The economist called the ban on discounts on marketplaces "unfair competition"

The initiative of banks to ban discounts on marketplaces is a manifestation of "unfair competition." Economist Alexey Rodin told Izvestia about this on November 21.

According to him, the discontent of financial institutions is based on the transfer of customers to internal banks of digital trading platforms. The expert explained that when paying for goods on marketplaces, the bank takes a percentage of the purchase amount, and payment via QR codes reduces this percentage, therefore, the bank receives a smaller amount.

"We may sometimes be asked to pay with a QR code, because paying with a card of three percent will probably cost the seller, and with a QR code of 1.5. That is, banks charge money for all operations. And the marketplace in your bank can regulate these costs. And that's where the discounts come from," explained Rodin.

So, marketplaces transfer customers to their internal banks, earning additional income from their funds, which does not suit those who wrote an appeal to the State Duma.

"They (banks. — Ed.) they want marketplace banks not to attract customers. And yes, of course, this is an incorrect struggle, uncompetitive, let's say. That's not quite right. Of course, marketplaces have every right to provide any discounts they want," the economist added.

On equal terms: A new five-year competition development plan has been developed in Russia

The initiative aims to remove existing barriers to business

On November 21, Wildberries (WB) founder Tatiana Kim, commenting on the proposal of the heads of Russian banks to ban digital platforms from providing discounts, said that marketplaces have always been a socially responsible business, and approval of this initiative could lead to higher inflation.

Lawyer Andrey Alyoshkin added on the same day that the initiative to ban marketplaces from using loyalty programs was illegal. The expert explained this by saying that the policy pursued by marketplaces is aimed at attracting customers by setting an acceptable price. He added that if other economic players are not satisfied with this, this is not at all a justification for the potential restriction of online platforms.

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