Post-master: the industry warned about the risks of the Russian Post rescue plan
The rescue plan for Russian Post is capable of causing an increase in prices for banking services, according to representatives of the financial market. The modernization, which is currently being considered by the State Duma, creates a new source of income for the company — a paid electronic system for legally significant correspondence. But credit organizations warn that businesses may be required to duplicate official notifications through it, which means that companies will have new expenses, according to the NSFR's conclusion to the bill. As a result, these costs run the risk of increasing fees and the cost of individual services. How the state plans to keep the Russian Post afloat and why citizens need it is in the Izvestia article.
What's the problem with the Russian Post rescue plan
Modernization of the Russian Post may lead to an increase in the cost of banking services for customers. This is the conclusion reached by the National Council of the Financial Market (NSFR) in its opinion on the draft law on postal reform, Izvestia has reviewed it. The document has been sent to the State Duma and the Financial Market Committee. According to financial market participants, the new requirements may lead to an increase in banks' costs for sending legally significant documents. Credit institutions can eventually pass these additional costs on to customers.
Earlier, the government proposed to update the work of the postal service. The bill has already been passed in the first reading. It expands the capabilities of the Russian Post and gives it new ways to earn money. One of the main points is digital mailboxes for legally important correspondence, through which citizens and companies can receive official documents.
The main complaint of banks is that businesses may be required to send such documents through the new system. In this case, the service will be paid. According to the NSFR, the costs of credit institutions for such correspondence may double, and the additional costs for each major market participant may reach an average of 200 million rubles per year.
The NSFR also points out possible risks for citizens. Now the client can choose how to receive important notifications. After the reform, this opportunity may be lost. If the message does not arrive on time due to an Internet outage or problems with the digital mailbox, the person may miss the deadline for an important payment. In some cases, this may even result in fines.
In this regard, the NSFR suggests not making the new system mandatory for all communications. The council believes that citizens should retain the right to choose how to receive notifications. In addition, they offer to make sending messages related to protecting customers from fraud free of charge.
Why did Russian Post have to be saved?
The bill, which is currently being considered by the State Duma, has become part of the Russian Post's financial recovery program. The authorities acknowledge that the company's situation remains difficult.
Her income has decreased significantly since 2022. One of the reasons is the almost twofold drop in the number of international shipments. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to compete with marketplaces that already have a network of more than 300,000 pick-up points. As a result, the operator loses part of the revenue from the delivery of goods. Another factor is the transition of government agencies to electronic notifications, which are gradually replacing paid paper letters.
— In 2025 alone, the losses of the Russian Post amounted to almost 19 billion rubles. They were even higher in the previous year," said Vasily Kutyin, Ingo Bank's Director of Analytics.
The authorities first started talking about the financial recovery of the company back in 2023. At that time, the management of the Russian Post reported that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the company to service loans and maintain a wide network of branches. The situation was complicated by a sharp increase in the key rate: by the end of that year, it had risen from 7.5% to 16%.
At the same time, the government cannot refuse to support Russian Post, since the company performs an important social function. It has about 40 thousand branches, of which 24 thousand are located in rural areas, and 14 thousand in settlements where fewer than 500 people live. In addition, about 8 million Russians receive their pensions by mail.
"That's why the government supports this giant in order to solve social problems that private businesses would not be able to take on without major losses," said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Global.
However, digitalization is gradually coming to even small and remote settlements, the expert added. Therefore, over time, part of the infrastructure of the Russian Post may lose its former importance. But in the coming years, its social role will remain, so the government will continue to support the company.
However, the current bill is not just about allocating money from the budget. In fact, it is proposed to create new sources of income and additional benefits for Russian Post. That is why the NSFR emphasizes that the company's recovery should not take place at the expense of other market participants and their customers.
What exactly could rise in price due to the postal reform
Due to the new costs, banks can really raise the cost of individual services, Natalia Milchakova agrees. According to her, this may primarily affect services where there are a lot of documents and official notifications: business account maintenance, remote banking, issuing certificates, electronic document management and transaction support.
Companies will have to connect to the new system, configure internal processes, and sometimes purchase additional software. For large banks and fintech companies, the costs may be higher: they have more legally relevant correspondence and more complex IT systems, said Vasily Kutyin from Ingo Bank.
According to experts, banks' B2B products may be at risk. For example, cash and settlement services, salary projects, services for corporate clients, bank guarantees, letters of credit, support for loan agreements and overdue notices. Credit institutions can include part of the costs in fees for individual transactions or in the cost of service packages.
The additional burden may affect not only the financial sector. Natalia Milchakova admitted that the costs will increase for companies that often exchange official documents with the government and counterparties: logistics, retail, construction, insurance companies, telecom operators and large online platforms. In such industries, the rise in price may not manifest itself directly, but through shipping tariffs, service fees, contract maintenance, or the cost of individual services.
At the same time, a sharp increase in prices may not occur, Vasily Kutyin believes. According to him, companies will primarily try to compensate for additional costs by reducing internal costs and redistributing costs. However, if the financial burden turns out to be significant, some of these costs may eventually be shifted to customers. As a result, the reform turns not only into a story about saving the Russian Post, but also into a dispute about who will pay for it.
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