Analysis of the state of the bank card market. Research of the Russian bank plastic cards market

The development of the Russian payment card market is one of the most important factors in solving the problems of reducing cash payments and developing non-cash payments in the field of retail payments. To solve this problem, the Bank of Russia is working to create conditions for further improvement of modern retail payment instruments that contribute to the development of the card industry in Russia.

The development of the card industry ensures increased transparency of financial transactions, an increase in tax revenues, significantly reduces the costs associated with servicing cash turnover, leads to an increase in the volume of funds raised in the banking sector and, accordingly, the lending capabilities of banks, and also largely contributes to the active development of related areas activities, such as production, social and employment.

Among the payment instruments used in the retail payments market, payment cards occupy one of the leading positions.

Largely due to the versatility of the payment card, which adequately meets the needs of retail business, it is possible to solve various problems not only in the field of retail services, but also in the social and budgetary spheres. Therefore, credit institutions developing their retail banking services give preference (not only in Russia, but also abroad) to the card direction shown in Fig. 1.

Active Russian bank card holders, as a rule, are young, educated, wealthy, live in Moscow or other large cities, and lead an active, rich life, taking advantage of many modern benefits - from visiting fitness centers and beauty salons, to receiving additional education and traveling abroad. border.

Figure 1. - Number of issued cards, million.

The Public Opinion Foundation presents the results of a study of the prevalence of bank cards in the Russian Federation, the number of their users, activity, and the socio-demographic portrait of cardholders.

Key indicators of the use of bank cards in the Russian Federation:

40% of the Russian population own bank cards - that’s 46.2 million people

In total, Russians have 50.5 million cards - 9% of compatriots have 2 or more cards

12% of Russians use bank cards weekly; among cardholders this figure reaches 29%

28% of active bank card holders use credit cards, 15% use debit cards, and 69% use salary cards.

The cards are most actively used by young people under 35 years of age, with completed higher education and above-average incomes, living in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and other large cities.

According to the FOM survey, in total, our compatriots have 50.5 million cards in their hands, and 9% of fellow citizens have 2 or more cards, i.e. Almost every 10th owner has them.

Figure 2. ? Types of bank card users in the Russian Federation

Of these, 12% of fellow citizens have become a habit of using cards weekly - of the number of cardholders, this percentage is already 29%, 3% use cards daily.

Figure 3. ? Distribution of various types of bank cards and activity of their use

The most popular types among active cardholders are debit and credit. Moreover, if salary, pension and scholarship cards are quite widespread in our country and are used equally by both active and ordinary holders, then among active users the share of credit card holders is almost three times higher than among other debit card holders - in 2.5 times higher.

Figure 4. ? Types of transactions with bank cards

Moreover, active users of bank cards are much more likely than other cardholders to carry out transactions with them for which a commission is debited from their accounts - they pay in stores, pay for various services through ATMs, top up their account on the card, or use it abroad, online, etc. .P.

Audience of bank cards in Russia:

According to the results of the FOM survey, holders of bank cards in Russia are equally men and women of all ages, but the cards are most actively used by young people under 35 with completed higher education and incomes above average. In Moscow, there are twice as many active users of bank cards as inactive ones, while in the regions their penetration has not yet reached such a scale.

Figure 5. ? Audience of bank cards

The security and more active life of those who often use bank cards is also evidenced by the fact that they are twice as likely as inactive card users to travel abroad, fly on airplanes, receive additional education, go to beauty salons and order goods for home delivery. Among them, there are a third more people who drive cars, half more people who buy sporting goods, and three times more people who go in for fitness.

At the moment, there are cards of international and Russian payment systems on the market. At the same time, the leading position is occupied by Visa International, which owns more than half of the Russian market.

Figure 6. ? Structure of the Russian plastic card market

Among domestic products, only Sbercard stands out, which occupies about 6% of the market. In general, we can say that maps of Russian systems are significantly inferior to international maps in terms of distribution.

The most common types of cards among debit card users are Cirrus/Maestro (MasterCard) and Visa Electron (33 and 31, respectively). About 11% use a MasterCard Standard card, while VISA Classic and Sbercard cards are used by only 8% of users each. This distribution is explained by the low tariffs for servicing Cirrus/Maestro and VISA Electron and the preferences of employer enterprises

Figure 7. ? Debit card payment systems

The demand for credit cards is also growing. Experts associate the popularity of this banking product with the credit boom. The population needs borrowed funds, and receiving them using a card is both easier and more convenient.

Among credit card holders, the majority use the VISA Classic card (31%), the second most popular payment system is MasterCard and MasterCard Standard (18%). Approximately equal shares use VISA Gold (13%), MasterCard Gold (11%) and American Express (10%) cards

Figure 8. - Credit card payment systems

The current state of the plastic card market - for Russian banks it is the provision of a full range of services to legal entities and individuals. Currently, a large number of financial institutions have appeared that use plastic cards. Banks issue plastic cards in order to reduce the circulation of cash in the retail trade. To achieve this, the regulatory framework is being improved, which will help expand the introduction of non-cash payments. The history of plastic cards in Russia proves that the use of information technology will help speed up this process.

The current state of the plastic card market is a study of the world experience of plastic cards, which will help to select the most promising card payment systems for use in Russia. The problems of development of the plastic card market are analyzed and considered, and proposals are developed to improve the payment system for plastic cards.

Particular attention is paid to research into the development of card operations by Russian commercial banks.

Prospects for the development of the current state of the plastic card market in Russia are the future of plastic cards. Improving the plastic card business will help improve banking services, and the development of new types of plastic cards will attract more new customers and retain old customers.

The development of new cards is an attempt to facilitate and simplify payments and payments for participants in economic transactions.

The current state of the plastic card market is also the development of banks that open accounts and accept deposits from individuals and companies. This allowed payments not only in cash, but also through non-cash transfer of funds from one account to another. A plastic card, as a means of non-cash payment, can provide the owner, as well as credit institutions that issue and service cards, with a large number of advantages. Cardholders benefit from time savings when making payments, reliability and practicality, without the need to carry a large amount of money with them. And the banks that issued the card receive fame, prestige and competitiveness.

The current state of the plastic card market, the main features of the cards are that, despite the different states of technical perfection. Each card has one thing in common - it is a certain set of information, with the help of which non-cash payments are made in the circle of money circulation.

The largest bank in the plastic card market is still Sberbank, which received the highest score in the updated rating of the most “plastic” banks in Russia based on the results of the first half of 2011. The huge number of plastic cards in circulation, as well as the impressive volume of new cards issued and reissued in the past six months, allowed it to move far away from its closest competitors. According to RBC Rating, based on the results of the first six months, Sberbank scored 249.3741 points, which is almost 7 times more than VTB 24, which ranks second with 35.0952 points. Alfa-Bank closes the top three with 21.3509 points.

According to the RBC Rating Report, as of July 1, the largest Russian bank had more than 60.4 million plastic cards, while in the first half of the year alone the bank issued 17.4 million, of which most were new issues (12.5 million), the remaining 4.9 million were cards that have been reissued. In all these parameters, Sberbank is out of competition, hence the large number of points compared to other participants in the rating.

Second after Sberbank in terms of the number of plastic cards in circulation is VTB 24, which has just under 7.9 million. However, VTB 24 consistently ranks second in all tables presented. Thus, the number of new plastic cards issued by this rating participant is 1.9 million, which corresponds to second place. In the past half of the year, the bank re-issued about 662 thousand units, which also allows it to take second place in this table. Alfa-Bank, which occupies third place in the ranking, confidently holds its position in the following indicators: the amount of “plastic” in circulation and the number of new cards, but in terms of reissue volume it lags behind TransCreditBank, occupying only fourth place. According to TransCreditBank's questionnaire, about 322 thousand cards were reissued in the past six months, while Alfa-Bank's figure is 204 thousand. But an even more interesting picture is observed at the Khanty-Mansiysk Bank and Petrokommerts Bank. In terms of the number of points, these participants occupy only 10th and 14th places, respectively, while in terms of the number of cards reissued in the first half of the year they are in 5th and 6th places. In terms of the number of “new issues,” the clear favorites, excluding the aforementioned Sberbank, VTB 24 and Alfa-Bank, were Uralsib and Rosbank, which managed to issue more than half a million cards in the first half of the year. But TransCreditBank is only in 8th place in this indicator, having issued only 214.6 thousand new cards in the first half of the year, which is almost two times less than in the same period last year - 477.7 thousand. However, the large number of cards already in circulation (more than 2.8 million pieces) allows it to firmly hold fourth place in the main table with an indicator of 10.0971 points.

Chapter 1. Theoretical aspects of the functioning of payment systems and plastic cards

1.1. Types and their characteristics

1.2. Legal regulation in the field of plastic cards

1.3. Problems of using plastic cards in Russia

Chapter 2. Analysis of the modern plastic card market in the Russian Federation and abroad

2.1. Analysis of the development of the plastic card market in Russia

2.2. Analysis of the foreign plastic card market

2.3. Development trend of the plastic card market

Chapter 3. Analysis of the use of plastic cards in the Siberian Branch of Sberbank of Russia

3.1. Brief description of the bank

3.2. Issuance of plastic cards by the bank

3.3. Model for calculating the profitability of a salary project

Conclusion

List of sources used

Appendix A. Selected indicators characterizing transactions using bank cards for 2010 – 2009

Introduction

plastic card commercial bank

In recent years, the topic of electronic money has become increasingly relevant. Experts analyzing trends in the creation of a new economic space with a common currency focus their reports on the topic of plastic cards. Today, the desire to create a single payment space and, accordingly, the choice of payment instruments is truly a modern trend in all countries.

For a long time, citizens of the Russian Federation and other CIS countries had a very vague idea of bank plastic cards. The collapse of the USSR broke many old stereotypes of the system of non-cash payments and monetary relations. New, dynamic banks have emerged, building their development plans not on the desire to receive short-term benefits, but based on an understanding of the importance of integration into the global banking community, the adoption of high quality standards of customer service in everyday work, the need to use advanced technologies and respect for the needs of ordinary citizens.

In order to gain the trust of clients, it is not enough to provide them only with a traditional range of services. It is necessary to change the forms and methods of service, expand service capabilities, and provide comprehensive banking services.

The lack of research into this problem and its extreme relevance in the context of our state’s transition to a market (and therefore an open economy) determined the choice of this topic for the course work.

Today, there are a number of well-known international plastic systems that differ in the range of services provided, operating features, and geographic regions of operation. This work is devoted to the study of their development, structure, improvement trends, in particular the emergence of smart cards.

Transactions with plastic cards have opened up new prospects for financial services to customers and, accordingly, expanded the possibilities for generating banking profits.

And while the issuance of bank cards immediately gained popularity among the population, people, due to the Russian mentality, still treat the use of cards as a means of payment with distrust. The bank's task in this case is to eliminate prejudices among the population. For this purpose, more and more new projects are being created using bank cards. In itself, a piece of plastic that is not endowed with the ability to function in a payment system is of no interest. The main interest is the use of plastic cards as a means of payment.

The choice of the topic of the thesis was determined not only by its relevance, but also by personal interest in the problem being studied.

The purpose of this work is a theoretical study of methods for organizing work with plastic cards in a modern commercial bank, assessing the level of profitability of a salary project using the example of the Siberian Branch of Sberbank of Russia.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set in this work:

Give a general description of payment systems and services provided by banks within the framework of payment systems for plastic cards;

Describe plastic cards and their classification;

Analyze the legal basis for the operation of payment systems for plastic cards in the Russian Federation;

Consider the problems of using plastic cards in credit institutions;

Analyze the modern plastic card market in the Russian Federation;

Analyze the foreign market for plastic cards;

Give a general description of the object under study, its main activities;

Create a model for calculating the profitability of a salary project using the example of the Siberian Branch of Sberbank of Russia.

This work consists of three chapters. The first chapter is devoted to theoretical issues. It contains definitions and diagrams, and is designed to familiarize you with the basics of using bank cards. Also in the first chapter an overview of the Russian plastic card market is given. The reasons with which bankers attribute the growing interest in cards are indicated. Prospects for the development of bank cards in Russia are reflected in the same chapter.

The second chapter analyzes the bank card market in the Russian Federation and the global plastic card market.

The third chapter discusses the option of implementing a salary project using plastic cards at an enterprise, and also calculates the effectiveness of using plastic cards as a means of payment.

Chapter 1. Theoretical aspects of the functioning of payment systems and plastic cards

Payment cards are banking card products. These also include “travel and entertainment” cards (American Express, Dinners Club), although they are issued by non-bank organizations. For a trade and service organization, it is important that the client can pay for a purchase using such cards. In order for this to happen, you must be a participant in the payment system. The payment system is a rather complex entity. The manager of a trade and service organization responsible for cards should understand it (at least superficially).

A payment system is understood as a set of rules and means that allow settlements between the buyer of a product or service, a trade and service organization and the organization that issued the card to the client for such transactions. The issuance of cash upon presentation of a plastic card is interpreted as a cash advance, therefore the bank providing such a service is in this definition a “money trading organization”.

Abroad, any organization can act as an issuer of payment cards (example: Dinners Club); We have only a credit institution that has the appropriate license from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. A special place among issuers of payment cards is occupied by banks united in the so-called. payment associations. It is to them that this part of the material will mainly be devoted.

The following systems are usually classified as international payment systems based on plastic cards: VISA; Europay/MasterCard; Dinners Club; American Express.

At least, they are the ones represented on the Russian market. In addition to international payment systems, there are all-Russian payment systems in Russia: STB, Union Card, Zolotaya Korona. There are no significant technological differences between Russian and international payment systems, however, the scale of activity of international companies differs significantly from the Russian scale. After describing the technologies, for example, I will describe the first three international systems, especially since the acceptance of international card products is widespread in the trade and service network. Russian payment cards are usually used in salary projects and in most cases are used to receive cash.

The common features that distinguish the systems under consideration from other payment systems are multi-issue (or the ability to distribute cards in accordance with agency relationships), and special payment technology, which follows from the very essence of the payment system as a collection of financial institutions.

In the future, I will focus on classic banking associations. There are three categories of financial participants in the system. The first category is issuers (organizations that issued cards). The second category is acquirers (banks servicing card transactions in trade/service enterprises). The third category is settlement banks, designed to settle the financial obligations of other participants. The same bank can be an issuer, an acquirer and a settlement bank at the same time.

Any association is characterized by the performance of several basic functions: licensing of activities related to working with cards of the payment system (not only banks participating in the system are subject to licensing, but also other organizations related to the relevant technologies - software manufacturers, suppliers of cards, equipment for working with them etc.). Registration and protection of trademarks, patents and copyrights. Development of rules for conducting operations, control over them, standardization in the field of plastic cards. Creation of new card products and services, advertising and sales of products in this area. Monitoring the status and development of industries related to plastic cards.

Implementation of national and international systems for coordination and confirmation of authority in carrying out transactions related to the use of plastic cards (authorization of card transactions).

Thus, from an organizational point of view, the core of the payment system is the contractual association of banks. The payment system also includes trade and service enterprises, forming a network of service points. For the successful functioning of the payment system, specialized non-financial organizations are also needed to provide technical support for card servicing: processing and communication centers, technical service centers, etc.

1.1. Types and their characteristics

Plastic, banking, payment, club, discount, identification, embossed, non-embossed, credit, debit, ATM, magnetic, smart, individual, corporate, family, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diner Club, standard, gold, electronic - these and many other words can be found in combinations with the words map and card.

Plastic cards can be divided into several categories according to various criteria. The main similarity between plastic cards is their size (2.125" x 3.375", approximately 54 x 86 mm and 0.039", thickness about 1 mm). The main material for the manufacture of plastic cards is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is easy to process and is neutral to paints, which allows you to get very pure colors on the finished cards.

During the development of card systems, different types of plastic cards emerged, differing in purpose, functional and technical characteristics.

There are many characteristics by which plastic cards can be classified.

From the point of view of the settlement mechanism, there are bilateral and multilateral systems:

According to the payment mechanism

Another division of cards is determined by their functional characteristics. Here they distinguish:

· credit cards used in credit payment systems

· debit cards - used in debit payment systems,

· cards with overdraft.

By functional purpose

credit cards

debit cards

cards with overdraft

Payment for various services and goods using a loan provided by a bank or a specialized service company, without having either cash or money in a bank account

it is necessary to have an agreement with the bank in which the client undertakes to repay the debt incurred as a result of payment to the bank within a certain period of time

Used to pay for goods and services, obtain cash from banks by directly debiting money from the payer’s account

the client manages only the amount from his bank account

on-line card processing

Possibility to make payments in excess of the amount credited to the cardholder's account

this relatively small amount is interpreted as an automatic provision of a loan without a special loan agreement

A prepaid card (in accordance with Regulation 266P) is intended for its holder to carry out transactions, settlements for which are carried out by the issuing credit institution on its own behalf, and certifies the prepaid card holder’s right of claim to the issuing credit institution for payment for goods (work, services, results of intellectual activity) or cash withdrawal.

Credit cards are issued for solvent consumers. Their use allows them to have automatically revolving credit without special collateral for purchases. They can also be used to obtain credit in the form of cash from those financial institutions that are members of the relevant system.

Potential owners are subject to fairly stringent requirements regarding their creditworthiness. When deciding to issue a credit card to a person, the bank carefully checks and analyzes data such as average annual income, credit history, living conditions, occupation, marital status, availability of a bank account, etc.

The debit card is the most common in our country due to a number of objective economic reasons. It is also called a cash card or asset card. A debit card, like a credit card, has on a magnetic stripe the owner’s last and first name as a client of a particular financial institution. Unlike a credit card, a debit card is a convenient means for its owner to carry out payment transactions by directly reducing the size of his financial assets.

Based on the material from which the card is made:

Nowadays, plastic cards have become almost ubiquitous. However, paper (cardboard) cards sealed or pressed into plastic film are often used to identify the cardholder. This is card lamination. If the card is used for payments, then in order to increase security against counterfeiting, more advanced and complex technology for manufacturing cards from plastic is used. At the same time, unlike metal cards, plastic is easily heat-treated and pressure-treated, which is very important for personalizing the card before issuing it to the client.

By way of recording information

graphic recording

embossing

barcode

magnetic stripe

chip

laser recording

The simplest form of recording information

last name, first name, sample signature and information about the issuer are applied

Allows you to process a card payment transaction much faster by imprinting a slip on it

Used before the invention of magnetic stripe

low privacy

not distributed in payment systems

One of the most common methods of putting information on a map today

very popular in payment systems

Very expensive technology

the most reliable storage of information

Chip

The recording technology on them is similar to recording on laser discs

not widespread in banking technologies

By issuer

Cards can also be divided according to the method by which identification information is applied to the card (name of the card holder, card number, card expiration date, etc.). This information can be applied in raised font, (embossed) with a special embosser device, and then the card is called embossed.

Non-embossed cards have identification information burned into them and are intended for electronic use only (eg VISA Electron).

Based on the type of work with the card as a carrier of electronic information, they can be divided into “card with a magnetic stripe” and “card with a chip” or “smart card”.

The magnetic card does not contain information about the amount transferred on this card - only information is recorded on it, which bank (or other credit institution) should be contacted to write off the amount necessary to pay for the item pov or yclyg amount.

To determine the client's solvency when working with magnetic cards, a call to the bank or processing center is required (such a call can be made either by an operator using a regular phone, or using special devices - POS machines, verifiers such as Verifone and etc.).

Bank cards are divided into: credit, debit and internal bank cards. Credit and debit cards allow you to make non-cash payments through electronic payment terminals:

- “smart cards” – credit or payment cards with a microprocessor built into them, which allows the exchange of information with a central computer;

- “super smart cards” - they have a built-in keyboard and liquid crystal screen.

There are also cards with mixed storage media - they can have both a chip and a magnetic stripe on them.

Credit cards allow the client to obtain a limited credit from the bank in case of payment by card for goods or services, the cost of which exceeds the balance in his bank account. And debit cards allow the client to get cash from ATMs and pay for their purchases only within the amount remaining on their special card account.

Intra-bank special cards are not international. The main purpose of their issue is to receive cash in other cities where there is no bank branch network through a partner bank.

Smart cards and e-commerce are not only technological innovations that are interesting for technology companies and specialists in the field of information technology, but also opportunities that allow banking specialists to provide a higher level of service to clients, as well as offer them new banking services.

Both credit and debit cards can be individual or corporate. Individual cards (Customer cards) - only for individuals, corporate cards - only for companies (organizations).

A corporate card is linked to a company account and can only be issued to a company employee. Such a card can be limited by the company and then the cardholder is given a limit on the use of funds from the company account. If a limit is not set, the cardholder can dispose of the entire amount in the company account (linked to this card).

Within the classification of cards into individual and corporate, family cards can be distinguished as a separate type. They are issued as individual cards only to individuals, but also as individual corporate cards can be issued for each member of the card account holder’s family. However, family members' credit cards usually have a usage limit.

Bank cards are protected from unauthorized access to the owner's account using a PIN code (the so-called personal identification number).

The PIN is usually a four-digit number that must be entered from the ATM keypad and allows the cardholder to access their account to withdraw cash or obtain information about their personal account balance.

The possibility of selecting it in case of illegal possession of the card is limited, since after three unsuccessful attempts to enter the PIN code, the card is confiscated by the ATM. Subsequently, this information is received by the bank and the account holder.

The card holder is warned about the need to keep his PIN secret and to store the PIN separately from the card at the time of its registration at the bank.

The cardholder receives the PIN code number at the bank along with the plastic card in a special sealed envelope. If suddenly the card holder forgets the PIN code assigned to him, he can contact the bank and request that the envelope with the code be reissued.

Bank cards are issued for a limited period - one or two years from the date of receipt and they are valid until the last day of the month indicated on the card. After the card expires, no one will accept it for payment, so it is necessary to submit the card on time for “reissue” for a new period. When reissuing a card in connection with the replacement of Soviet passports with Russian ones, it is required to indicate the details of the old passport in the application form, so it is better to have the output data of the old passport with you.

When paying for goods and services in a retail chain, the seller is obliged to verify the buyer’s identity using the sample signature on the back of the plastic card and his photograph, if there is one on the card.

To identify the client, you may need proof of his identity - a passport, driver's license or military ID.

The following information is usually located on a bank plastic card: approximately one third of the card area is occupied by a field in which the logo and hologram of the payment system to which the card belongs are located in strictly defined places.

For VISA - a blue, white and gold flag with the inscription VISA and a dove on a hologram, for EuroCard/MasterCard - two logos: a black letter E with a red “tongue” from EuroCard and two intersecting hemispheres from MasterCard.

The design of the rest of the card is at the discretion of the issuing bank, with the only exception being American Express. She established a uniform standard for the front of the card.

The logo of the card issuing bank is almost always applied to the part of the card not used by payment systems. The bottom portion of the vast majority of magnetic stripe cards is used for embossing. Just below the middle of the card, the card number is embossed, usually consisting of 16 digits (4 groups of 4 digits).

In the VISA, EuroCard/MasterCard, and Russian Union Card systems, the first six digits represent the code of the issuing bank in the payment system. In the same system, a bank can have multiple identification numbers (for example, a separate number for gold cards), but in any case, the first six digits clearly indicate the issuing bank.

The card's expiration date is embossed under the card number. In this case, it is not necessary to write the start date of the card (although in the Union Card system, for example, it is customary to indicate it), but the expiration date of the card is a mandatory element. Typically, only the month number and the last two digits of the year for which (inclusive) the card is valid are indicated. On the next line the first and last name of the card holder is embossed.

In Russian systems, embossers with Cyrillic alphabet are used; for printing on cards of international payment systems, only Latin characters are used, and, in order to avoid misunderstandings, the same transcription of the first and last name that is used in the international passport is used.

On the lowest text line, the company name can be embossed if the card is corporate, or the name of the agent bank through which the card was sold. It may remain empty. Cards with microchips also have a standard location of the microchip - on the left side, approximately in the middle, above the first digits of the card number.

On the back of the magnetic card there is a magnetic stripe on top, on which basic identification information is recorded on two, three or four (usually three) tracks. Contrary to popular belief, this information is in no way protected from copying or reading, so no sensitive information is recorded here. Only the card number, owner's name and card expiration date are recorded here.

Below on the card there is usually a specially sprayed stripe for the card holder’s signature. This signature serves as a sample for the seller or cashier when checking the signature on the slip.

Typically, on the back of the card, at the bottom of the card, is written basic information about where to contact if there is any problem with the card and/or information about where the person who finds the card should contact. In addition, on some cards it is customary to place a photograph of the owner at the bottom of the reverse side.

For microprocessor cards, embossing and a sample signature strip are not necessary, since they are designed to work only with electronic means of authorization. Generally speaking, card transactions in such a system do not require any visual information on the card. Therefore, the design of the reverse side of such cards usually depends entirely on the wishes of the issuing bank.

Russian payment cards are usually used in salary projects and in most cases are used to receive cash. There are no significant technological differences between Russian and international payment systems, however, the scale of activity of international companies differs significantly from the Russian scale.

The following systems are usually classified as international payment systems based on plastic cards: VISA; Europay/MasterCard; Dinners Club; American Express. In addition to international payment systems, there are all-Russian payment systems in Russia: STB, Union Card, Zolotaya Korona.

1.2 Legal regulation in the field of plastic cards

As such, regulations that directly related to the settlement of relations related to plastic cards were not issued until 1998. These relations were regulated in accordance with the Law of the RSFSR "On Banks and Banking Activities in the RSFSR", Law of the Russian Federation of October 9, 1992 N 3615-1 "On Currency Regulation and Currency Control".

The RSFSR Law “On Banks and Banking Activities in the RSFSR” defined one of the tasks of banks as “carrying out settlements on behalf of individuals and legal entities, including correspondent banks, on their bank accounts.” An order to the bank to carry out a banking transaction could be carried out in various ways, including by using a bank card.

Law of the Russian Federation of October 9, 1992 N 3615-1 “On Currency Regulation and Currency Control” is essentially of a framework nature, since almost each of its norms is filled with specific content only with the help of those numerous and often contradictory by-laws that constitute the entire array of Russia's cumbersome currency legislation. These regulations, unlike the Law itself, are subject to frequent changes. This is an inevitable and natural phenomenon, but it significantly complicates the orientation of citizens and organizations in currency legislation, which is becoming increasingly difficult to understand. The practice of Russian judicial authorities also makes a significant contribution to this process. Article 3 of this law gives the concept of foreign currency and, in accordance with paragraph “b”, includes payment documents denominated in foreign currency, which also include bank cards, although there is no direct reference to the concept of “bank cards” in this regulatory act No. But, as will be clear from the presentation of subsequent chapters, taking into account this regulatory act when carrying out transactions using bank cards is very important in this area.

After the adoption of the Constitution of Russia at the national referendum on December 12, 1993, parts 1 and 2 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation were adopted one after another, which determined the provisions concerning the relations of monetary settlements between participants in civil transactions, which is directly related to transactions using bank cards. At the same time, the provisions of such a part of civil law as contract law are applied when concluding agreements for the issuance of bank cards.

Firstly, the definition of a bank card as a type of payment card, the issuer of which is a credit institution that serves to carry out transactions and draw up documents payable by the client.

The definition of a bank card, given in the new edition of Regulation No. 23-P, considers its two main functions. Using a bank card, the following operations can be carried out:

· receiving cash in the currency of the Russian Federation and in foreign currency in established cases on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as in foreign currency outside the Russian Federation;

· operations related to payment for goods (work, services) in the currency of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as in foreign currency outside the Russian Federation;

· operations related to the transfer of funds in the currency of the Russian Federation and foreign currency on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as in foreign currency outside the Russian Federation in compliance with the norms of currency legislation.

It is important to note that payments using bank cards are not considered in Regulation No. 23-P and its new edition as a new form of contractual relations between the bank and the client or as a new form of non-cash payments. Regulation of settlements using bank cards should be carried out depending on the nature of the contracts provided for by the current civil legislation (bank account agreement, bank deposit agreement, loan agreement) and concluded between the participants in the settlements, as well as the subject composition of these participants.

Secondly, the establishment of rules for issuing, acquiring, bank, prepaid cards and carrying out transactions using them. The new version of Regulation No. 23-P details the procedure for opening accounts with an issuing credit institution to reflect transactions made using bank cards, and also introduces a requirement for credit institutions to develop internal bank rules defining the procedure for issuing and/or acquiring bank, prepaid cards, as well as carrying out operations using them.

The requirement for the presence of the name and logo of the issuer on the bank card, which uniquely identifies it, has been removed from the new edition of Regulation No. 23-P. This is due to the fact that the rules of payment systems allow the logo of the issuing credit institution and the name of the credit institution-agent to be placed on the card simultaneously.

Thirdly, taking into account the peculiarities of currency transactions made using bank cards.

In accordance with clause 4.2. Regulation No. 23-P, all settlements for transactions using bank cards carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation between resident banks, between resident banks and other resident legal entities, as well as individual entrepreneurs, must be carried out only in Russian currency. The exception is settlements in foreign currency provided for by current legislation and regulations of the Bank of Russia.

At the same time, the procedure for subsequent exchange control over transactions using bank cards established in Regulation No. 23-P is excluded from the new edition, since, in the opinion of the Department, a separate regulatory act of the Bank of Russia should be developed, which includes all the basic principles of subsequent exchange control control over transactions of individuals and legal entities in foreign currency, regardless of the method of their execution (with or without a bank card).

Fourth, establishing accounting rules for transactions using bank and prepaid cards.

The procedure for reflecting transactions using bank cards in the accounting records of credit institutions is currently established by Appendix 2 to Regulation No. 23-P.

In addition, the new version of Regulation No. 23-P clarifies the accounting procedure for certain types of transactions using bank cards, in particular accounting for:

· loans provided by a credit institution, including overdraft, for transactions made using bank cards;

· amounts of surpluses and shortages of cash identified during collection of ATMs;

· slip forms, as well as non-personalized (personalized) payment cards.

And finally, on December 24, Bank of Russia Regulation No. 266-P “On the issue of bank cards and on transactions using payment cards.” This provision does not specifically regulate the relationship between the cardholder and the issuer. Such relations relate to purely civil legal relations, and the regulation of such relations is beyond the competence of the Bank of Russia established by Article 4 of the Law “On the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia). The legal norms contained in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation should be applied to such relations.

This provision was developed on the basis of part two of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law "On the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia), the Federal Law "On Banks and Banking Activities", the Federal Law "On Currency Regulation and Currency Control" and in accordance with by decision of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia (minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia dated December 17, 2004 N 31) establishes the procedure for issuing bank cards (hereinafter referred to as the issuance of bank cards) by credit organizations (hereinafter referred to as credit organizations - issuers) and the specifics of the implementation by credit organizations of transactions with payment cards, the issuer of which may be a credit organization, a foreign bank or a legal entity that is not a credit organization, a foreign bank.

In this material, the Department of Payment Systems and Settlements of the Bank of Russia provides answers to questions most often received from credit institutions regarding the application of Bank of Russia Regulation No. 266-P dated December 24, 2004 “On the issuance of bank cards and on transactions performed using payment cards”

In accordance with Articles 4 and 80 of the Federal Law “On the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia)”, the Bank of Russia establishes the rules for making settlements in the Russian Federation. Based on the said Federal Law and the norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the Bank of Russia adopted Regulation No. 266-P, which, in particular, established the procedure for issuing bank cards and settlements for transactions carried out using them.

According to Regulation No. 266-P, a bank card is a means of access to funds located in the client’s bank account, and therefore is issued by a credit institution to the client on the basis of an agreement providing for the use of a bank card. In order to ensure the security of transactions using a bank card, the credit institution, in accordance with the rules of the payment system, provides for the client’s obligation to keep the card and personal identification code issued to him, as well as a ban on their transfer to third parties.

At the same time, Regulation No. 266-P provides for the possibility of issuing several bank cards in order to carry out transactions using them on the client’s bank account. Taking into account the above, a client of a credit institution - the account holder - can contact the credit institution with a request to issue another bank card in the name of an authorized person.

According to clause 1.12 of Regulation No. 266-P, a client - a legal entity - carries out transactions using a bank card on a bank account opened on the basis of a bank account agreement providing for transactions using it.

In accordance with clause 2.5 of Regulation No. 266-P, a client - a legal entity, using the specified bank account, using the card issued to him, carries out operations related to his business activities, as well as other operations in respect of which the legislation of the Russian Federation and regulations of the Bank of Russia do not establish any prohibitions (restrictions), in particular on the payment of taxes and fees. The list of transactions established by clause 2.5 of Regulation No. 266-P, performed by a client - a legal entity using a bank card, is of a targeted nature and does not apply to loan repayment operations and interest on it.

The return by a client - a legal entity of the funds provided to him and the payment of interest on them are carried out in the manner established by the Regulation of the Bank of Russia dated August 31, 1998 No. 54-P “On the procedure for the provision (placement) of funds by credit institutions and their return (repayment).”

Regulation No. 266-P does not provide for the procedure for accepting cash from legal entities, including cash proceeds, which are deposited into the bank accounts of these legal entities using bank cards through technical devices (ATMs, electronic terminals, etc.) .

According to clause 1.5 of Regulation No. 266-P, a prepaid card is intended for its holder to carry out transactions, settlements for which are carried out by the issuing credit institution on its own behalf, and certifies the prepaid card holder’s right of claim to the issuing credit institution for payment for goods (work, services, results) intellectual activity) or the issuance of cash. In this case, the obligation of the issuing credit institution to pay for goods, services or issue cash to the holder of a prepaid card arises in the amount of its purchase (payment by the holder).

In accordance with the norms of paragraph 1.13 of Regulation No. 266-P, when a client - an individual performs transactions using a prepaid card, a bank account agreement (bank deposit) is not concluded, and accordingly, a bank account is not opened. When an individual purchases a prepaid card, the amount of the credit institution’s obligations to the cardholder is reflected in balance sheet account 40903 “Funds for payments by checks, prepaid cards.”

Taking into account the above, we believe that there are no legal relations for replenishing, as well as receiving cash using a prepaid card, with the exception of the case of full repayment by a credit institution of obligations to an individual - the holder of a prepaid card for unused or partially used amounts of prepaid cards. In this case, the obligation arising to the holder of a prepaid card in the full or unused amount, depending on the conditions of use of the prepaid card, can be fulfilled by issuing cash or by transferring to the bank (deposit) account of the holder of the prepaid card, including with the participation of credit institutions - acquirers.

The requirements of Regulation No. 266-P and Instruction of the Bank of Russia dated April 28, 2004 No. 113-I “On the procedure for opening, closing, organizing the work of exchange offices and the procedure for authorized banks to carry out certain types of banking operations and other transactions with cash foreign currency and the currency of the Russian Federation, checks (including traveler's checks), the nominal value of which is indicated in foreign currency, with the participation of individuals" do not apply to transactions related to the transfer by individuals of funds from their bank accounts to their other bank accounts, including the accounting of transactions with bank cards opened in different currencies. At the same time, the current legislation of the Russian Federation, including currency legislation, does not establish a ban on the implementation of these operations.

The debiting of funds from the bank account of an individual through which transactions are made using payment cards, on the basis of a collection order, is carried out in accordance with the requirements established by Bank of Russia Regulation No. 2-P dated October 3, 2002 “On non-cash payments in the Russian Federation”, with taking into account the features established by the Bank of Russia Regulation No. 222 dated April 1, 2003 “On the procedure for making non-cash payments by individuals in the Russian Federation.”

Based on the norms of paragraphs 1.1.3 and 5.5 of Regulation No. 222-P, debiting funds from the bank account of an individual through which transactions with payment cards are carried out is carried out by the bank on the basis of a collection order within the limits of funds available in the account. If there are insufficient funds in an individual’s bank account to make payments under a collection order, partial execution of it is possible. The return of a collection order, the execution of which was not carried out due to the lack of funds in the bank account of an individual or was made partially, is carried out in the manner established by Regulation No. 2-P.

1.3 Problems of using plastic cards in Russia

The crisis affected all sectors of the Russian economy. The Russian banking system was one of the first to feel the impact of the crisis, however, thanks to the active policy of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and unprecedented government support, mass bankruptcies were avoided.

Surviving in difficult macroeconomic conditions, most banks demonstrate a decline in key performance indicators. In particular, profit in the banking system, according to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, from August 2009 to March 2010 decreased by more than 7 times, to 66.1 billion rubles. It is characteristic that the reduction in bank profits is explained not only by the economic crisis, the deterioration of the financial condition of borrowers (both enterprises and the population), but also by increased bank contributions to insurance reserves for possible loan losses caused by a decrease in the quality of loan portfolios.

It is obvious that in Russia as a whole, the demand for standard mass retail products has changed slightly. In April 2010, the share of borrowers using plastic cards to receive pensions, salaries, scholarships, etc., as well as debit cards received when opening a bank account, stabilized at the previous pre-crisis level.

Thus, the results of the study reflected the stability of the population’s demand for mass banking products. Card products remain the most popular both in the pre-crisis and crisis periods.

Recently, cases of crime with bank plastic cards have become more frequent.

The practice of investigations committed in the field of trafficking indicates an annual increase in their number. In 2010, 6,008 crimes related to the production and sale of counterfeit credit or payment cards and other payment documents were registered; for comparison, in 2009, 4,587 similar crimes were registered. Thus, the increase in crimes in this area amounted to over 30%.

In fact, it is difficult to imagine that with such a wide distribution of banking payment products, there were only a little more than three hundred thefts using them. Thus, in 2010 in Russia, losses in the area of bank card turnover amounted to over 250 million rubles, which is 66% more than in 2009. The largest number of registered crimes related to the production of payment cards and payment documents at that time was noted in the Rostov region - 659 (+99.7% compared to 2006), Khabarovsk Territory - 574 (+100%), Volgograd region – 226 (+20.6%) and Moscow – 137 (+407.4%).

It would seem obvious that the subject of this crime are:

· credit cards;

· payment cards;

· other payment documents.

In reality, cards are not payment documents of any kind. If you look at the regulatory documents of the Central Bank of Russia, a bank card is defined as a non-cash payment instrument intended for individuals to carry out transactions with funds. That is, a credit or payment card itself is not a payment instrument. A card is only a means, an instrument for making non-cash payments (that is, an identification card - a means of identifying the card itself, the card holder, and, if necessary, the host within a particular payment system).

The fact is that you can make a counterfeit credit or payment card, the genuine equivalent of which does not exist, but with the help of such a card you can make a payment transaction. A similar situation is possible with counterfeit credit and payment cards.

Thus, a counterfeit credit or payment card is not only a copy or imitation of a genuine payment card that is associated with a bank account, any credit agreement or bank account agreement, but also any card that can be used in the technology of the payment system in as a credit or settlement.

Restrictions on criminal acts, consisting of the introduction of counterfeit payment cards into legal circulation, from theft and fraud, occur according to the object and the moment of completion of the crime.

I believe that the adoption of the proposed changes will meet the needs of law enforcement practice, will allow the preliminary investigation authorities to concentrate their efforts on investigating this category of crimes, as well as increase the efficiency of their detection and investigation.

Experts also again urge bank card owners to be careful. When talking on the phone in public, more than half of Britons inadvertently “reveal” confidential information: their date of birth, home address, phone number, even their bank account and all kinds of passwords.

Experts from the research company Control Risks Group came to this conclusion. In terms of vigilance, Russians are no better than residents of Great Britain, but we have our own national characteristics in this matter too.

Control Risks experts surveyed over 1 thousand office employees in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It turned out that 10% of Britons at least once told colleagues their computer password, more than 20% divulged personal banking information “on the street”, and 16% even said out loud the PIN codes of plastic cards in pubs. Another 25% of respondents write down “important” information on someone else’s piece of paper, almost 40% leave the computer on where bank data is openly displayed, about 70% leave copies of documents with personal information at their workplace. And this despite the fact that 20% of Britons are not confident in the safety of their confidential information when contacting a bank, 60% of fitness center visitors are afraid that the information entered about them will fall into the “wrong hands”, and 15% are afraid to leave information about themselves in hospitals.

Our compatriots, no less often than the British, disclose their own data to various government and commercial structures, but the topic of protecting personal information remains quite new and not entirely clear for Russians. Thus, according to sociologists, more than half of the residents of the Russian Federation (50.4%) assign responsibility for the protection of personal information to the state, and only 28% have a different opinion. However, the overwhelming majority (63.3%) of citizens are convinced that the state should control the collection of information about the population by commercial structures.

The scientific director of the Center for Social Policy at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Evgeniy Gontmakher, sees the reason for this in the fact that “plastic” is not yet widespread enough among our population.

“In the UK, an adult holds at least two plastic cards, but in our country only 10-15% of the population owns one card,” he told NI. As for carelessness, in this sense, according to the expert, we are not inferior to the British. Our young people are more careful, they are better informed, including about criminal manifestations in this area, and therefore “save” information.

“On the street, it’s unlikely that anyone will eavesdrop on your PIN code; our scammers are “advanced” people, they, for example, read information about cards from databases,” warns Mr. Gontmakher. But the main problem, according to the expert, lies in the banking sector itself, where there are “holes” and therefore “leaks” occur.

There are indeed more and more crimes in this area. For example, attackers install a special device on an ATM - a skimmer (from the English skim - “to remove”), with the help of which information is read from the magnetic strip of the card. The video camera allows you to see the PIN code being dialed. Then a duplicate is made, and our money becomes someone else’s. Experts say that it is almost impossible to return them later.

For the owner of a plastic card, danger can lie in wait at home. For several years now, the international organization Secure Computering has been sounding the alarm: scammers have invented a new way to fish out secret codes. The new technology called fishing (translated from English as “fishing”) is simple and completely automated. "Fishermen" set up a telephone dialer that works around the clock in a certain region.

When a potential victim picks up the phone, the answering machine warns that his plastic card is in the hands of fraudsters and asks him to urgently call the specified number. Frightened cardholders do what they are told, and at the other end of the line a computer voice politely asks them to go through data verification and enter the secret code of the card using the phone keypad. At the same time, the account number, full name and address of the holder, and the validity period of his card are determined. After some time, the victim of the scam finds his plastic wallet empty.

Economists call the plastic card “the service of the century,” one of the key elements of the “technological revolution in banking.” Therefore, studying the problems of using plastic cards in Russia seems especially relevant, and the study of world practice and prospects for the development of the plastic card market in Russia is currently acquiring specific significance.

The scale and nature of the use of payment cards are reasonably considered as one of the most important indicators of the level of development of the retail banking business. A plastic card is a reusable payment and credit instrument for durable use, which has the highest degree of protection against counterfeiting today and also contains identification information about the card holder, allowing one to check his solvency. Currently, the plastic business consists of more than 1.3 billion cards issued. Annual global turnover exceeds 3 trillion. USD Payment cards are accepted by more than 20 million trade and service enterprises. About half a million bank branches providing services carry out transactions with payment cards, and the number of ATMs has exceeded 700 thousand. Along with local (national) systems, international payment systems using payment cards are increasingly developing. The bulk of the global plastic card market is controlled by two largest companies - Visa International and MasterCard International. If we divide the entire global plastic card market into the spheres of influence of the main players - payment systems, we get the following picture: the Visa payment system accounts for about 57%, Europay/MasterCard for about 26%, American Express for about 13%, and others ( including DinersClub and JCB) - 4%.

Russian banks have always been distinguished by their desire to actively develop the card business and have already accumulated some experience in issuing both foreign cards under license from the largest financial associations and their own ruble and currency cards. However, the scale of use of payment cards is still noticeably lower than the average for European countries. This is largely due to the fact that this segment of the banking services market was particularly hard hit by the financial crisis of August 17, 1998. The multiple decline in the physical volume of trade turnover and an even greater decline in consumer imports was not the main blow to the market. Defaults of systemically important issuing banks for this market, such as Inkombank, SBS-AGRO, Most, Menatep, Imperial, and others, led to the fact that up to 90% of the funds in card accounts were frozen. The ATM industry has practically ceased to exist in Russia. Domestic interbank card servicing operations were almost completely stopped. Many retail outlets that accepted cards went bankrupt. International payment systems have blocked the codes of Russian banks. As a result, cardholders of these systems were able to make payments only within Russia.

At the end of 2010, the total number of issued bank cards in Russia amounted to 10.5 million cards; in 2009, the number of issued cards increased to 15.5 million, and in 2008 - to 21 million. As of the beginning of 2010, in Almost 26 million cards have been issued to Russia. An interesting fact is that the ratio of international and Russian systems is 48% and 52%, respectively. The largest number of issued cards and the volume of transactions using them are accounted for by the international payment systems Visa and Europay/MasterCard, which is explained, first of all, by the developed infrastructure designed to carry out transactions using cards of these payment systems both in Russia and abroad . Along with this, there are domestic payment systems in Russia: Zolotaya Korona, Union Card, ACOORD, STB Card and a number of other small systems.

When considering a bank plastic card as a payment instrument, it is necessary to highlight its main advantages and benefits. For the client himself, this is ease of use, reducing the risk of losing funds, benefits when receiving services in trade and service enterprises, reducing costs when conducting financial transactions, automatic conversion, financial attractiveness - interest calculation, remote account management and much more; - for enterprises - expanding sales and attracting new customers, reducing costs for revenue collection, increasing work safety using owner signatures, prestige and a number of other advantages; - for banks - expanding the range of services, the emergence of new clients, reducing the cost of operations due to paperless technology, charging additional commissions - and as a result, increasing income, increasing the competitive potential of the bank.

Unfortunately, for the Russian user, a bank card is no longer a payment instrument, but a means of withdrawing cash. According to a COMCON study, the share of card payments in daily transactions of the population is more than 10 times lower than in American supermarkets, where they account for 60%. This is explained by a number of reasons that predetermined the problems that exist in the plastic card market in Russia.

Firstly, the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Russia compared to other developed countries is at a low level. Secondly, the financial crisis of 1998 significantly undermined confidence in banks, but now the situation is changing for the better. Thirdly, unfortunately, a full-fledged state policy regarding the plastic card market has not yet been developed, which would provide for both legislative regulation of the entire complex of relations between market participants and the development of programs to support domestic innovative solutions in the field of plastic card payments. And the fourth problem is the problem of security. However, there is now a worldwide trend of switching from magnetic cards to smart cards, which certainly helps to increase the security of payments in general. Cards with a microprocessor (smart cards) have already become widespread in some regions, the number of which increased by 43% in 2010 and amounted to more than 6 million cards at the end of 2010.

However, the incentive to use plastic cards in Russia will be a combination of two conditions. First: the payment mechanism using a card should be no less convenient than using cash. Second: the use of cards must be affordable, that is, minimal in cost and beneficial to the client.

As economists themselves say: “The future of banking services lies with plastic cards.” And this is true - despite a number of problems, the Russian plastic card market is developing at a fairly fast pace and inspires great hope.

Thus, in general, the range of cards offered by banks is quite wide. The largest Russian banks operate by providing cards.

Many banks prefer to diversify their activities and combine the issuance of international cards with membership in Russian payment systems. Cards of international payment systems still have an undeniable advantage over Russian ones, since they are accepted all over the world. There is no doubt that in Russia such cards have stable consumers among organizations and citizens who often travel abroad.

Cards of Russian systems so far only work within the country, however, given the short period of their existence and the pace of development, it can be assumed that reaching the global level is a matter of time. On the other hand, even the introduction of cards to the vast expanses of Russia, when their owner will be able to use one card to pay for a ticket, say, from Vladivostok to Moscow, and in the capital to pay for purchases with its help, will mean a high level of development of the card system. And the rapid activity of existing Russian payment systems allows us to hope that this level is quite achievable.

Chapter 2. Analysis of the modern plastic card market in the Russian Federation and abroad

Considering a bank plastic card as a payment instrument, it is necessary to highlight its main advantages and disadvantages:

· for the client himself - this is ease of use, reducing the risk of losing funds, benefits when receiving services in trade and service enterprises, reducing costs when conducting financial transactions, automatic conversion, financial attractiveness - interest calculation, remote account management and much more;

· for an enterprise – expanding sales and attracting new customers, reducing costs for revenue collection, increasing work safety using owner signatures, prestige and a number of other advantages;

· for banks – expanding the range of services, the emergence of new clients, reducing the cost of operations due to paperless technology, charging additional commissions and, as a result, increasing income and increasing the competitive potential of the bank.

Unfortunately, for the Russian user, a bank card is no longer a payment instrument, but a means of withdrawing cash. This is due to a number of reasons that predetermined the problems that exist in the plastic card market.

2.1 Analysis of the development of the plastic card market in the Russian Federation

Among the payment instruments used in the retail payments market, payment cards occupy one of the leading positions.

Figure 1 - Number of cards issued, million

According to a new study conducted by the National Agency of Financial Information (NAFI) in January 2008, only a third of Russians use bank plastic cards. The study showed that compared to July 2007, the number of plastic card holders in January 2008 remained virtually unchanged. Differences in the number of holders are within the statistical error of the study. Level of use of plastic cards in 2010-2009. presented in Fig. 2.

Figure 2 - Level of use of bank plastic cards in 2010-2009, % of all respondents

Figure 3 - Structure of the Russian plastic card market

Domestic products include Sbercard, which occupies about 6% of the market. In general, we can say that maps of Russian systems are significantly inferior to international maps in terms of distribution.

Figure 4 - Debit card payment systems

Figure 5 - Credit card payment systems

The development of the plastic card market is influenced by the culture of consumption of these products. Unlike European countries and the USA, in Russia the majority of consumers still use the card to receive salaries or scholarships (90%). The share of respondents using the card to pay for goods and services in stores is 10%, and for storing savings – 6% (Figure 6).

Figure 6 - Purposes of using bank cards

The most common plastic cards are salary cards, with the help of which Russians receive salaries, pensions, and stipends. 90% of surveyed holders use paid cards.

Every tenth Russian who uses plastic cards reported that he has a credit card at his disposal. 7% of respondents are holders of a debit card without an overdraft and 2% are holders of a debit card with an overdraft. The prevalence of various types of plastic cards is shown in Fig. 7.

Note. The sum of the answers exceeds 100%, since the question required the choice of several types of cards.

Figure 7 - Number of users of the main types of plastic cards, % of users of plastic cards

Most holders use only one plastic card. This was reported by 85% of respondents. Every tenth holder (12%) uses two cards. 2% of respondents have three cards in circulation, and 1% have four or five plastic cards. The structure of cardholders by the number of cards in circulation is presented in Fig. 8.

Figure 8 - Structure of cardholders by number of cards in use by the respondent, % of card users

A similar structure of cardholders in terms of the number of plastic cards in circulation is observed for all main types of bank cards. At least 90% of holders of a certain type of card use only one card. The structure of cardholders by the number of cards in circulation among users of various types of cards is presented in Table 1.

Table 1 - Structure of card users by number of cards in use, main types of cards, % of card users as of January 1, 2010

Number of cards in circulation	Salary card	Credit card	Debit card	Debit card with overdraft facility

Thus, taking into account the significant growth rate of card issuance (about 140% annually), we can predict that in one to two years there will be one card for each resident.

Among card holders, the overwhelming majority are holders of payment (debit) cards. Credit organizations of consumer lending programs. Their share in the total number of cards issued is 90.9%. At the same time, the number of cards received by holders on their own initiative may still be insignificant, that is, the vast majority of cards are cards issued by credit institutions as part of “salary” projects.

The number of credit cards issued, including as part of the implementation of consumer lending programs by credit institutions, increased by 58% compared to last year and, as of January 1, 2010, amounted to more than 8.6% of the total number of bank cards. The age category of cardholders is the population aged 25 to 44 years.

The issuance of prepaid cards is only 0.4%. The segment of their use is limited to paying for mobile communications, as well as goods and services purchased via the Internet.

The increase in the number of non-cash payments using cards is largely due to the increase in the number of transactions for payment for housing and communal services, mobile communication services, Internet providers, cable television, etc., made through ATMs and mobile phones.

At the same time, the share of payments made using the Internet is insignificant (1.3%), which is explained, first of all, by the high cost of Internet payments, as well as the lack of trust of cardholders in these payments due to the high level of fraudulent transactions in Internet related to the unlawful receipt and use of personal information about their holders.

In many ways, the possibility of everyday use of payment cards depends on the infrastructure servicing these payment cards. Today, more than 60% of terminals, imprinters installed in trade (service) enterprises, ATMs used to pay for goods (works and services) are located in 8 regions out of 79. At the same time, Moscow and the Moscow region account for almost 45%. The share of infrastructure indicators by region is presented in Table 2.

Table 2 - Share of infrastructure indicators (ATMs, electronic terminals), number and volume of transactions to pay for goods and services in leading regions as of 01/01/2010.

Name of territory	Share in total
Name of territory	Infrastructure indicator	Number of non-cash transactions	Volume of non-cash transactions
Moscow and Moscow region
Saint Petersburg
Tyumen region
Sverdlovsk region
Nizhny Novgorod Region
Krasnodar region
Republic of Bashkortostan
Samara Region
Results for these regions:

The infrastructure for servicing payment cards is mainly concentrated in the capital of the region (more than 60%) and in other regions (less than 30%). The service infrastructure in rural areas is very poorly developed. Therefore, an important task is to attract new trade and service outlets to serve them, as well as expand the functionality of ATMs. Moreover, when expanding the number of service points, it is necessary first of all to proceed from the principle of “step-by-step” accessibility, increasing the possibilities of using cards at everyday service points.

There are also a number of positive aspects of the development of the regional component of the card industry. In a number of regions, such as the Chelyabinsk region, Omsk region, the Udmur Republic, and others, the development of consumer lending, the emergence of ATMs allowing payments for utilities, mobile communication services, etc., contributed to an increase in the growth rate of the number of non-cash transactions.

Another important point is the implementation of card projects in the social sphere, ensuring increased efficiency of the functioning of targeted social programs, pension and social payments to the population. In particular, in Chelyabinsk - “Social card of Chelyabinsk residents”, in the Republic of Bashkortostan - “Social card of Bashkortostan”.

The RBC Rating agency has prepared another rating of the most “card-based” Russian banks. Based on the data obtained, we can conclude that, despite the crisis, the issue of bank cards in 2010 continued to grow. At the same time, the main quantitative growth was still provided by the first ten banks. Selected indicators characterizing transactions with plastic cards are presented in Appendix A.

Thus, only one of the leaders in the rating - Sberbank - the number of plastic cards in circulation over the past six months increased by almost 16%, as of January 1, 2009, amounting to more than 30 million pieces. The bank's clients still give preference to cards from the international MasterCard system, the number of which has exceeded 15 million, but branded Sbercards seem to be losing their popularity. The number of cards of this payment system decreased by almost 2 thousand compared to July 1, 2008.

VTB24 demonstrated a good breakthrough; in six months it increased the number of cards in circulation from 2.7 million to 4 million, which as a result allowed it to immediately enter the top three. The rating includes 10 banks whose volume of plastic cards in circulation as of January 1, 2010 exceeds 1 million. The leading banks in issuing plastic cards in 2009 are presented in Appendix B, and the top banks in issuing plastic cards in 2010 are presented in Appendix B.

It is no secret that the bulk of cards issued in Russia are for so-called payroll projects. The leadership in this segment is indisputably Sberbank - almost 8 million units produced in 2008. At the same time, according to tradition, the share of “credit cards” in Russia is not large and, according to various estimates, fluctuates around 5-7% of the total. The bulk, naturally, is in large cities, primarily Moscow and St. Petersburg, where it is physically possible to pay for purchases using a card.

The number of cards issued as part of consumer lending is also large. The leader in this segment is Rosbank - more than 848 million units were issued in 2010.

Sberbank still has the largest ATM network (17.5 thousand devices). At the same time, the top ten banks have ATM networks with more than 1 thousand devices.

2.2 Foreign plastic card market

The characteristics of foreign payment card markets vary quite widely. The most developed markets are in countries such as the USA and Great Britain. The number of payment cards intended to improve non-cash transactions in these countries is 5.30 and 2.37 cards per capita, respectively. For comparison: in Western European countries (Germany, France and Belgium) the number of payment cards ranges from 1.22 to 1.57 cards per inhabitant.

In the Russian Federation today this figure is 0.73 cards per capita and, given the high growth rate of their emission, it can be predicted that in the coming years this figure will reach the level of Western Europe (see Figure 9).

Figure 9 - Number of payment cards per resident at the end of 2010

At the end of 2010, France (18,071 terminals), Great Britain (17,384) and the USA (17,288) were significantly ahead in terms of the number of POS terminals per million inhabitants, which confirms the development of the payment card market in these countries. At the same time, this figure in the Russian Federation at the end of 2010 was 1,686 terminals per million inhabitants.

The successful implementation of the order of the President of the Russian Federation dated November 14, 2006 to develop a system of measures to increase the availability of banking services for the population through the use of the infrastructure of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian Post (82 branches, 40,074 post offices) to provide financial and banking services to the population and small businesses.

An assessment of the size of the average payment made using cards did not reveal significant differences between countries and varies from $55.8 (Russia) to $105.0 (Great Britain) see Fig. 10.

Figure 10 - Average payment made using cards issued in the country in 2010, dollars.

The comparability of the average payment in the Russian Federation with a similar indicator in the analyzed countries, as well as the previously noted positive trend of using bank cards on the territory of the Russian Federation for clients of resident credit institutions to pay for goods (works, services) allows us to consider a bank card as a retail payment instrument for everyday expenses.

The average volume of cash withdrawal transactions through ATMs in the Russian Federation was $150.0, while in France, where the payment infrastructure is most developed, the average cash withdrawal transaction was $86.5. The highest level of cash withdrawals in Italy and Germany, where the average is about $210.

Both in terms of the number of POS terminals and the number of ATMs per million inhabitants, the leading place is occupied by the USA (1318 ATMs) and the UK (998 ATMs). Russia is significantly inferior to these countries, and at the end of 2010 the number of ATMs was 386 per million inhabitants. Last year, the issue of payment cards abroad reached 4.14 billion units, which is 5.2% higher than in 2009. They include both magnetic stripe cards and microprocessor cards. Of the total volume of payment cards, debit, credit and prepaid cards with the Visa logo account for 2.49 billion.

The total issuance of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club, including both credit, debit and prepaid cards, in the Middle East and Africa totaled 81.7 million cards at the end of 2009, which is 21.4% more than in previous year. At the same time, Visa and MasterCard cards account for 98.5% of the total issue. Figure 11 shows the largest card issuers.

Figure 11 - Top 10 largest issuers of debit cards, billion dollars.

Bank of America (Bofa) is the largest issuer with the highest spending on its payment cards in the United States. In 2010, consumers spent $451.76 billion on its cards. The second largest spender, $445.32 billion, is occupied by American Express, and only AmEx's own cards are taken into account, excluding cards issued by third parties. Spending on AmEx cards is only $6.44 billion less than spending on Bank of America cards, down from $24.89 billion in 2006.

The five largest card issuers have a total debt on Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards for the period from December 2009 to December 2010. Increased by 5.5% - from $550.51 billion to $580.99 billion (see table 3).

Table 3 - Largest issuers of credit cards in the USA, billion dollars.

	Debt, 2010	Debt, 2009	Change over the year, %



American Express



Washington Mutual

In 2010, 2.43 billion transactions were made in Canada using Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards, which is 11.1% more than in the previous period. It should be noted that in Canada only credit cards of these brands are in circulation, while debit cards are not available. Because this country has its own brand of Interac debit cards (see Figure 12).

Figure 12 - Number of credit card trade transactions in Canada, billion

The net income of the 10 largest US credit card issuers fell 15.6% in 2010, falling to $18.76 billion. In 2009, the net income of these 10 card companies was $22.23 billion. Only three of the 10 issuers showed in 2009, an increase in net income: Capital One - by $293 million, U.S. Bancorp - by $108 million and Target - by $103 million. At the same time, the net profit of Target, which has the smallest portfolio, increased by almost 21% (see Figure 13)

Figure 13 - Net income of the 10 largest US credit card issuers

2.3 Trends in the development of the plastic cards market

A plastic card is a reusable payment and credit instrument for durable use, which has the highest degree of protection against counterfeiting today and also contains identification information about the card holder, allowing one to check his solvency.

Currently, the plastic business consists of more than 1.3 billion cards issued. Annual global turnover exceeds 3 trillion. USD Payment cards are accepted by more than 20 million trade and service enterprises. About half a million bank branches providing services carry out transactions with payment cards, and the number of ATMs has exceeded 700 thousand. Along with local (national) systems, international payment systems using payment cards are increasingly developing.

The bulk of the global plastic card market is controlled by two largest companies - Visa International and MasterCard International. If we divide the entire global plastic card market into the spheres of influence of the main players - payment systems, we get the following picture: the Visa payment system accounts for about 57%, Europay/MasterCard for about 26%, American Express for about 13%, and others ( including DinersClub and JCB) - 4%.

This is largely due to the fact that this segment of the banking services market was particularly hard hit by the financial crisis of August 17, 1998. The multiple decline in the physical volume of trade turnover and an even greater decline in consumer imports was not the main blow to the market.

Defaults of systemically important issuing banks for this market, such as Inkombank, SBS-AGRO, Most, Menatep, Imperial, and others, led to the fact that up to 90% of the funds in card accounts were frozen. The ATM industry has practically ceased to exist in Russia. Domestic interbank card servicing operations were almost completely stopped. Many retail outlets that accepted cards went bankrupt. International payment systems have blocked the codes of Russian banks. As a result, cardholders of these systems were able to make payments only within Russia.

Gradually the situation began to change for the better. Many people are interested in the restoration and dynamic development of the Russian plastic card market: international payment systems that have not come to terms with the loss of capital in Russia, international insurance systems, retail outlets, etc.

In 2010, domestic banks issued the minimum volume of plastic cards in eight years.

Such a significant reduction in the volume of issuance in 2010 is explained primarily by a reduction in the number of cards issued by banks specializing in consumer lending and engaged in mailing out credit cards, the Bank of Russia notes. The leaders in this area are Russian Standard Bank (total issue volume - about 26 million cards), HKF Bank (about 10 million cards). Yesterday, these banks refused to provide data on issue volumes in 2010-2009. Renaissance Credit Bank, which also distributes cards, reported that in 2010 the bank issued 3.5-4.5 times fewer cards than it would have been if there had not been a crisis, since back in October 2009 there were a decision was made to significantly reduce lending volumes. As a result, in 2010, Renaissance Credit issued 426 thousand cards compared to 1.684 million a year earlier.

According to the Central Bank, in 2010, banks mainly issued payment (debit) cards as part of salary projects - they account for more than 90% of all bank cards in Russia, while credit cards account for only 8%. A significant portion of the total volume of cards issued in 2010 came from state banks: for example, VTB 24 increased its issuance volume by more than 15% last year, and Sberbank by more than 30% compared to the previous year.

At the same time, in 2010 there was a slight increase in the share of active cards, the Central Bank adds. If in 2010, compared to a year earlier, the relative increase in the number of bank cards was 5.7%, then the number of card transactions increased by 17.7%, from 572.912 million transactions in 2010 to 674.484 million in 2009. The amount of transactions carried out by individuals using bank cards increased by 7.4% compared to 2008, to RUB 9.53 trillion. Of course, an important role was played by the reduction in card issuance volumes by banks involved in issuing credit cards, since the share of active cards in their portfolios is small, less than 30-40%, notes IFC Metropol analyst Mark Rubinstein.

However, given the fact that the share of credit cards in the total issuance is small, the increase in the number of transactions on bank cards and, as a consequence, the number of active cards indicates that the population is increasingly using cards, and not only for withdrawing cash from ATMs, but also to pay for goods and services, the expert adds. According to the Central Bank, the share of transactions for payment for goods and services in the total number of transactions using bank cards at the end of 2010 increased to 28.2% compared to 24.1% in 2008.

The payment card market is increasingly becoming a field of competition between Russian banks. Bank card transactions are among the most profitable types of banking activities. On average, the income per unit of cost in the card business is higher than in other types of transactions. Firstly, it is necessary to note such profitable projects as the implementation of salary schemes, so popular in Russia and some CIS countries. The cost of servicing such projects for the bank is minimal due to the high degree of automation of the process. Secondly, commissions for making payments when using plastic cards, as well as commissions received from trade and service enterprises for services, can be very significant for the bank.

The specificity of the Russian market is that the market is developing mainly not due to individual investors and cardholders, but due to salary projects. The essence of which is the bank's servicing of the process of calculating and issuing wages to employees of the enterprise using bank plastic cards. This system is very widespread in the regions of Russia and the share of salary cards is about 80 percent of all cards issued. This largely explains the behavior of holders who, after accruing wages, immediately withdraw it from an ATM, hence the high percentage of cash withdrawals.

According to analysts, the plastic card market in Russia is still in its infancy. According to the results of the first half of 2010, there were more than 92 million bank plastic cards in the country - less than one for each resident. In the world, there are on average more than three plastic cards per person. But judging by the growth rate of the Russian “card” market (it has quadrupled since 2003), in three years we will catch up with the global level.

The growth leaders are Investsberbank, whose volume of issued plastic cards for the year (from July 1, 2010 to July 1, 2009) amounted to 533%, Alfa Bank (126.3%), VTB 24 (88.9%) and Russian standard" (72.3%). Sberbank has a more modest pace, but in terms of the number of cards it holds the palm, having issued almost a quarter of Russian banking “plastic” (20.14 million pieces). But in general, not only market leaders are involved in the card business, but also second- and third-tier players. According to the Central Bank, 727 of more than 1,100 Russian banks issue plastic – that is, almost all banks involved in retail.

The victorious march of “plastic” is evidenced not only by quantitative indicators, but also by the expansion of its area of application. According to statistics, in the first half of the year, 758 million transactions were made using plastic cards for a total amount of 2.8 trillion rubles. Over the course of a year, the frequency of use of cards by Russians is growing by about a third, although observers note that the card has not yet become a familiar means of “payment” for Russians.

The bank card market is heterogeneous. Recently, its most promising segment, the issuance of credit cards, has been growing at the fastest pace. For example, at the end of last year their number increased by 85%, while debit ones - only by 32%.

As Delpal notes, the card market in Russia initially began with debit products, while foreign markets began with loans. Gradually, with the growth of the credit initiative of Russians, the share of debit cards is decreasing.

However, the debit segment is still regarded by market participants as very promising. Firstly, the state, concerned about the problem of “black” cash and laundering of dubious money, appears to be ready to stimulate the market for non-cash payments, and several bills to this effect are already on the sidelines of parliament. Secondly, it is beneficial for the banks themselves to stimulate clients’ desire for salary projects, the cost of servicing which is lower than the price of classic cash transactions. In addition, in the context of belt tightening in the global interbank borrowing market, so-called “account balances” (that is, the money that remains in your current account) are beginning to be of increasing interest to banks as convenient working capital.

Despite the impressive pace, the “plastic” market retains the negative features that were inherent in it before. One of them is the already mentioned habit of Russians to simply withdraw money from their account using a card. That is, in many cases, cards work only twice a month - on the days of “advance” and “payday”. About 90% of all actions performed using cards are simple “cash out” transactions at ATMs. The share of transactions that are more profitable for banks - transactions related to non-cash payments - continues to remain low.

A similar situation is observed in the credit segment of the “plastic” market. The card is used by most borrowers, again for “cash out”, despite the fact that in most banks cashing out a credit card is an extremely unprofitable operation, which involves increased commissions and interest. However, this does not stop customers. Some experts believe that the reasons lie in the “mental love” of Russians for cash and the lack of proper understanding of the functions of credit cards.

Another problem is the geographical imbalance of the card market. It is developing primarily due to a limited number of regions, which account for the bulk of the issue and use of plastic cards. The majority of Russian bank cards are issued in three regions - Moscow and the Moscow region (more than 43.7 million cards), St. Petersburg (over 4.45 million cards) and the Sverdlovsk region (more than 2.8 million cards). The reason for the disproportion is known - cards are distributed primarily in areas where there are higher income levels and well-developed banking networks.

However, the geography of maps, may the reader forgive me for such a pun, is gradually expanding. Over the past two years, the number of regions whose banks issued more than 1 million cards has increased from 4 to 14. Thanks to salary projects, cards are penetrating not only into large cities, but also into the outback. For example, in the town of Tikhvin, hidden in the Ladoga forests, as the author discovered with some surprise, 14 thousand bank cards have already been issued for 60 thousand residents.

Increasing competition in the plastic market is forcing banks to actively look for and apply new ways to attract customers. Loyalty programs are considered one of the most promising. According to experts, they are the ones who contribute to the growth of interest in banking services.

This year new interesting developments have appeared on the market. One of them was a fundamentally new loyalty model, allowing customers to accumulate a certain percentage of the amount spent with a plastic card in their bank account. This direction has become a logical continuation of previously existing discount and bonus programs used by many banks. However, unlike them, the new project does not provide for some discounts and bonus points that customers are accustomed to, but “real” money. Thus, banks are trying to create a really tangible incentive.

The first to decide on this path was Citibank, which issued a credit card with a Cash back system, providing a return of 1% of the money spent. The card has all the advantages of a credit card, has a good credit limit of 160 thousand rubles and allows the borrower to use a grace period of up to 50 days. Its relative disadvantage is that, in comparison with other cards, the cost of annual maintenance and interest on the loan are somewhat inflated (28% per annum). But, by and large, all this is not so important. The main thing is that the appearance of this card on the market gave impetus to the development of a new direction.

The second strategic direction of card “games” was the spread of so-called coalition projects (co-branding), which make it possible to combine the efforts of the bank and several trading organizations and thereby ensure the expansion of bonus offers. “Co-branding allows you to get an audience loyal to the brand - this is interesting for both retailers and bankers,” believes Nikolay Korchagin. In his opinion, we should expect growth in this market segment.

“Co-branding cards are a business that will develop in parallel with the growing popularity of plastic cards,” states Emil Yusupov from Absolut Bank. - In competition, along with lending conditions, the quality of the service offered and the variety of additional services play an important role. One of the competitive advantages may be the bank’s availability of co-branding programs that are interesting to the client.”

As for the main brands of the card market, according to experts, in Russia they will still remain two international payment systems - MasterCard and VISA. Many analysts believe that their dominance will increase and attempts to create alternative card brands will gradually fade away. At the same time, the share of co-branding will increase.

According to analysts at J'son & Partners, in 2010 the number of bank cards issued in Russia will exceed 105 million, and in 2011 it will reach 120 million - that is, approximately two cards for every working resident.

However, despite the presence of obstacles and difficulties, as well as the rather large initial costs associated with the launch and development of technologies for using plastic cards, Russian banks are increasingly using this tool to achieve strategic goals for the development of retail business. If a bank expects to stay in any niche in the private deposit market, it cannot do without issuing payment cards.

Chapter 3. Analysis of the use of plastic cards in the Siberian Branch of Sberbank of Russia

3.1 Brief description of Sberbank of Russia

In recent years, Sberbank has become the largest and most significant financial institution in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as one of the prominent participants in the global financial market. This growth occurred against the backdrop of exceptionally dynamic development of the Russian banking market. The Bank's opportunities and development potential will continue to be determined largely by the presence of strong competitive positions in the Russian financial market, which in the medium term will remain one of the fastest growing and most attractive in the world.

Even taking into account various scenarios of the consequences of the current instability in international financial markets, the Russian market in the medium term will be characterized by high growth rates and significant size.

The average annual growth rate of the Russian banking sector for the period until 2014 is projected, depending on the scenario, at a level of 18 to 24%. Moreover, by 2014, the volume of assets of the banking sector will be about 70-80% in relation to GDP, which is significantly lower than many international analogues and indicates the presence of great potential for further growth. As a result, by 2014, the Russian market in terms of net income will be comparable to the total market of Eastern European countries, approximately equal to the Indian market, several times higher than other large fast-growing markets (for example, Turkey) and approximately one third of the Chinese market; high profitability of operations.

In terms of the ratio of return on capital to its cost, the Russian market is comparable to the most attractive developed markets and surpasses almost all major fast-growing markets in the world. It is expected that, despite some reduction in margins on main products, the Russian banking market will remain attractive in terms of this indicator by 2014; trend towards consolidation of the banking sector.

Today, the banking market is characterized by low concentration of assets - the five largest banks account for just over 40% of assets, which is significantly less than in countries with a more developed financial sector. A large number of medium and small players collectively control from 30 to 40% of the markets for individual banking products. The inevitable process of market consolidation will create, on the one hand, obvious opportunities for larger market participants, and on the other hand, will ultimately lead to an increase in the level of competition, which will have a positive impact on the quality characteristics of the sector as a whole. The economic crisis is likely to increase the pace and scope of sector consolidation.

These trends and the factors that determine them are long-term in nature, which allows us to say that the financial market of the Russian Federation will be structurally attractive not only until 2014, but also in the next 5 - 10 years. All this determines the enormous development potential of Sberbank both in the context of the Russian market and on an international scale.

Sberbank of Russia is the largest bank in the Russian Federation and the CIS. Its assets make up a quarter of the country's banking system, and its share in bank capital is at 30%. According to The Banker magazine (July 1, 2010), Sberbank ranked 38th in terms of fixed capital (Tier 1 capital) among the largest banks in the world.

Founded in 1841, Sberbank of Russia today is a modern universal bank that meets the needs of various groups of clients in a wide range of banking services. Sberbank occupies the largest share in the deposit market and is the main creditor of the Russian economy. As of June 1, 2010, Sberbank of Russia's share in the private deposit market was 50.5%, and its loan portfolio corresponded to more than 30% of all loans issued in the country.

Sberbank of Russia has a unique branch network and currently includes 18 territorial banks and more than 19,050 branches throughout the country. Subsidiary banks of Sberbank of Russia operate in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus. Sberbank aims to take a 5% share in the banking services market of these countries. In accordance with the new strategy, Sberbank of Russia plans to expand its international presence by entering the markets of China and India. In general, it is planned to increase the share of net profit generated outside Russia to 5% by 2014.

Considering the international vector as the most important component of its development strategy, Sberbank of Russia carries out treasury operations on the international market and trade finance operations, maintains correspondent relations with more than 220 leading banks in the world and participates in the activities of a number of reputable international organizations representing the interests of the global banking community. An active position and international authority allow Sberbank of Russia to most fully satisfy the foreign economic needs of its clients, attract resources from global financial markets on favorable terms and comply with the best practices accepted in the international banking community.

Shares of Sberbank of Russia have been listed on the Russian stock exchanges MICEX and RTS since 1996. In March 2010, the Bank placed an additional issue of ordinary shares, as a result of which the authorized capital increased by 12% and 230.2 billion rubles were raised. The average daily trading volume in Sberbank shares is 40% of trading volume on the MICEX.

The founder and main shareholder of the Bank is the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia). As of May 8, 2010, he owns 60.25% of the voting shares and 57.58% of the authorized capital of the Bank. The remaining shareholders of Sberbank of Russia are more than 273 thousand legal entities and individuals. The high share of foreign investors in the capital structure of Sberbank of Russia (more than 24%) indicates its investment attractiveness.

In October 2010, Sberbank adopted a new development strategy for the period until 2014, within the framework of which the Bank aims to further develop its competitive advantages and create new areas of growth. Improving the risk management system, optimizing costs and implementing initiatives aimed at increasing operational efficiency will allow Sberbank of Russia to prove its stability in the current conditions of instability in global financial markets, maintain leadership in the Russian financial system and become one of the world's best credit institutions.

In recent years, the Bank has carried out a lot of work, which ensured the final formation of four main groups of competitive advantages of the Bank, namely:

· significant customer base in all segments (corporate and retail, large and small clients) and in all regions of the country;

· scale of operations both in terms of financial indicators (available size and duration of operations, access to resources, international ratings, investment opportunities) and in terms of the quantity and quality of physical infrastructure (in particular, a unique distribution network for retail and corporate clients) ;

· brand and reputation of the Bank, primarily associated with the huge resource of trust in the Bank on the part of all categories of clients;

· the Bank's team and significant accumulated experience. A large number of experienced, qualified specialists in all regions of Russia, vast management experience within one of the largest organizations in the world, processes and systems that generally cope with tasks of a unique scale and complexity.

At the same time, the Bank’s work today is associated with a number of serious shortcomings, without overcoming which it is impossible to talk about realizing its development potential. These include:

· low efficiency in using the Bank's two most important competitive advantages - the sales network and client base, which is associated with insufficient organization of client work and undeveloped skills and sales and service systems. Manifestations of this are a low level of cross-selling, low income from many products, insufficient coverage of the potential customer base;

· low quality of service in terms of speed of decision-making, complexity of processes and procedures, level of communication and interaction between the Bank and the client, as well as the convenience and functionality of the Bank's branches. According to clients, the Bank significantly lags behind its main competitors in terms of service level;

· exceptionally low level of labor productivity. According to this indicator, the Bank is significantly behind not only banks in developed countries (a number of which have already entered the Russian market), but also banks in emerging markets. The main reasons for this: excessive cumbersomeness and complexity of business processes, low level of specialization and division of labor; lack of unification of business processes across the Bank, which makes it impossible to use economies of scale and introduce modern information technologies; low level of automation and a large amount of manual labor; decentralization of operations and support functions. As a result, many of the Bank’s systems and processes are poorly scalable, and growth in business volumes does not lead to increased efficiency;

· insufficiently effective and costly risk management systems. Most of them today are distributed, poorly formalized and poorly scalable. Also, in some cases, the balance between risk control and profitability is shifted too much towards risk avoidance. As a result, the Bank incurs high costs of control, which do not provide the expected return, and receives less income;

· weaknesses of the Bank's corporate culture, primarily excessive bureaucracy, insufficient responsibility for the final result of the Bank's work and the quality of client work, insufficient desire for improvement and development.

3.2 Sberbank issues plastic cards

As of October 1, 2010, the Bank issued 188 thousand Aeroflot Visa cards, the holders of which are simultaneously participants in the Aeroflot Bonus program implemented by Aeroflot - Russian Airlines OJSC. The number of Sberbank-Maestro “Social” cards intended for receiving pensions, benefits, subsidies and other social payments increased by 1.5 times over the first 9 months of 2010 and exceeded 3.5 million cards.

The bank's statement also notes that 11.7 thousand ATMs were installed and put into operation at the beginning of October. Of these, 11.6 thousand accept cards from international payment systems Visa and MasterCard, as well as American Express. 9.8 thousand ATMs accept Sbercards. By intended use: 11.6 thousand ATMs accept payments for services of enterprises (cellular operators, satellite television, etc.); 554 accept cash for crediting to the card account.

Sberbank of Russia concluded 43.2 thousand agreements on accepting bank cards as a means of payment with trade and service points. Among them, 38.8 thousand service transactions on international cards, 21.6 thousand - transactions on Sbercard cards. Turnover in the acquiring trade network of Sberbank of Russia for 9 months of 2007 increased by 78% compared to the same period in 2006 and exceeded 61.9 billion rubles.

3.3 Model for calculating the profitability of a salary project

Salary projects involve the use of cards for issuing wages and making other payments equivalent to it to employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations, as well as further servicing of these cards in accordance with the terms of concluded agreements on salary services using cards.

Today, the implementation of salary projects using bank plastic cards is one of the priority areas of the “card” business of banks. It is precisely such projects that allow banks to achieve a significant increase in the issuance of cards and, accordingly, an increase in the balances of funds on the card accounts of cardholders. Accumulating funds on bank card accounts and increasing the size of their average daily balances is the main way to increase the profitability of bank card programs. The bank’s focus on the development of salary projects allows it to achieve serious results in the field of “card” business in a fairly short time (see the scheme for paying wages using bank plastic cards) .

Scheme for paying wages using bank plastic cards

By using the technology for issuing wages using bank plastic cards, the company receives the following advantages:

· the work of the accounting department is greatly facilitated, the presence of a cash desk in the institution becomes practically unnecessary, as a result, significant labor resources are freed up, which can be directed to solving other problems;

· there is no need to receive, deliver, or store cash, which is always associated with certain costs and unforeseen situations. Moreover, the possibility of abuse by enterprise employees at all stages of working with funds is sharply reduced;

· no need to deposit unclaimed cash;

· over time, as employee confidence in “card” products increases, peak loads on paydays are smoothed out due to an increase in the payout period, which eliminates the loss of working time;

· the use of “card” technologies within an enterprise allows, at a certain stage of project development, to simplify the accounting of the movement of various non-cash payments within the enterprise (“industrial money”).

In addition, to improve the image of the enterprise, in agreement with the bank, it is possible to apply its logo to a plastic card.

The use of plastic cards for issuing wages has advantages not only for the enterprise itself, but also for its employees, in particular, this is the opportunity to:

· receive additional income due to increased interest on card account balances;

· safe use of earned funds (unlike cash, a missing card does not mean loss of money);

· get rid of thick wallets, dirty and torn bills;

· eliminating problems when issuing change at trade and service enterprises.

In the case of a stable economic situation of the enterprise, by agreement with the bank, it is possible to obtain an overdraft on the card within a limit depending on the employee’s salary, which is also a significant additional incentive for employees to be interested in using cards.

Benefits for the bank:

Relatively cheap resource base, the ability to accumulate significant funds on card accounts and their further placement in profitable assets;

Closer relationship between the client and the bank;

The ability to introduce and develop various new technologies and services using cards in mass quantities.

It should be noted that each salary project has its own specifics, therefore the approaches to determining the stages of a particular project are quite individual. In some projects, from the start of negotiations with the management of the enterprise to the issue of the first cards, it may take no more than a month, while in others - up to a year or more. A lot depends on the development of the infrastructure of “card” projects in the region, the level of the enterprise, the configuration of the project, etc. At the same time, as practice shows, three main stages can be distinguished for each project.

Preparatory stage- a kind of foundation for the salary project. Mistakes made during the preparation period can lead to big problems in the implementation of the project, up to its complete ineffectiveness and non-recoupment. At this stage, it is necessary to conduct active negotiations with the enterprise, as well as explanatory work with its personnel, to determine the configuration of the future project.

At this stage, a region and an enterprise/institution are selected for further implementation of the project. The most promising are enterprises with a large number of employees and a developed infrastructure of retail and service outlets, with a high level of wages, representing promising industries and areas of business, etc.

In addition, in parallel with conducting negotiations directly with the enterprise itself, it is necessary to negotiate with representatives of trade and service who will be “tied” to the project. Moreover, the development of the corresponding project infrastructure in the required volume should occur even at an accelerated pace even before the start of card issuance.

Implementation stage- the stage of launching the project, its pilot-industrial operation, testing the technology within the enterprise, adjusting the project conditions for further development.

Development stage- in fact, this is the operation of the project in industrial mode. At this stage, it is necessary to clearly respond to emerging failures and problems, otherwise the project may be completely discredited after one or two prolonged failures ( see a sample of a typical general plan for implementing a salary project using cards). The order of these stages is quite arbitrary, and most of them can be combined in time.

In particular, the process of concluding an agreement with an enterprise can be combined with the calculation of payback and the study of the existing wage payment scheme. On the other hand, in many projects it is advisable to calculate the payback only after studying all the details of a possible project. In each specific case, it is necessary to show flexibility when carrying out certain activities.

The presented plan is only a sample of possible stages of implementing a salary project, based on the existing practical experience of Sberbank of Russia.

General plan for implementing a salary project using cards

Stage number	Events
	Conducting preliminary negotiations by the enterprise determined to implement the salary project, discussing the terms of the contract, the timing of the implementation of the activities listed below
	Preparation of an agreement between a company and a bank
	Agreeing on a contract with the company Signing an agreement between the bank (branch) and the enterprise
	Study of existing relationships between the enterprise and the branch Study of the existing procedure for calculating and paying wages at the enterprise (organizational aspects and accounting) Study of the existing procedure for calculating and paying wages at the enterprise (technical and software implementation simultaneously with stages 6-7) Study of the topography of the enterprise based on the proposed organization for issuing the patch
	Filling out the salary project passport (based on the research results) Determining the need for the composition and configuration of software and hardware based on a study of the topography of the enterprise and the proposed implementation option for the salary project
	Preparation and approval of a complete salary service scheme for the enterprise in question Drawing up a calendar plan for implementing the salary project implementation plan
	Payroll project payback calculation
	Drawing up a complete project for using a salary model for using cards at an enterprise, summarizing the results of the research, and also including a concluded agreement and a calendar plan for the implementation of the project Conducting companies informing company employees about the services provided and the basics of using cards
	Organizational and technical preparation for the implementation of the project (equipment of workplaces, personnel training, communications, infrastructure development, etc.)
	Issuance of cards and their services
	Focusing on employees of the enterprise after three months of using cards in order to improve service and develop additional services provided by the card holder
	Analysis of collected questionnaires

	Adjustment of project conditions

The development of salary projects is associated with significant investments by the bank and significant current expenses, since “card” technologies are a fairly new and high-tech product that requires large expenses for creating infrastructure for accepting cards, communications, card procurement, equipment of workplaces, software modernization, etc. d. In addition, participation in international systems also requires expenses for maintaining membership in these systems, training, paying commissions to sponsor banks, paying for processing services, etc. In this regard, an important point is calculating the payback of the bank’s salary projects, assessing approximate the timing of the investments made.

Let's consider one of the possible approaches to calculating payback. In practice, you can find both simpler and more complex approaches. However, for a general understanding of the payback of a salary project, the presented approach is the most universal.

1. Initial data for calculating the payback of the bank's salary card projects

Project parameters (see table data)

Item no.	Options
	Average salary per employee
	Amount of workers
	Basic percentage of commission for settlement and cash services
	The average amount of cash withdrawn per card at cash points (hereinafter referred to as PVN) and ATMs of other banks
	Bank commission for cash withdrawal at PVN and ATMs of other banks (paid by the client to the bank according to approved tariffs)
	Amount of card purchases (per month)
	Commission fee for acquiring payments at trade and service enterprises (hereinafter referred to as PTS; the bank receives a commission from the amount of payment for goods/services in accordance with the agreement between the bank and PTS)
	Base interest rate on card accounts (the bank pays accrued interest to cardholders)
	Average daily balances on card accounts
	Average card lifespan

Cost of equipment (approximate list, depends on the project configuration, cards used, etc.):

· server and other computer equipment to support the card project;

· workstations for administrators and other service personnel, including cashiers;

· ATM (the number varies depending on the size of the project; it is possible to implement projects without an ATM);

· card replenishment points (for microprocessor cards);

· preparation of cards;

· Communication equipment.

Cost of work

1. Launch of the project (including costs for software, installation of ATMs and terminals, organization of workplaces, allocation of communication channels, etc.) - in terms of items of actual costs incurred.

2. Project support (current costs for its maintenance, including payment for telecommunication channels, software maintenance, maintenance of terminals, ATMs, etc.) - in terms of items of actual costs incurred.

2. Methodology for calculating the payback of bank salary projects

Bank expenses

Initial investments (expenses for equipment and cards), total (including):

· server cost;

· administrator's workplace;

· workplace(s) for issuing cash;

· cost of ATM(s) with software;

· card replenishment point(s);

· cost of cards (cost of one card X number of cards for the project);

· cost of launching the project.

Current expenses per month, total (including):

· accrual of interest on average daily balances on card accounts (average daily account balances X interest accrued on card account balances / 12 X number of cards);

· rent of space and equipment;

· wages of bank employees servicing the project;

· payroll taxes;

· purchase of cash;

· Communal expenses;

· cost of project support.

Bank income (per month)

1. Commission for cash management services of the enterprise (number of cards × average salary × percentage of cash management services).

2. Commission paid by trading enterprises (number of cards × average cost per card in PTS × percentage of commission charged on PTS).

3. Commission on the amount of salary received through the PVN and ATMs of other banks (number of cards × × average amount of cash withdrawals at the PVN and ATMs of other banks × percentage of commission for cash withdrawals at the PVN and ATMs of other banks).

4. Income from investing average daily balances on card accounts in loans (average daily account balances × × average percentage on active transactions on the market / 12 × number of cards).

5. Income from interest for using overdraft on card accounts.

Total income:

Current result = Bank income (per month) - Bank current expenses per month

Reimbursement of the cost of equipment and cards (achieving the project's payback in time) = initial investment / current result

Methodology for calculating the payback of the salary project for 2010

Initial investment:

server cost – 3,800

administrator workplace – 2,200

workplace(s) for cash withdrawal – 5,100

cost of ATM(s) with software – 3,400

card replenishment point(s) – 44

cost of cards (cost of one card x number of cards for the project) – 1,200 x 236 = 283,200

project launch cost – 9,700

Total initial investment – 307,444

Current expenses per month:

accrual of interest on average daily balances on card accounts (average daily balances on accounts x percentage accrued on balances on card accounts / 12 x number of cards) – 1,468 x 3/12 x 236 = 1.55

rental of space, equipment – 4,000

utility costs – 6,790

Total current expenses per month – 40,581.55

Bank income per month:

Income from investing average daily balances on card accounts in loans (average daily account balances × × average percentage on active transactions in the market / 12 × number of cards) – 1468 x 2/12 x 236 = 1.03

Income from interest for using overdraft on card accounts – 1,530

Total bank income per month – 5,824,123.03

Current result = Bank income (per month) - Bank current expenses per month = 5,824,123.03 – 40,581.55 = 5,783,541.48

Reimbursement of the cost of equipment and cards (achieving project payback in time) = initial investment / current result = 307,444 / 5,783,541.48 = 0.053

Thus, the current result in 2008 amounted to 5,783,541.48 thousand rubles and the payback of the project in time was 5.3 months. We can say that the salary project is profitable in 2008 and will pay off in 5.3 months.

Methodology for calculating the payback of the salary project for 2009

Initial investment:

server cost – 3,950

administrator workplace – 2,750

workplace(s) for cash withdrawal – 4,900

cost of ATM(s) with software – 4,400

card replenishment point(s) – 48

cost of cards (cost of one card x number of cards for the project) – 1,500 x 236 = 354,000

project launch cost – 8,300

Total initial investment – 378,348

Current expenses per month:

accrual of interest on average daily balances on card accounts (average daily balances on accounts x percentage accrued on balances on card accounts / 12 x number of cards) – 1,311,236.3/12 x 236 = 1.38

rental of space, equipment – 4 00

wages of bank employees servicing the project – 9,000

payroll taxes – 1,350

purchase of cash – 11,950

utility costs – 6,790

cost of project support – 7,490

Total current expenses per month – 40,581.38

Bank income per month:

Commission for cash management services of an enterprise (number of cards × average salary × percentage of cash management services) – 236 x 5,000 x 1.5 = 1,770,000

Commission paid by merchants (number of cards × average cost per card in PTS × percentage of commission charged on PTS) – 236 x 1,320 x 2.1 = 654,192

Commission on the amount of salary received through PVN and ATMs of other banks (number of cards × × average amount of cash withdrawals at PVN and ATMs of other banks × percentage of commission for cash withdrawals at PVN and ATMs of other banks) – 236 x 4,800 x 3 = 3,398 400

Income from investing average daily balances on card accounts in loans (average daily account balances × × average percentage on active transactions on the market / 12 × number of cards) – 1311 x 2/12 x 236 = 0.92

Income from interest for using overdraft on card accounts – 1,640

Bank income per month – 5,824,232.92

Current result = Bank income (per month) - Bank current expenses per month = 5,824,232.92 – 40,581.38 = 5,783,651.54

Reimbursement of the cost of equipment and cards (achieving project payback in time) = initial investment / current result = 378,348 / 5,783,651.54 = 0.065

Thus, the current result in 2009 amounted to 5,783,651.54 thousand rubles and the payback of the project in time was 6.5 months. We can say that the salary project is profitable in 2009 and will pay off in 6.5 months.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that the banking services market is undergoing major changes and in recent years has acquired all the features of a dynamically developing plastic card market.

According to the Central Bank data on transactions with cards issued by Russian banks, at the end of 2010 the number of bank cards in Russia amounted to 125.8 million. At the same time, 4.7 million cards were issued last year, which is 3.3 times less than the year before. In subsequent years, the volume of cards issued was significantly higher: for example, in 2010, banks issued 15.7 million, in 2009 - 20.1 million, in 2008 - 26.6 million cards.

According to the Central Bank, in 2010, banks mainly issued payment (debit) cards as part of salary projects - they account for more than 90% of all bank cards in Russia, while credit cards account for only 8%. A significant portion of the total volume of cards issued in 2009 came from state banks: for example, VTB 24 increased its issuance volume by more than 15% last year, and Sberbank by more than 30% compared to the previous year.

Thus, cards of the Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and Diners Club brands in Europe are issued in 49 countries. At the end of 2010, the total issue of cards from the five largest card brands amounted to 627.4 billion pieces, which is 14% more than in 2009. In total, there are 612 million Visa and MasterCard cards in Europe, or 97.5% of the market.

The total number of Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and Diners Club cards in the world at the end of 2010 reached 3.03 billion, which is 13.6% more than in 2009. At the same time, Visa and MasterCard have a total of 2.88 billion cards, which is 95% (in 2008 – 94.74%).

There are many types of cards available in the market. Issuing banks actively compete with each other, trying to attract more customers. As a result of competition, the cost of the card and the fees charged for using them are reduced. An option is possible when banks distribute their cards as a gift.

Benefits for card holders have become of great importance: discounts when paying for goods and services, tickets at Aeroflot ticket offices, tourist vouchers, etc.

The modern strategy of banks' behavior involves providing incentives and prices that, on the one hand, would not bankrupt the bank, and on the other, would not allow customers to use plastic cards from competing banks. Prices in some cases are set taking into account the “behavior” of the holders. The best customers get the lowest interest rates and the best card types.

The development of the infrastructure of the Russian plastic card market (a network of retail and service points that accept plastic cards for payment, ATMs, payment centers, etc.) lags behind the pace of issuing bank cards. In Russia, trading enterprises do not seek to enter into agreements to accept and service bank cards, since the population does not have them in sufficient quantities, and citizens are not interested in receiving cards, because there is no sufficient receiving network.

A significant part of the emission of plastic cards were “salary” cards, when they are distributed “voluntarily-compulsorily”; the issue of creating an extensive network for servicing cards took second place. By 2001, the situation had changed; banks stopped focusing on extensive growth and now give preference to qualitatively new products and expanding the bank card service network.

As one of the measures that can make cards attractive to the population, the possibility of receiving money through ATMs is being considered. The development of a cash distribution network should increase the number of cardholders, which will also put pressure on the retail network, encouraging it to accept cards.

Due to the peculiarities of the economic situation in the country (inflation, non-payment crisis, economic risks, etc.), banks issue debit cards. Banks seek to insure themselves against possible losses and therefore, when issuing a credit card, they require a security deposit that exceeds the lending limit, which calls into question the essence of the “credit transaction” and allows us to talk about surrogate Russian credit cards or, essentially, payment cards. The more card purchases there are, the faster the credit card market will develop.

Most cards issued in our country are magnetic due to the relatively low cost of their production and maintenance. Accordingly, banks are investing heavily in creating infrastructure to service these cards, which is a major factor hindering the rapid transition to electronic cards. Huge amounts of money are needed to refurbish existing systems. Electronic cards make it possible to protect the payment process from fraud (a problem that is especially relevant for our country) and eliminate the need for on-line authorization (which is often difficult given the poor performance of telecommunication systems in our country).

In the Russian market, the promotion of cards encountered a number of difficulties: low income levels, lack of consumer culture, obstacles at the legislative level, and large shadow cash turnover.

With all the new ideas and technologies, the plastic card market will not develop rapidly in isolation from the general economic situation in the country. Only in a dynamically growing economy is stable demand for the “tools” that are used in it possible. And in this case, new technologies will make it possible to achieve significant progress in the distribution of payment cards and will lead market participants to the expected financial results.

List of sources used

1. Civil Code of the Russian Federation (parts one, two and three)

2. Federal Law “On the Central Bank of the Russian Federation” dated June 27, 2002 (as amended on July 18, 2005)

3. Federal Law “On Banks and Banking Activities” dated July 10, 2002 (as amended on July 27, 2006)

4. Federal Law “On additional measures to strengthen the stability of the banking system” Mikhail Medvedev dated October 28, 2008

5. Regulations of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation “On the procedure for issuing bank cards by credit institutions and making settlements on transactions carried out using them” dated 04/09/1998 23-P (as amended on 11/29/2000 854-U)

6. Regulation 266P “On the issue of bank cards and transactions using them” dated December 24, 2004

7. Letter of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Central Bank of December 30, 2001 “On the strategy of the banking sector of the Russian Federation” // Bulletin of the Bank of Russia - January 18, 2002, No. 5

8. Practical conference “Security of plastic cards. Fraud detection and prevention” June 24-25, 2008, Moscow, Russia

9. III International Practical Conference “Bank Cards – Effective Business”, April 13-15, 2008, Moscow, Russia

10. Banking legislation: textbook. / ed. E. F. Zhukova. – M.: University textbook, 2007

11. Voronin V.P., Fedosova SP. Money, credit, banks: Proc. allowance. - M.: Yurait-Izdat, 2006

12. Vladimirova. M. P. Money, credit, banks: textbook. allowance / M. P. Vladimirova. – 3rd ed., revised. and additional – M.: KNORUS, 2007

13. Golikova Yu.S., Khokhlenkova M.A. Bank of Russia: organization of activities: In 2 volumes - M., 2008

14. Money circulation and banks: Textbook. allowance / Ed. G.N. Beloglazova, G.V. Tolokontseva. - M.: Finance and Statistics, 2007

15. Money, credit, banks: textbook. / ed. G. N. Beloglazova. – M.: Higher Education, 2008

16. Money, credit, banks. Express course: textbook. manual / ed. O. I. Lavrushina. – 3rd ed., revised. and additional – M.: KNORUS, 2009

17. Klimovich, V.P. Finance, money circulation and credit: textbook. / V. P. Klimovich. – 3rd ed., revised. and additional – M.: Publishing House “FORUM”: INFRA-M, 2008

18. Kurenkov Yu., Popov V. Competitiveness of Russia in the global economy. // Economic Issues, 2008. – No. 6

19. Lomakin V.K. World economy: Textbook for universities. – M.: Finance, UNITY, 2008

20. World of cards: informational and analytical magazine, No. 3 2009

21. World of cards: information and analytical magazine, No. 9 2008

22. World of cards: informational and analytical magazine, No. 7 2008

23. World of cards: information and analytical magazine, No. 5 2008

24. World of cards: information and analytical magazine, No. 3 2008

25. International economic relations: Textbook for universities / ed. V.E. Rybalkina. – M.: UNITY-DANA, 2007

26. Organization of the activities of the Central Bank: Textbook. allowance / Ed. G.N. Beloglazova, N.A. Savinskaya. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house of St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Economics, 2007

27. Polyakov V.P., Moskovkina L.A. Structure and functions of central banks: foreign experience. - M.: Infra-M, 2006

28. PLUS: payments, systems, cards // information and analytical magazine, No. 2 (142) March 2009

29. Selishchev, A. S. Money. Credit. Banks / A. S. Selishchev. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2007

30. Semenyuta O.G. Money, credit, banks in the Russian Federation: Textbook. allowance. - M: Kontur, 2008

32. Spiridonov N.A. World Economy: Textbook. – M.: INFRA-M, 2007

33. Usov V.V. Money. Money turnover. Inflation: Textbook. allowance. - M.: Banks and exchanges, UNITY, 2006

34. http://www.bizcom.ru electronic version of the World of Maps magazine

35. http://www.credcard.ru information site about credit cards in Russia

Based on materials from the speech of the representative of Gazprombank OJSC Kuzin M.V. at the practical conference: “Safety of plastic cards. Fraud detection and prevention." June 24-25, 2010, Moscow, Russia.

Marketing company for financial services market research

Ksenia Ivanovna Babina,

associate professor of the department of public law, Saratov socio-economic institute (branch) of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

Nikolai Ivanovich Ilyin,

Doctor of Economics,

professor of the department of justice and law enforcement, Saratov socio-economic institute (branch) of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

Ksenia Ivanovna Babina,

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Law, Saratov Socio-Economic Institute (branch)

REU named after G.V. Plekhanov

^vr [email protected]

Nikolai Ivanovich Ilyin,

Doctor of Economics, Professor of the Department of Justice and Law Enforcement, Saratov Socio-Economic Institute (branch)

REU named after G.V. Plekhanov

ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE RUSSIAN MARKET FOR BANKING PLASTIC CARDS

The development of the banking business is closely related to new technologies and the search for tools that increase the efficiency and attractiveness of banking services. One of these instruments is bank plastic cards. The gradual intensity of regional banking markets has led to fierce interbank competition and the struggle for new market segments that were previously unattractive. These include banking services for individuals. In this case, bank plastic cards showed their undeniable technological advantages in relation to traditional payment instruments, which put them in the spotlight of banks, which began to implement projects to attract funds from the population. One of the main instruments of non-cash payments, the active development of which has been under observation in recent years, is a bank card; its widespread use simultaneously characterizes the degree of unity of the banking system and society, the development of banking operations and payment turnover.

Key words: plastic cards, banking legal relations, types of deposits, banking business, Bank of Russia.

ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE RUSSIAN MARKET OF BANKING PLASTIC CARDS

The article states that at present the development of banking business depends on the introduction of new technologies and tools that increase the efficiency and attractiveness of banking services. One such tool is bankcards. Gradual development of regional markets of banking services in Russia has led to increased competition between banks even in new market segments that have been previously unattractive. These include banking services for natural persons. In this case, bankcards have demonstrated their undisputed technological advantages over traditional methods of payment, which is why now they are the focus of attention for banks that develop ways to attract deposits from the general population. One of the main tools of non-cash payments, which has actively developed in recent years, is a bankcard; its wide use indicates at the same time the state of the banking system and society, the development of banking operations and payment turnover.

Keywords: plastic cards, banking legislation, types of deposits, banking business, Bank of Russia.

Plastic cards are one of the most striking examples of the use of information technology in the banking business. The active development of this business segment proves that it is effective for credit institutions and is also in demand among clients.

The main factors hindering the development of the plastic cards market are:

Low level of income of the population in the country as a whole, low level of legal income of the population;

Differences in technological platforms of Russian payment systems, preventing the creation of a unified complex for servicing cards of these systems;

The low degree of development of the plastic card servicing system in general, as well as the lack of a culture of using plastic cards among the majority of the population;

Tariff policy of payment systems (tariffs of credit institutions for cash collection are lower than the commissions established by payment

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systems for non-cash payments), which leads to a lack of interest (reluctance) of trade and service enterprises in selling goods through payment cards and developing the corresponding infrastructure (proposal: introduce limits on cash turnover at retail outlets at the legislative level);

Insufficient level of financial literacy of the population;

Psychology of clients of credit institutions, which is expressed in their distrust of payment cards;

The population’s habit of cash, risks of card fraud;

Low level of programs to stimulate non-cash spending (discounts when purchasing goods using bank cards, incentives for regular customers, etc.), i.e. a discount percentage will be added to the bank commission for trade and service enterprises, since the discount is provided at the expense of the enterprise that accepts bank cards for payment;

The unwillingness of a number of trade organizations to demonstrate the “transparency” of their trade turnover when carrying out transactions with bank cards and, as a consequence, the reluctance to install the appropriate equipment; in addition, the reluctance to install the equipment is influenced by the need to pay a commission to the bank;

Lack of awareness among enterprises making retail payments about the actual number of cardholders;

Refusals under any pretext (equipment not working, no connection, etc.) of enterprises that installed the appropriate equipment to make non-cash payments to cardholder customers;

Problems of a legislative and regulatory nature (in some countries there are restrictions on cash circulation for trade and service enterprises).

The scale and nature of the use of payment cards are rightfully considered as one of the most important indicators of the level of development of the retail banking business. A plastic card is a reusable payment and credit instrument for durable use, which today has the highest degree of protection against counterfeiting and also contains identification information about the card holder, allowing one to check his solvency.

Let us turn to statistical data on the number of payment cards issued by credit institutions, by card type for the period from 2008 to 2017 (Table 1, Fig. 1).

■payment cards

■payment cards with “overdraft”

credit cards

Total bank cards

gogogogogogogogo

Rice. 1. Dynamics of increase in the number of payment cards issued by credit institutions, by card type, thousand units.

Table 1

Number of payment cards issued by credit institutions,

by card type, thousand units

Total bank cards Including:

payment cards payment cards with overdraft credit cards

as of 01/01/2017 254,762 224,617 34,230 30,144

as of 01/01/2016 243,907 214,443 37,621 29,464

as of 01/01/2015 227,666 195,904 39,726 31,761

as of 01/01/2014 217,463 188,275 39,463 29,189

as of 01/01/2013 191,496 169,013 31,788 22,483

as of 01/01/2012 162,898 147,872 25,833 15,026

as of 01/01/2011 137,834 127,787 22,452 10,047

as of 01/01/2010 123,991 115,390 21,268 8,601

as of 01/01/2009 118,630 109,335 26,826 9,296

as of 01/01/2008 103,041 94,097 - 8,944

Bulletin of SGSEU. 2018. No. 1 (70) -♦

During the period from 01/01/2008 to 01/01/2017, there was an increase in the number of bank cards. As of January 1, 2008, the total number of payment cards issued by credit institutions, by type, amounted to 103,041 thousand units, of which 94,097 thousand units. - these are payment cards. Compared to 2008, the number of bank cards increased by 15%.

As of January 1, 2011, the total number of payment cards increased by 13,843 thousand units. compared to 01/01/2010 and amounted to 127,787 thousand units.

The volume of payment cards at the beginning of 2012 was 147,872 thousand units, in 2013 - 169,013 thousand units, 2014 - 188,275 thousand units, 2017 - 224,617 thousand units.

If we compare the statistics on payment cards with overdraft for the period from 2010 to 2017, we can conclude that the demand for them is also growing. In 2010, their number was 21,268 thousand units, and already in 2017 - 34,230 thousand units. Experts associate the popularity of this banking product with the credit boom. The population needs borrowed funds, and receiving them using a card is both easier and more convenient.

Credit cards are payment cards that allow the client to pay for goods and services using bank funds. In the classical sense, credit cards do not require the client’s own money to be used on them.

It should be noted the structure of payment and credit cards issued by credit institutions. Analysis of statistical data showed that payment cards without an overdraft predominate in percentage terms (87.0%), and payment cards with an overdraft account for 16.3% (Fig. 2).

Despite new technologies, the card infrastructure will grow rapidly only in a dynamically developing economy, where the demand for banking instruments will be stable. And then new ideas and technologies will help market participants achieve the desired financial results, which, in turn, will lead to real progress in the distribution of bank cards.

The bank card segment of the domestic market showed good growth rates from year to year.

Vitya. For example, as of January 1, 2014, a total of 217,463 thousand bank cards were registered on the territory of the Russian Federation, of which: settlement cards - 188,275 thousand units, settlement cards with overdraft - 39,463 thousand units, credit cards - 29,189 thousand units

The total number of payment cards issued by credit institutions as of January 1, 2015 amounted to 227,666 thousand units, i.e. the number increased by 10,203 thousand units, settlement - 195,904 thousand units, settlement with overdraft - 39,726 thousand units, credit - 31,761 thousand units.

Credit cards in 2010 were not in great demand in the banking services market, but every year their number gradually increased: if as of 01/01/2010 their number was 9134 thousand units, then as of 01/01/2015 -31 761 thousand units These changes may be due to rising consumer prices and, as a consequence, household spending.

In 2016, the number of credit cards decreased by 2,297 thousand units compared to 01/01/2015.

From the above data we can conclude that the number of settlement (debit) payment cards in Russia from 2010 to the present day has been rapidly increasing, therefore, settlement (debit) cards are one of the most common payment cards.

The volume of transactions performed using payment cards is growing during the period under review (Table 2, Fig. 3).

In 2010, the volume of transactions performed using payment cards amounted to 12,094.1 billion rubles, in 2011 - 16,058.4 billion rubles. In 2012, compared to 2011, the volume of transactions increased by 1.3 times and amounted to 21,283.8 billion rubles, in 2013 -

25,922.8 billion rubles, in 2014 - 30,278.1 billion rubles.

In 2016, the volume of transactions performed using payment cards amounted to RUB 38,046.3 billion, while the volume of cash withdrawal transactions amounted to

26,891.6 billion rubles, and transactions for payment for goods and services - 11,154.7 billion rubles.

A significant share of all transactions is occupied by cash withdrawal operations.

Rice. 2. Structure of payment and credit cards issued by credit institutions as of July 1, 2015.

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table 2

Volume of transactions carried out in Russia using payment cards of resident and non-resident issuers, billion rubles.

Year Total Including:

transactions for cash withdrawal transactions for payment for goods and services

2010 12 094,1 10 953,1 1 140,95337

2011 16 058,4 14 041,4 2 017,01217

2012 21 283,8 18 017,8 3 265,9961

2013 25 922,8 21 362,7 4 560,1

2014 30 278,1 23 892 6 386,09187

2015 33 222,2 25 136,7 8 085,54735

2016 38 046,3 26 891,6 11 154,69654

Rice. 3. Volume of transactions carried out in Russia using payment cards of resident and non-resident issuers, billion rubles.

In 2010, the share of cash withdrawal transactions in the total volume of transactions was 91%, and the share of transactions to pay for goods was only 9%. In the future, we observe a gradual increase in the share of transactions for payment for goods and services in the entire volume of transactions. And in 2015, the share of cash withdrawal transactions in the entire volume was 76%, and the share of transactions to pay for goods and services was equal to 24%, in 2016 - 71 and 29%, respectively.

The Bank of Russia is currently paying special attention to the issue of financial literacy of the population and plans to organize programs in this area in the near future, in particular in the field of retail payments. Expanded and simple

for understanding, information on how to use a card in a trade and service network, overcoming negative stereotypes that prevent people from paying for goods and services with a card will help change the nature of payment cards.

1. Ishchenko S.V. State legal regulation of the circulation of bank cards in the Russian Federation // Law and Economics. 2010. No. 11. P. 65-67.

2. KiryanovM. Bank card market: problems and prospects // Banking. 2008. No. 11. P. 94-96.

3. Korovyakovsky D.G. Banking services: problems of development of plastic (bank) cards in Russia // Finance and Credit. 2007. No. 47 (287). pp. 24-28.

Summary

In 2016, the downward trend in the credit card market continued. According to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, at the end of 2016, the volume of issued bank cards increased by 4.5%, and the portfolio of credit cards decreased by 4%. In 2016, as in 2015, banks cautiously issued cards to new borrowers and raised rates. In turn, Russians have reduced demand for credit cards and overdraft cards. However, in 2017-2018. a reversal of the trend is possible - under the influence of the activation of a number of large players, the gradual recovery of consumer demand and the general stabilization of the situation. OTP Bank experts came to this conclusion.

In Russia, the volume of non-cash transactions and the demand for bank cards are growing. At the same time, the credit card market has experienced stagnation since 2015. The key factor influencing the contraction of the credit card market is the economic instability that began at the end of 2014. Many banks froze this direction, some became more demanding of potential borrowers. The incomes of the country's residents have decreased, and they use credit cards and other credit products less. According to Rosstat, real incomes of the population in 2016 decreased by 5.9% compared to 2015.

Concentration in the credit card market is growing. At the end of 2015, the TOP 10 players in the market covered 79% of the market, and at the end of 2016, their total share increased to 82%.

The dynamics of the largest credit card portfolios on average follow the general market trend. In 2016, many banks' card portfolios noticeably lost weight.

In 2017, a reversal of the trend is planned - there is a relative stabilization of the economic situation, the retail lending market as a whole is “unfreezing”. In 2016, prices increased by only 5.4%, which is a post-Soviet annual minimum. The slowdown in price growth continues at the beginning of 2017. According to Rosstat, at the end of 2016, the total number of unemployed decreased by 0.5% (a year earlier it increased by 7.4%). The decline in retail trade turnover has slowed down. At the end of last year, the retail lending market grew by 1.7% after a decline of 6.4% in 2015. Experts predict a revival in consumer demand this year. The Ministry of Economic Development is developing a new economic growth program, according to which the Russian Federation's GDP is projected to grow by 2% in 2017.

Banks, which have slightly slowed down their portfolio growth, are starting to become more active, promoting credit cards, and offering new products. According to estimates by the Development Center Institute of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the growth rate of retail lending may exceed 7% in 2017. At the same time, credit cards may become one of the drivers of market growth, and higher growth is expected in this segment (10-15%).

Plastic is in fashion

According to statistics from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, at the end of 2016, the volume of cards issued by Russian banks increased by 4.5%: the number of valid plastic cards issued by Russian credit institutions approached 255 million units (254.8 million cards). For every resident of the country today, there are therefore approximately 1.7 bank cards.

The use of bank cards in the country is growing - Russians are increasingly using them for everyday payments and purchases. The demand for cards as a non-cash payment instrument is evidenced by the high growth rates of non-cash card transactions, which have been maintained for several years. For comparison: in 2009, out of 100 payments made by citizens and legal entities, only 21 were made using bank cards; in 2016, this figure was 71 (increased by 3.4 times). In the total trade volume, the share of payment by cards for goods and services increased from 3.5% in 2009 to 30.5% in 2016.

According to statistics from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, in 2016, in Russia and abroad, Russians carried out 17.9 billion transactions worth 51.2 trillion rubles using cards. This figure increased compared to 2015 by 36.2 and 23.4%, respectively. On average, per year, one resident of the country performed more than 120 operations worth 349.7 thousand rubles, and in 2015 these figures were significantly lower and amounted to 90 operations worth 283.8 thousand rubles.

Credit card market decline

Such a positive trend for non-cash payments in the last two years has not been paralleled in the credit card market. In 2015-2016 There is a trend towards a reduction in the use of credit cards. Thus, until 2014 inclusive, the number of credit cards grew steadily, in 2015 it decreased by 7%, and if we take the total result for credit cards and cards with overdraft, then by 6%.

The key factor influencing the contraction of the credit card market is the economic instability that began at the end of 2014. The incomes of Russians fell, unemployment began to rise, and following this, the ability of borrowers to service loans decreased.

This, in turn, led to an increase in overdue payments, and credit cards (as well as unsecured loans) became one of the first “impact” credit segments in this regard. Banks, in turn, became cautious in issuing new cards, confirming and expanding limits, and rates increased noticeably (see data on the dynamics of credit card rates, Table 2). When renewing credit cards for a new term, banks also increased rates. Some credit institutions even froze this direction.

The next logical trend was that during the indicated period Russians gradually reduced their appetite for borrowed resources, began to postpone purchases and strive to live “within their means.” According to Rosstat, real incomes of the population in 2016 decreased by 5.9% compared to 2015.

Plus, the concentration in the credit card segment is quite high: 2/3 of the market volume falls on the Top 5 players (73% according to Frank RG). A decrease in the activity of even one bank in the market will affect the overall result, and many have chosen a more cautious strategy.

In 2016, the trend of 2015 towards a decrease in the number of credit cards continued: the total number of credit cards and overdraft cards decreased by 4%. True, the number of newly issued credit cards increased by 2% (Table 1).

Table 1. Dynamics of issue of credit cards and cards with overdraft

Source: Central Bank of the Russian Federation, OTP Bank calculations

Diagram 1. Dynamics of issue of credit cards and cards with overdraft

Market development forecast

At the beginning of 2017, the economy experienced relative stabilization.

In 2016, prices increased by only 5.4%, which is a post-Soviet annual minimum. The slowdown in prices continues at the beginning of 2017. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is pursuing a rather strict monetary policy to consolidate the downward trend in inflation for the long term.

According to Rosstat, unemployment continues to remain low (5.3%, or 4.2 million people, in December). At the end of 2016, the total number of unemployed decreased by 0.5% (a year earlier it increased by 7.4%).

In 2016, retail trade turnover continued to decline – by 5.2% to RUB 28.1 trillion. But the decline has slowed, with retail sales down 10% last year compared to 2014. Experts predict a revival in consumer demand this year. It is also expected that the dynamics of real incomes will most likely reverse and enter a growing trend in mid-2017. The industrial production index, which decreased by 3.4% in 2015, grew by 1.1% in 2016.

The Ministry of Economic Development is developing a new economic growth program, according to which the Russian Federation's GDP is projected to grow by 2% in 2017.

In light of positive economic trends in the market, retail lending has also begun to “unfreeze”: activity is increasing in all segments of lending to individuals. Banks are developing co-brand programs with retail chains, developing online services, expanding the functionality of credit cards, and introducing new products to the market.

On the one hand, the Russian banking system has passed the peak of overdue loans, and problem debt is stabilizing. Banks may create fewer loan reserves and generally be more aggressive in their lending policies. According to estimates by the Development Center Institute of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the growth rate of retail lending may exceed 7% in 2017. At the same time, credit cards may become one of the drivers of market growth, and higher growth is expected in this segment (10-15%).

Alexey Shchavelev, director of the cross-selling department of OTP Bank:

“In 2016, OTP Bank was engaged in improving its credit card portfolio in case of new negative cycles in the economy and preparing for the subsequent growth in issuances. Much attention was paid to improving the processes for issuing and approving limits for new clients, as well as finding the optimal set of products and the best tariff composition. The bank's attention was focused on the process of early response to the deterioration of customer payment discipline and a timely response to this by reducing or blocking limits.

Special efforts were devoted to working with current clients: the process of regularly increasing limits for the bank’s best clients was resumed, the process of re-issuing cards with expired validity was changed, processes were developed and implemented to retain departing or stimulate clients who are slowing down their activity. As a result, 2016 became the most effective year in history in terms of income received per card in the working portfolio. In 2017, we have a difficult task: without losing the achieved efficiency, move on to portfolio growth. We want to achieve this, among other things, by expanding credit card sales channels. For example, our POS network is not yet fully involved in the sale of credit cards; not all successful products tested last year have been transferred for sale to the classic branch network. Co-branding cards as a direction only began to develop in our bank last year. For example, we have the Molniya card, a joint product with Svyaznoy. In 2017, it is planned to expand activity in this direction, including the launch of cards with new partners.”

Over the past two years, the credit card market in Russia has been developing at a rapid pace. For example, over 9 months of 2012, the total volume of the card portfolio grew by the same amount as during the entire 2011 (almost 62%). The growth in the number of issued credit cards reflects the successful development of this market segment. Quantitative indicators are presented in table. 1.

Table 1

Number of bank and credit cards issued by credit institutions in Russia in 2012-2013

	Total bank cards, thousand units	Credit cards, thousand units

The number of issued credit cards grew rapidly in 2008-2013, see table. 2.

table 2

Number of credit cards issued by credit institutions in Russia in 2008-2013

The dynamics of the number of issued credit cards for 2008-2013 is shown in Fig. 1.

Rice. 1.

Sberbank confidently maintains leadership in the number of issued credit cards; in 2013, the bank managed to increase its loan portfolio by 69.1%. It also holds first place in terms of market share coverage, about 26% of Russians use credit cards from this particular bank.

Young players in the credit card market - Svyaznoy Bank and TKS Bank - are trying to become leaders, outpacing even such large banks as Russian Standard and OTP Bank in growth rates. VTB 24, although it held third place in the credit rating in 2012, gradually reduced its market share against the background of more active competitors - TKS Bank, Svyaznoy and Vostochny Express. At the end of 2013, VTB 24 took fourth place. The long-time leader in the market of card products, Russian Standard, which in 2008 owned almost 50% of the market, continued to lose its position, in 2013 its share was about 16.3%.

The TOP 5 credit cards ranking by card portfolio volume includes Sberbank, which is ahead of the rest by a wide margin, Russian Standard, TKS Bank, VTB 24, and Alfa Bank. It is characteristic that the credit card market is gradually passing into the hands of several large participants. At the end of 2013, the five largest players owned 61.4% of the total market, and the top ten places in the ranking accounted for almost 80%. The dynamics of credit card portfolios of leading banks and market shares are presented in Appendix 1.

The Russian credit card market grew by 47% in 2013, which is lower than the growth rate of 2012 (82.5%). It is interesting to note that the entire retail lending market grew by only 40% in 2013. That is, we can conclude that credit cards were largely responsible for the growth. The total volume of the credit card portfolio of Russian banks as of January 1, 2014 amounted to 990 billion rubles, an increase over the year amounted to 318.7 billion rubles. The growth dynamics of the credit card market (billion rubles) is shown in Fig. 2.

Rice. 2.

Table 3 shows the 10 largest participants in the credit card market in 2013, their portfolios and market shares as a percentage.

Table 3

10 largest participants in the credit card market in 2013

In the fourth quarter of 2013, market growth slowed to 56 billion rubles, while in the third quarter this figure was 99 billion rubles, in the second quarter - 86 billion rubles, in the first quarter - 75 billion rubles.

The most active banks took advantage of the general decline in growth rates at the end of the year to improve their positions. TKS Bank (3rd place in terms of portfolio volume) overtook VTB 24 Bank with a portfolio volume of 63.3 billion rubles. and increased its market share in the fourth quarter from 7.2% to 7.5%. At the same time, VTB24 (4th place) reduced its market share from 7.2% to 6.4%. Credit card market shares for large participants are shown in Fig. 3.

In 2013, Alfa Bank rose from 7th to 5th place, increasing its share from 4.6% to 5.7%. Bank Svyaznoy dropped from 6th to 8th place, reducing its share from 4.8% to 3.4%. OTP Bank, which overtook Svyaznoy Bank and Orient Express, rose from 8th to 6th place, while reducing its market share from 4.5% to 4%. Sberbank and Russian Standard retained their leadership, increasing their market shares to 25.5% and 16.3% from 22.2% and 15%, respectively.

Rice. 3.

The ten largest banks in the credit card market at the end of 2013 look like this: Sberbank (portfolio 252.4 billion rubles), Russian Standard (161 billion rubles), TKS Bank (74 billion rubles), VTB 24 (63.3 billion . rubles), Alfa Bank (56.4 billion rubles), OTP Bank (39.3 billion rubles), HKF Bank (35.3 billion rubles), Svyaznoy (33.5 billion rubles), Orient Express (32.1 billion rubles), Moskomprivatbank (20.5 billion rubles). SKB Bank left the top 20 in the first quarter of 2013, giving way to Transcreditbank, which entered the top 20 for the first time. Having joined the group of leaders a quarter earlier, MTS Bank continued to grow, rising from 16th to 14th place with a portfolio of 11.9 billion rubles. Bank Trust rose from 15th to 12th place. The remaining banks maintained the positions achieved in the third quarter.

In 2013, against the background of high competition in the credit card market, in order not to lose its position to more active players, it was necessary to show growth significantly above the market. Six banks from the top 10 increased their portfolios by more than 50% - Sberbank, Russian Standard, TKS Bank, Alfa Bank, HCF Bank and Moskomprivatbank. These participants were able to rise in the rankings and increase their market share. Sberbank, which topped the rating at the end of 2011, did not slow down its activity for the next two years. The increase in the loan portfolio to 252.4 billion rubles allowed the bank to occupy 25.5% of the market. At the beginning of the year, this figure was 22.1%; the retail giant increased its share over the course of the year faster than all other market participants.

Some leaders of previous years were able to maintain their positions in the ranking due to the previously gained volume, but reduced their market shares. At the end of last year, VTB 24 increased its portfolio by 30.2% (by 14.7 billion rubles), reducing its market share from 7.2% to 6.4% and moving from 3rd place to 4th. TKS Bank rose to 3rd position in 2013, increasing its portfolio by 54.2% (by 26 billion rubles). TKS Bank's share in the credit card market increased from 7.1% to 7.5%. Orient Express Bank dropped four positions, taking 9th place and reducing its share from 6.7% to 3.2%. The reduction in the portfolio of this bank in 2013 amounted to 28.7% (12.9 billion rubles). Over the year, Svyaznoy Bank dropped from 6th to 8th place (portfolio growth by 3.1% to 33.5 billion rubles). Svyaznoy's market share decreased from 4.8% to 3.4%.

Rice. 4.

Alfa Bank rose from 7th to 5th place in the ranking for its credit card portfolio, managing to increase its market share from 4.6% to 5.7%. The growth of the bank's portfolio in 2013 amounted to 82.6% (25.5 billion rubles). OTP Bank, which gained two positions over the year, was in 6th place (growth by 56.2%), HKF Bank dropped to 9th from 7th (growth by 31.6%). HKF Bank was in 7th place with an increase of 79.5%. A newcomer to the rating, Moskomprivatbank, closes the top ten with a portfolio growth of 95% and a market share of 2.1%. The dynamics of the credit card market in 2013 for the ten leading participants is shown in Fig. 4.

In table Figure 4 presents data on the growth of the credit card portfolio of eight leading banks.

Table 4

Banks leading in credit card portfolio growth in 2013