of universal QR code, which the buyer can scan and choose the necessary payment method at the smartphone screen.

In turn, the largest Russian banks have united at the same time to create a unified QR code - Sber, Alfa Bank and T-Bank have agreed to create a consortium to launch the service as an alternative to the NSPC.

Later, on October 16, Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina said during the Finopolis forum that the Bank of Russia is leaning towards the use of a single payment QR code, and the corresponding bill is almost ready.

On October 17, BitRiver financial analyst Vladislav Antonov told Izvestia that the single QR code is an attempt to streamline and simplify payment for goods and services in Russia. According to him, the idea of the unified QR code is to create a universal standard, which can be used for payment from accounts in any bank, regardless of the application used by the client.

On the same day the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank (CB) of Russia Olga Skorobogatova has told that the use of the digital ruble will be tested on the basis of the universal payment QR code. She noted that the decision to equally accept payments in digital rubles, through the system of fast payments (FPS) and banks' own services was made in order to avoid extra costs on the part of enterprises and credit organizations.