do banks charge a fee for utility bills – this question provoked a hard correspondence dispute between the Association of Russian banks (ADB) and parliamentarians. On consideration in the state Duma a bill passed in the first reading on April 14 and fastening the abolition of the Commission. Bankers opposed to the document had been approved in the current version: according to their estimates, may increase the cost of other banking services, will be dismissed thousands of employees engaged in receiving payments for communal services in credit institutions. According to respondents, “MK” experts, the whole story is very reminiscent of the tug of war, is fraught with problems for ordinary consumers.
About 70% of citizens do not pay Commission at all – due to the direct contract between the Bank and the service provider. Another 20% of her pay to 1%, inclusive, using mobile app, online banking and other remote channels. The remaining 10% is made a Commission of over 1%. These data appear in the ADB’s letter to the head of the Duma Committee on financial market Anatoly Aksakov. As warned in the Association, if the bill is passed in its present form, “all consumers will lose the usual methods of payment and convenient services as a result of significant compression of the infrastructure for accepting payments”.
simply put, we are facing a return to the “stone age,” to the primeval realities of the pre-digital era when people paid utilities in cash through the savings Bank or post office. In this case, said the ADB in a remote and sparsely populated areas can be subject to ultra-high (50%) of the Commission, as to ensure uninterrupted operation of such offices – the task is extremely costly.
since the ban promises to banks certain financial losses they will find a way not to remain a loser, says the head of analytical Department AMarkets Artem Deev. According to him, the abolition of commissions will have to pay out of pocket not only for those making monthly payments for utility services, but in General all customers of credit institutions. This is the main risk for consumers. With regard to the meaning of the initiative, the authorities pursue two main goals, the expert said. First, openly declared, – reducing the financial burden on people whose real incomes have suffered because of the crisis. Second, underlying the need to keep people at home at the time of isolation. Those who will pay utility bills through the Bank will not have to stand in long queues in the premises with the risk of infection.
for more than ten years ago in Russia formed a superior payment market, recalls a top Manager of IAC Alpari Andrey Loboda. To pay for a particular service, including the mobile tariffs or utilities, can ne comfort of your home. However, if public mobile network operators have long agreed with the banks and payment systems about the absence of any fee, it is clumsy and at times very cynical of a company in the housing sector do not even raise the issue of zeroing. Alas, many people are not aware of the existence of commissions, where can cash in not only the Bank, but the recipient of the payment.
“it is Clear that any service in the market costs money, especially the “manual” transactions with teller in a retail Bank office, says Loboda. But the housing sector has its own, very muddy specifics, and if you dig deep, there are questions. For example, on what basis the fee is charged when transferring funds to the organization of the utilities that have an account in the same Bank through which payment is made? Ask any of your friend or neighbor – whether he’s zero fee for debiting the account for komuslugi. It is obvious that such is hardly 70% of the respondents even in very large cities of the country.”
