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- Keep in the platform: participants in the dispute between banks and marketplaces are leaning towards the scheme of the Central Bank
Keep in the platform: participants in the dispute between banks and marketplaces are leaning towards the scheme of the Central Bank
The participants in the dispute between credit institutions and marketplaces are inclined towards the idea proposed by the Central Bank. That is, towards an "open model" of banks' participation in discount programs. The State Duma committees on economic policy and the financial market, as well as the AKIT, agree with this. Moreover, it may not even be necessary to change the law, the order of the Federal Antimonopoly Service will be enough, the deputies believe. Marketplaces have reservations, but they are ready to discuss such a mechanism. How Russians will be able to take advantage of discounts and how much the proposed system will affect the cost of goods on online platforms — in the Izvestia article.
Compromise in the dispute between banks and marketplaces about discounts
The market has come closer to a compromise in the dispute between banks and marketplaces. The participants are inclined to the idea of the Central Bank to switch to an "open model" where all credit institutions will be able to provide discounts to customers on universal terms.
The idea is to place a pop-up window with offers from different banks next to the product price. Program participants should be able to provide information on the same terms — for example, their shares can be listed in alphabetical order. The admission criteria for banks should also be transparent.
The regulator also believes that the problem can be solved not only at the legislative level, but also through "soft regulation" — for example, through a joint memorandum.
The Central Bank sent such a proposal to the Ministry of Energy and the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy. Izvestia asked the Bank of Russia.
Discounts should remain as a phenomenon itself, because they increase the availability of goods for citizens, Denis Kravchenko, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, told the editorial board. At the same time, the co-financing system should be made open to willing credit institutions. The MP added: the proposed scheme was generally supported by the expert and professional communities.
Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, also praised this option. He reminded Izvestia that marketplaces initially reacted to such an idea with understanding, but did not implement it on their own. Probably, the platforms are waiting for the decision of the authorities, the deputy admitted.
The press service of the Association of Online Trading Companies (AKIT) emphasized that the client needs to be shown the price at which he can purchase the product, regardless of the payment method. The main thing is that the cost does not increase as the consumer moves towards paying for the completed purchase.
Customers should have reliable and understandable information about the price of goods, regardless of stocks, added Vladimir Voloshin, Director of the Department of Digital Development and Data Economics at the Ministry of Energy.
On November 20, 2025, it became known that the heads of Sberbank, VTB, T-Bank, Alfa-Bank and Sovcombank sent a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, as well as to the Central Bank, the Federation Council and the presidential administration with a proposal to prohibit marketplaces from applying discounts when paying for goods with cards of affiliated companies. banks are with them. This happened after the head of Sberbank, German Gref, accused marketplaces of unfair competition and working "at a loss and at the expense of the state."
The positions of the parties in the dispute between banks and marketplaces
Marketplaces are ready to consider the Central Bank's initiative in more detail. The proposal looks more balanced compared to drastic measures like a complete ban on discounts, which were promoted by the largest banks, Wildberries & Russ agreed. However, if the requirement of "openness" extends only to digital platforms, and banks retain the freedom to choose partners for access to their ecosystems, this may lead to non-market advantages. In this case, large participants will be able to use their position to oust small competitors, which undermines competition, they warned. This idea is also shared in AKIT.
Ozon believes that the display format of the program's partners on the showcase should be discussed in more detail. At the same time, it should be based on the principle of equal access. They noticed that the loyalty program of the Green Price platform is based on the principle of the Central Bank — open access for all credit institutions. In addition, Ozon is currently discussing participation in this program with more than 25 banks, including regional ones.
The editors also sent inquiries to major banks. The "open model" looks like a compromise: credit institutions can "transform" the size of their cashback into a discount displayed on the platform, says Dmitry Gritskevich, head of Banking and financial Market Analysis at PSB.
At the same time, banks will often lose out to marketplaces — their concessions, as a rule, do not exceed 1-5%, while digital platforms can offer up to 10%, he said. Subsidizing discounts of 5-10% is unprofitable, since the financial model of card or acquiring business in credit institutions does not imply such expenses, explained Anton Pavlov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Absolut Bank.
Who will pay for the settlement of the dispute
For such an innovation, it is not even necessary to draw up a separate bill — some of the decisions can be implemented through amendments to existing acts (for example, on consumer rights protection, on trade, on the national payment system, on protection of competition), through bylaws and information disclosure requirements, says Associate Professor of the Moscow State Law University, Director of the Academy of Modern Jurisprudence Elena Grin. If the authorities want to introduce a direct ban on price differentiation by payment method and consolidate the "open model" as the responsibility of marketplaces, then it is likely that a federal law or a package of amendments will be required, the lawyer explained.
The Bank of Russia's option can be implemented promptly, deputy Anatoly Aksakov agreed. He explained: it is not necessary to prepare a bill for this, the relevant decision could be made by the FAS — this would be the end of the dispute between banks and marketplaces. Izvestia sent a request to the antimonopoly authority.
It is assumed that the common platform will be implemented through marketplaces, Anatoly Aksakov said. We just need to give other credit institutions the technical ability to provide discounts on platforms.
— The FAS can make such a resolution very quickly, and the bill goes through three readings in the State Duma, reading in the Federation Council and signing by the President of the Russian Federation. The whole procedure may take several months at least. At the same time, after the decision of the antimonopoly service, the dispute will officially end," explained Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global.
The costs of implementing the "open model" are likely to fall on marketplaces, but they are unlikely to become unaffordable, says Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets. Since we are talking about refining interfaces and integration, and not about building new logistics centers.
In addition, these are one-time IT costs that are not comparable to the turnover of the sites. At the same time, as a result, the buyer will receive a transparent system: the price on the showcase is the same for everyone, and banks compete for the right to offer a discount or cashback in a separate window, the expert added.
Igor Rastorguev noted: it is important for buyers that the price does not depend on the selected card. It's fair when the product costs the same for everyone, and banks compete with the quality of service and discount, rather than the ability to influence the final cost in any case.
Retail trade is currently showing good results. For comparison, it grew by 2.6% last year, while Russian GDP grew by only 1%, Natalia Milchakova recalled. In other words, the industry has made a definite contribution to the fact that the Russian economy has shown a positive result and avoided recession.
According to AKIT, e-commerce grew by 32% in 2025, and its share in the total retail turnover has already approached 14%. If the discounts remain, then every customer, regardless of the payment method, will be able to take advantage of such monetary concessions, the expert concluded. This means that the prices of goods will be 5-15% lower.
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