The authorities want to exempt small companies from the obligation to accept payment by QR

The authorities want to free small companies from the need to provide the opportunity to pay using a universal QR code. Such a possibility is currently being discussed, Alexey Guznov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, told Izvestia.

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

Guznov noted that, probably, in the case of a universal QR code, a cut-off is required. He added that 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 the possibility of payment using 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, in his opinion, this could lead to the death of the microbusiness, so the threshold of 20 million seems more logical.

At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry called 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.