Payment system "Mir" is a Russian national payment system designed to ensure the reliability, security, convenience and accessibility of national payment instruments - MIR cards. The operator of the Mir payment system is NSPK JSC (Joint Stock Company National Payment Card System). At the time of the operator’s creation, 100% of its shares belonged to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. And according to Federal Law No. 88-FZ of May 1, 2017, the share of participation of the Bank of Russia in the authorized capital of the NSPK operator can be reduced, but cannot be lower than 50 percent plus one voting share. The share of each of the remaining founders (one person or group of persons) should not be more than 5 percent of the shares of the NSPK operator, which will not allow influencing key decisions on the operation of the system, but will allow attracting investors in the future.

JSC NSPK

The national payment card system of Russia was created on July 23, 2014, and does not depend on foreign companies and investors.
Activities are regulated by Federal Law No. 161 “On the National Payment System”, “Strategy for the Development of the National Payment System” and “Concept for the Creation of a National Payment Card System”.

Payment card "Mir" is a national bank card that was developed and implemented in Russia. The card is modern and easy to use, created on the basis of Russian technologies, and meets all security standards - both Russian and international. Using the Mir payment card, you can perform all the usual banking operations: withdrawing and depositing cash into a card account, paying for purchases and services, including on the Internet, transfers from card to card in Russia.
More complete information about the Mir card can be found in the material: "Mir payment card - logo, payment system operator, card appearance, card information, banks, photos of cards from different banks."

The approved logo of the Mir payment card looks like this:

Payment system MIR

The creation, issuance and organization of acceptance of national payment cards of the Mir system is the most important stage in ensuring the financial sovereignty of Russia, therefore the development and implementation work was carried out at an accelerated pace in order to exclude various interferences in the operation of the Russian banking system from the outside.

For example, during the period when the United States imposed sanctions against Russia, certain international payment systems (Visa and MasterCard) operating in the Russian financial market joined these sanctions, blocking the operation of Rossiya Bank and SMP Bank cards from March 2014, which showed vulnerability of our banking system. Sobinbank (controlled by Rossiya Bank) and Investkapitalbank (controlled by SMP Bank) were indirectly affected by this sanction. All payments from clients of banks subject to sanctions were blocked (even payments within Russia), which instantly created huge problems for the population and banks.

Therefore, the Bank of Russia is carrying out systematic work that will allow Mir cards to take, if necessary, a leading position in the domestic Russian payment services market. The card is planned to be accepted throughout Russia; it will be possible to make usual payment transactions using it (withdraw cash, pay for purchases in retail chains and the Internet, make contactless and mobile payments...). In parallel, work is underway to promote it abroad in order for card holders to make international payments.

An important point in the operation of the payment system is the security of issued cards. To this end, in 2015, NSPK JSC passed the procedure for assessing compliance with the requirements of the international Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard/PCI DSS 3.1 and received a certificate of conformity:

PCI DSS 3.1 Compliance Certificate

It is also important that for the Mir payment card, thanks to the created national operationally independent platform, the processing of domestic Russian transactions is carried out only on the territory of Russia. And earlier, before the creation of the NSPK, information about any transactions of citizens of the Russian Federation using MPS cards was sent for processing to processing centers located abroad, which is not safe today.

NSPK JSC developed a sketch of the appearance and decided on the “conditional” design of the “World” map, which looks like this:

MIR card from NSPK

The appearance of Mir cards, issued in Russia, meets international standards, but each bank can develop its own card design or use the one proposed by the National Payment Card System. The design of the "Mir" cards of individual banks can be found in the material - "Payment card "Mir" - on the development of infrastructure for their service"

The number of the "World" card begins with the number 2, which indicates that the card belongs specifically to the Russian national payment system "Mir".

Bank card of the MIR payment system accepted for service only on the territory of the Russian Federation. But you can also pay with the Mir card abroad, which is implemented through co-badging projects, that is:

• through the issuance of cards jointly with international payment systems;
• through mutual acceptance of cards from the national payment systems of the two countries.

The work of promoting the Russian Mir card on the international market is not an easy task, but the Bank of Russia and NSPK JSC are making considerable efforts to solve this problem.

World debit cards allow you to carry out the following operations:

• receive wages, benefits and other payments to the card account;
• pay for goods and services at retail outlets with the Mir logo;
• pay for goods in online stores;
• withdraw cash from ATMs and cash points where the Mir logo is indicated;
• make money transfers to cards of the Mir, Visa, MasterCard payment systems;
• pay for utilities and other services;
• repay loans at ATMs and online banking.

About the release of the first Mir bank cards

In December 2015, the Bank of Russia and the National Payment Card System (NSCP) announced the start of issuing Mir bank cards of the Russian Mir payment system in the first seven Russian banks. The list of banks that were the first to issue Mir cards included:

• Gazprombank,
• MDM Bank,
• Moscow Industrial Bank,
• Svyaz-bank,
• RNKB (Crimea),
• Bank "Russia"
• SMP Bank.

For example, Svyaz-Bank (Vnesheconombank group) began issuing 3 types of MIR cards, the annual service fee for which is as follows:

• Debit cards "MIR" - 90 rub.
• Classic MIR debit cards - 450 rubles.
• Premium debit cards "MIR" - 2,000 rubles.

The appearance of the World cards of Svyaz Bank was designed as follows:

MIR cards from SvyazBank

And in 2016, the largest banks in Russia began issuing cards of the national payment system “Mir”, such as:

• Sberbank of Russia (since November 3, 2016),
• VTB24 (since October 24, 2016),
• Promsvyazbank (since October 18, 2016),
• Rosselkhozbank (since October 11, 2016)
• Bank "St. Petersburg" (from September 20, 2016), etc.

For example, the largest bank in Russia, Sberbank, announced back in 2015 its intention to join the rules of the Mir payment system (PS Mir) and take part in the issuance and acquiring of Mir bank cards in 2016. The bank kept its promise. Today Sberbank offers its clients three types of Mir debit cards:

• Classic MIR card - “MIR Classic” for budget enrollments.
• Pension card MIR - debit card for receiving a pension.
• Gold Card Mir - for budget enrollments, emphasizing the status of the holder.

Sberbank provides clients with the opportunity to obtain a “MIR” salary card for all salary projects.

By the end of 2016, Sberbank provided the ability to accept cards of the national payment system "MIR" in more than 82 thousand of its self-service devices (100%) and in 500 thousand of its trading POS terminals throughout the country (almost 60% of Sberbank POS terminals). In November 2016, 8,500 stores of the X5 Retail Group retail chains (Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, Karusel) began accepting Sberbank Mir cards, covering 56 regions of Russia at once.

In 2017, Sberbank ensured the acceptance of MIR cards in all Sberbank POS terminals, which allows you to pay by card at most retail outlets throughout Russia. In 2018, Sberbank is already offering its clients three types of Mir cards. The design of the MIR cards is made in the usual standard style for Sberbank and looks like this:

Pension card MIR of Sberbank

Classic MIR card of Sberbank

Sberbank MIR gold card

But GENBANK JSC, which is actively developing its presence in the banking market of the Republic of Crimea, began issuing Mir cards in the first quarter of 2016. The bank decided on the design of the “Peace” cards a long time ago, making it in a patriotic style - it is “a Globe, reflecting the scale of the future development of the general national payment system of Russia and white doves, which are a symbol of peace.” Today the bank issues 3 types of Mir cards:

• Debit.
• Classic.
• Premium.

The bank's card design was posted on the website in advance and looks like this:

WORLD from GENBANK

All 3 cards of GENBANK JSC have the same design, but the color scheme is different.

International integration of the national payment card "Mir"

If today NSPK JSC is faced with the task of maximizing the distribution of the Mir bank card throughout Russia, then the task for the near future includes entering the international arena. The Mir payment system will be able to go abroad through co-badging programs with international payment systems.

In June 2015, an agreement was already concluded to issue co-badging cards under the Mir and Maestro brands, and in July 2015, an agreement of intent was signed to issue co-badging cards with the international payment systems JCB and American Express (under the Mir-Maestro brands , Mir-JCB and Mir-AmEx).

In addition, the promotion of Russian national cards abroad begins primarily with cooperation with the national payment systems of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, namely:

• "BELKART" - Belarus
• Armenian Card (ArCa) - Armenia.

Thus, an agreement on cooperation between the national payment systems of Russia and Armenia was signed in June 2016, and in August 2017, a pilot project on the integration of national payment systems was already completed.
In July 2017, the first transactions using Mir cards were successfully completed in the infrastructure of the ArCa payment system. The settlement bank of the national payment system "Mir" when conducting transactions between two payment systems is VTB Bank. All payments are made in the national currencies of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia.
The first participants in the project, which involves mutual acceptance of cards from the national payment systems of Russia and Armenia in the payment infrastructures of the two countries: Mir cards in Armenia and ArCa cards in Russia, were the following Russian banks:

• Alfa Bank,
• Center-invest,
• Uraltransbank.

Transfer of state employees and pensioners to Mir bank cards

If we analyze the NSPK statistics for participants in the Mir payment system, the conclusion suggests itself that the majority of Russian banks are not interested in the implementation and development of the national payment system, since they do not want to burden themselves with unnecessary hassle and obligations, and therefore are in no hurry. The slow and limited adoption of card types can be called hidden resistance. There is another reason - close ties with international payment systems (Visa, MasterCard...), which provide the possibility of payments abroad.

A classic example is Sberbank. For example, as of March 2018, Sberbank of Russia offers its clients 15 types of debit cards, of which only 3 types are offered by the Russian payment system Mir, which is only 1.3%. The fact that Sberbank gives preference to payment cards
Visa system can be seen from the table:

№№	Types of Sberbank cards	Map international payment Visa systems	Map international payment MasterCard systems	Map international payment Maestro systems	Cards Russian payment MIR systems
1.	Classic card with individual design	Yes	No	No	No
2.	Youth card with individual design	Yes	Yes	No	No
3.	Classic card	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
4.	Pension card	No	No	No	Yes
5.	Classic Aeroflot card	Yes	No	No	No
6.	Aeroflot gold card	Yes	No	No	No
7.	Aeroflot premium card	Yes	No	No	No
8.	Youth card	Yes	Yes	No	No
9.	Gold card	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
10.	Classic card "Give life"	Yes	No	No	No
11.	Gold card "Give life"	Yes	No	No	No
12.	Platinum card "Give Life"	Yes	No	No	No
13.	Instant card	Yes	Yes	No	No
14.	Pension card "Active age" (production discontinued)	No	Yes	Yes	No
15.	Platinum card with big bonuses	Yes	No	No	No
	Total:	13	6	1	3

I would like to understand what prevents Sberbank from offering its clients, for example, youth, instant or, say, MIR cards with an individual design!? If the largest bank in Russia continues this strategy, then what can we expect from other banks! After all, not the entire population of Russia visits “abroad” or makes card payments abroad, so why not increase the variety of types of cards in the Mir system. After all, this is connected with the financial sovereignty of Russia.

The situation with the implementation of the Mir payment system is quite possibly influenced by the international payment systems Visa and MasterCard, which are resisting the loss of influence on the Russian market and its further reduction. Recently, these systems have become very active in introducing various benefits and conducting various promotions to stimulate customer acquisition.

Deadlines for transferring state employees and pensioners to Mir payment cards

In order to improve the strategic security of the country's financial and credit system and its protection from external influences, the Bank of Russia made additions to the Federal Law "On the National Payment System". The President of Russia signed the Federal Law of May 1, 2017 No. 88-FZ “On Amendments to Article 16-1 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” and the Federal Law “On the National Payment System”.

The law provides for a phased transfer of state employees and pensioners to Mir payment cards, namely:

• Until July 1, 2017, banks are required to ensure the acceptance of national payment cards "Mir" in all of their devices intended for making payments using payment cards, including ATMs.
• From July 1, 2017, when public sector employees, including pensioners, apply to open a new account that involves the use of payment cards to receive cash payments, banks will be required to issue a “Mir” card.
• Until July 1, 2018, public sector employees who are served by the Ministry of Railways must be transferred to the Mir card.
• After the expiration of the MPS cards previously issued to pensioners, but no later than July 1, 2020, pensioners should be issued Mir cards (instead of cards that are not national payment instruments, which they use at the time of the introduction of Law No. 88-FZ.)

Participants of the Mir payment system - year 2018

The number of banks joining the Rules of the Mir payment system will constantly increase. Thus, as of March 20, 2018, 370 banks out of 551 (data as of March 1, 2018) operating in Russia became participants in the Mir Payment System, which is 67.15%.

As of March 20, 2018, 366 banks began opening the acquiring network, which is 99.8% of the participating banks and 66.42% of the total number of operating banks.

But the number of banks that, as of March 20, 2018, are already issuing Mir cards (have become issuers) is much more modest and so far amounts to only 147 banks, and this is only 39.7% of the participants and 26.4% of the total number of banks in Russia as of 03/01/18. So, it is still very, very far from 100% operation of the payment system and the significant issuance of Mir cards by all Russian banks. At the beginning of 2018, data on the number of credit institutions issuing and/or acquiring payment cards in Russia looks like this:

No matter how many banks in Russia become participants in the Mir PS and begin to open the acquiring network, until the banks participating in the system begin issuing cards, i.e. will not become card issuers - there will be no significant progress in the work of the national Mir system.

It is already extremely difficult to win the Russian market from international payment systems, and then there is also the “slowness” of banks. True, during 2016 - 2017, the three largest banks in Russia, which have the most extensive and largest branch network, began issuing Mir cards - Sberbank of Russia, VTB24 and Rosselkhozbank.

The Central Bank noted that the mass issue of Mir cards will begin only when the largest banks in the top 10, constituting 85% of the infrastructure, begin issuing Mir cards. The largest banks in Russia planned to begin issuing Mir cards starting in the 3rd quarter of 2016. By the end of 2017, large banks began issuing Mir payment cards.

The first virtual card of the Mir PS has already appeared in Russia, which Bank RUSSIA began issuing on November 21, 2016. It should be noted that Bank RUSSIA, which fell under Western sanctions, is at the forefront of the development and launch of banking products created on the basis of Mir payment cards.

Active work is underway to connect store terminals to service Mir cards. Thus, you can already pay with the Mir card in many large retail chains throughout the country:

№№	List of retail chains working with Mir cards
1.	"METRO Cash & Carry",
2.	IKEA,
3.	Hypermarkets "AUCHAN",
4.	Hypermarkets "Globus",
5.	Supermarkets "Azbuka Vkusa"
6.	Supermarkets "Billa",
7.	Supermarkets "Victoria",
8.	Chain of stores "Sportmaster"
9.	McDonald's fast food chain (all over Russia),
10.	Chain of fast food restaurants "Teremok" (in Moscow and the Moscow region),
11.	Cafe "Jean Jacques" and "De Marco"
12.	Cinema chain "KARO" and "Formula Kino",
13.	In many ABC of Taste supermarkets,
14	Chain of salons "Wild Orchid"
15.	Network of Tele2 salons (in Moscow and the region),
16.	Stores Yves Rocher, L'Etoile, Ile de Beaute and others.

It must be said that the work of banks on the implementation of NPS "Mir" is happening slowly: some have already begun full-scale issuance and servicing of cards, others are conducting preparatory work for its launch or are just running a pilot project for issuing cards, others are just preparing for this process . In addition, individual banks do not bother themselves with the variety of cards they offer.

The history of the creation of the national map of Russia

The creation of a national map of Russia with its own logo is due to the fact that the time has come for this, and there is a real need to protect the operation of the Russian banking system from various outside interventions.

In 2014, a decision was made at the state level to create a National Payment Card System. On July 23, 2014, NSPK JSC was created, and in the fall of the same year, several banks were selected to participate in a pilot project for testing a technological platform for processing banking transactions.

The first cards were planned to be released in December 2015, for which purpose, from April 8, 2015 to May 28, 2015, a nationwide competition was held for the best name and logo of the first Russian payment card, which was organized by JSC National Payment Card System.

The winner of the competition was Elena Sosnovskaya, a resident of Udmurtia, who proposed calling the map “World” with the following logo:

WORLD card logo

To get more complete information about "Mir" cards, you should also read the material - Payment card "Mir": complete information about the card.

For information: All data given in the material is taken from the websites of the Bank of Russia, PSPK and banks.

Hello dear readers. The topic of today's article is the Mir bank card.
You all remember that some time ago Western countries imposed sectoral sanctions on many Russian banks. It is for this reason that the government of the Russian Federation made a timely decision to form the National Payment Card System and issue bank plastic cards under the NSPK.

National Plastic Card System (NSCP)

Banks with the best credit cards in 2017

NSPK system

The NSPK system has been implemented since the beginning of 2014, and today the operational and payment clearing center for processing bank card transactions has concluded agreements with payment systems of other countries for the transfer of domestic Russian transactions to the national processing center.

Transferred to NSPK:

• June 19, 2015 from MasterCard using Maestro cards;
• July 7, 2015 with Japanese JCB system.
• In July 2015 with the American system American Express.

World map release

Since December 2015, most Russian banks have been involved in issuing the world card. Among them are:

• Gazprombank;
• SMP Bank;
• MDM Bank;
• Communication Bank;
• Sberbank;
• Bank Russia.

What does a world map from Sberbank look like?

As of May 2017, there are more than 300 issuing banks.
Sberbank of Russia joined the issue of Mir payment cards in the second half of 2016.
Currently, the range of available services on the Mir card, issued by Sberbank of Russia, is presented quite widely. We will look at this list in detail below.
The world map is presented on the Russian banking market in several versions.

Debit card

Debit card world: review

Since the national payment system began operating not so long ago, the list of banks issuing the Mir card is constantly expanding. Before ordering, an ordinary client needs to familiarize himself with the list of banks that are represented in his region. This is not entirely convenient. It is much easier and more reliable to use the service of issuing a plastic bank card from a time-tested bank. In this case, we are talking about Sberbank.

Please note: the Sberbank World Card is most actively distributed in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Well, a list of Sberbank branches in your region or city can be found at this link.

Credit

Credit Card World: Review

With the development of the banking sector, it will be possible to get a Mir bank card in the form of a credit card.
As you already understand, in terms of functionality, the Mir bank card is practically no different from a regular credit card. And therefore, all the documentation that the bank presents to the borrower will be similar:

• The client needs to confirm his official income.
• Provide identification.
• Certificate 2-NDFL.

Note, If you receive a Mir credit payment card from Sberbank, but are not participants in the salary program, that is, you do not receive wages into an account with this bank, then you will need to provide additional documentation.

How to get a world map

To obtain a world card, Sberbank offers several available methods.

Getting a world map online

The easiest way is to obtain a world debit card online on the Sberbank website. By following this link, you can fill out an application.
You will need to provide your full name, contact and passport details. After filling out the application, a manager will contact you shortly and explain further actions. Usually, the world card is received at the nearest bank branch at the client’s place of residence.

Please note: when applying online, you will not need to visit a Sberbank branch again. You will only come to receive a card. It is possible to deliver a bank card by courier service to the client’s home.

At the bank office

In order to order the issuance of a world bank card directly when visiting an office, you need to meet the standard requirements for bank card users who Sberbank presents for its clients:

• You must be 14 years old at the time of receipt.
• You must have permanent or temporary residence permit/registration on the territory of the Russian Federation.
• When visiting a bank office, you will need to present a document confirming your identity, fill out a form,

Additional requirements and tariffs can be found here.

How to top up or withdraw cash from a world card

The world bank card issued by Sberbank is serviced in all self-service devices and ATMs of this bank. A list of ATMs and payment terminals can be obtained from this link.

Replenishment of the card is carried out in various ways, which are also available for cards of other payment systems:

• You can deposit cash at any payment terminal or ATM if it has cash acceptance functionality.
• You can transfer money by bank transfer from any third-party bank account.

Typically, to make a payment, you must enter in the payment purpose such data as the client's full name, card number and account number for crediting funds.

• Replenishment is also available from any Sberbank debit card, namely using the “ ”, “ ” service, as well as any payment terminal or ATM.

Terms for crediting funds to the world card

Typically, funds on your card when topped up using any of the above methods will arrive no later than the next business day from the moment they are credited to your bank account.

• Another way to top up your Mir debit card- visit the Sberbank office and contact the manager.

To do this, you tell the bank employee your card number and show your passport. You can also provide the card account number and details of the bank that issued this card.

Opportunities and conditions for a world bank card

You can get all the information you are interested in about transactions carried out using your card:

• Calling the Sberbank contact center
• Receive a cash flow report to your e-mail.
• Connect SMS notifications in the Mobile Banking service from Sberbank.
• Use the Sberbank Online service to generate a statement for any period you are interested in.

You all know that servicing debit and credit bank cards is quite expensive. As for the Mir bank card, Sberbank offers the following service conditions:

The payment function is available in various online stores throughout the Russian Federation. The service is provided without 3D secure technologies/

It is possible to connect Mobile Banking and Sberbank Online.

Full functionality when servicing the world card at any ATM or payment terminal of Sberbank.

Possibility to activate the Piggy Bank service.

You can find out about other features and capabilities of the world card, which state employees and when they are transferred to using this card

from this video:

Advantages and disadvantages of a bank card world

Like most other services and banking products, the Mir card and the national payment system have their advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• Quite low price for service. For example, the cost of servicing VISA or MASTERCard is higher. And sometimes it reaches up to 500 rubles per year, depending on the bank.
• Widely used everywhere: you can make payments via the Internet.
• Reliability of the card: Since this bank card was issued in Russia, the possibility of it being blocked by foreign payment systems is minimized.
• Interest-free transactions at terminals and ATMs of the issuing bank.

Minuses:

Currently, the World map is not widely distributed. Although more and more banks are connecting to the national payment system, only 3.5 million bank card data have been issued. But the situation may change significantly in the near future, because Sberbank alone plans to produce about 20 million units by 2020.

This concludes our review of the Mir bank card, issued by Sberbank and other financial organizations. If you have any questions or want to write a review, leave them in the comments. We will supplement this article with the most detailed of them.

Mir is a new Russian national payment system developed in 2015 to ensure safe, uninterrupted and comfortable transfer of money from one person to another.

The operator of the system is the National Payment Card System (abbr. NSPK), owned by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. The development of the card began after the introduction of sanctions by the European Union and the United States, blocking the international transfer of funds through VISA.

In this article we will look at how you can switch to the Mir system and briefly talk about its advantages, features and disadvantages.

According to the principle of operation, the Mir card is no different from its VISA and Master Card counterparts. Available to the card holder opportunities such as depositing and transferring funds from account to account, as well as paying for purchases in regular and online stores.

Cards of the Mir payment system are divided into debit and classic, with support for the function (funds can be debited from the account even if the client does not have the required amount).

How to get a Mir card?

In their production, chips of domestic (Angstrem and Mikron companies) and foreign production are used. The card developers took care of the safety of their clients by including unique design elements in the design, including:

• Visible only under UV lighting, the symbol of the Russian currency ₽;
• The microcircuit (chip) is made in gold or silver colors depending on the type of card;
• The signature “World” hologram effect with an image that changes depending on the viewing angle.

In April last year, it was announced the development of cards that support the principle of contactless payment - this means that owners of Mir cards, when making not very expensive purchases, will not have to enter a password at the cash terminal - just simply bring it to a special device.

Advantages and disadvantages of the national payment system

The Mir payment system appeared relatively recently and has not yet had time to acquire any features that distinguish it favorably from its competitors, but now we can highlight the advantages of its use for the Russian user. Among them:

• Constant access to your money. Regardless of the foreign policy situation, you will always have the opportunity to pay using the Mir system.
• A well-thought-out copy protection technique, using Russian-made chips with an enhanced security system.
• The Mir bank card will work both in Russia and abroad under agreements concluded with such payment systems as Maestro, JCB and American Express. To do this, you will need to obtain a co-badging card (jointly developed by two companies) at the branches of Gazprom Bank and MTS Bank.
• Cash withdrawals up to 250 thousand rubles per month without commission.

Disadvantages of the Mir payment system. Since, as stated above, the “Mir” project is still very young and “raw”, it has shortcomings. The main disadvantages include:

• No cashback

For the uninitiated, I’ll explain: cashback is one of the types of bonus programs in which part of the funds after an online or non-cash purchase is returned to the client’s account (interest is charged on the balance).

In the banking industry, cash back is used to encourage the use of plastic cards among customers. The lack of support for it in the payment system can scare away avid visitors to online stores.

However, on December 21, 2016, the Mir payment system announced the launch of a pilot loyalty program, offering a refund of up to 15% of the purchase price. Only four Russian banks are participating in the program, but this circle will soon expand.

• The cost of issuing cards is still high.

Accordingly, the cost of their maintenance is high. For example, Sberbank, which began issuing cards in the Mir system at the end of 2016, sets prices for its annual maintenance commensurate with the prices for Visa and MasterCard cards.

This video will tell you what the World card is:

Which in itself is strange, because a Russian card should provide benefits and discounts for Russian citizens. These and other disadvantages, as well as the lack of a proper advertising campaign, lead to the fact that interest in the Mir bank card is still quite low.

How to quickly get a credit card from MTS Bank, read

However, the system is developing rapidly, adding new functions, and there is reason to believe that soon we will see a competitive product made in Russia.

Which stores accept payment with Mir cards?

Despite the “young” age, the Mir bank card acceptance network is already quite wide. The largest Russian and foreign store chains, such as Auchan or Ikea, participate in the program.

Recently they were joined by the American fast food chain McDonald's, the Russian national restaurant Teremok, Karo movie theaters, the Sportmaster sporting goods chain and many others.

If we talk about network marketing, the Avito Internet platform recently announced its participation in the program, and is preparing to connect to the network of the Chinese giant Aliexpress.

What can you pay with a Mir card? Photo: kvartiri-feodosii.ru

Thus, gradually the bank card in the Mir system is turning from an unnecessary “trinket” into a real competitor to Visa and Maestro.

How and where to get a card in the Mir payment system

In order to start using the national payment system “Mir”, you need to contact one of the banks where this program is implemented. At the moment (April 2017) such cards are issued by about 50 banks, among them:

• Sberbank joined the program in October 2016.
• Gazprombank began issuing Mir cards in early summer 2016.
• Bank St. Petersburg began issuing Mir bank cards a year ago - in April 2016.
• , for employees of budgetary organizations and new recruits, the bank launched support for Mir cards in October last year. VTB does not yet offer it on its website.
• The company has been implementing Internet acquiring (online payments) since the beginning of March of this year. On April 13, 2017, information appeared about the release of plastic carriers.
• Promsvyazbank has also been issuing Mir bank cards since October last year. There is no way to order it on the website yet, but for now you can read the terms of service.
• MTS Bank, order an MTS Bank card in the national payment system "Mir" online.
• Raiffeisenbank, the company began issuing Mir cards in April 2016. More information on the bank’s official website.
• Citibank, while about 100 banks accept plastic cards.

Banks offer credit cards not only to wealthy people, but also to non-working pensioners, details

Step-by-step instructions for registration

A complete list of banks participating in the Mir payment system can be found on the NSPK website. Step-by-step instructions for those wishing to use the Mir system:

• Find on the Internet and contact one of the banks that work with the Mir payment system;
• Conclude an agreement to use the card. Different banks have different programs and types of cards, study all the conditions before signing;
• Next, your personal account will be opened in the payment system. I think there is no need to remind you that you should not share your personal data;
• Receive your card after 2 weeks at the bank office where the agreement was concluded.

Important! When drawing up an agreement with a bank, you must have a passport and another document confirming your identity.

Some banks offer the opportunity to fill out an application online directly on their website, for example, Svyaz-Bank. Also, do not forget to read the card holder instructions compiled by Sberbank.

Is the Mir system needed in Russia? You will find the answer in this video:

If you get a job in a budgetary institution, then most likely you will have the opportunity to use the card in the Mir system - recently the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets announced that all public sector employees will be transferred to the national salary card from the beginning of 2018.

In addition to them, all conscripts will use the “Peace” card, starting in the fall of 2016.

MIR bank cards of the Russian payment system NSPK are becoming more and more popular every day among citizens of our country. This is facilitated by both the expansion of points of acceptance of new cards and the increase in the number of issuing banks. And, willy-nilly, you also think about opening a Russian card for yourself. But the question arises: where can I get a MIR card with a “cheap” or free service tariff? In this review, I will tell you which banks can issue Mir bank cards for free, i.e. without service fees. The list will be updated as new free or “cheap” tariffs appear from banks.

I’ll say right away that today there are not many banks issuing cards of the Russian payment system NPSK without a fee for servicing the card. Below is a current list of banks in 2018 that provide the use of the card on very favorable terms.

Premium card MIR Premium from Tinkoff Bank

MIR Premium from Tinkoff Bank - free additional debit cards for the whole family

In July 2017, Tinkoff Bank began issuing debit cards of the Mir payment system. It is noteworthy that, unlike others, the bank does not issue low-category MIR cards, but only PREMIUM category cards. This allows you to emphasize your status and receive additional bonuses, discounts and privileges in the future.

The MIR card from Tinkoff is issued as an additional card. When you apply for a card Tinkoff Black A VISA or MasterCard card is issued by default, but having received this card by courier, you can order a reissue of the card to a card of the Russian payment system through the Internet bank or through a chat with a bank specialist, or simply issue an additional MIR card. For payments within Russia you will have a card of the domestic payment system, and for trips abroad you can use MasterCard. They have one account. It is noteworthy that you can issue up to 5 additional cards for free!

Please note that the issue and maintenance of cards for pensioners and minors under 18 years of age is absolutely free.

MDM Bank - MIR debit card without annual maintenance

MDM Bank became one of the first banks to begin issuing Mir cards with a free tariff for card servicing.

Anyone over 18 years of age can receive the card. To do this, you need to contact one of the MDM Bank branches with a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and leave an application for issuing a card.

RNKB - Credit and debit cards MIR

The Russian National Commercial Bank (RNCB), which primarily operates in Crimea, issues as credit and debit cards "Mir" without fees for issuing and servicing the card.

To obtain a MIR bank card in Crimea, you need to go to a bank branch with a passport. By the way, in addition to Crimea, there is also one branch in Moscow.

MTS Bank - Co-badged MIR-Maestro card without service fee

At MTS Bank, salary clients can receive a free MIR-Maestro debit card.

The peculiarity of this card is that it 2 payment systems: PS "Mir" for payment at retail outlets where this payment system is accepted, and Maestro for payment, for example, abroad. Quite convenient!

To receive a free MIR-Maestro card, you must select it when applying for a salary card. It is also possible to reissue your current salary card at MTS Bank to a card of the MIR payment system.

Center-Invest - Credit and debit cards MIR

At Center-Invest Bank you can issue Mir payment cards without a service fee. Plastic card can be obtained at the “People’s Card” and “Universal Card” tariffs.

The card can be obtained at bank branches located in the Moscow, Rostov, Volgograd regions, as well as in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories.

Sberbank - Free MIR card for pensioners and salary earners

In Sberbank since 2016 you can also issue a debit card
card of the Mir payment system. However, at the moment, Sberbank has established some of the most unfavorable tariffs for cards of the Russian payment system for ordinary individuals. The cost of service there for an ordinary person who does not receive a salary or pension from Sberbank is 750 rubles per year. Do you agree that this is a lot?

However, pensioners and salary clients can get a Mir card from Sberbank for free. For these categories of people the card will be without annual maintenance!

The imposition of Western sanctions became the starting point in the development of the national payment system MIR. Now it already includes about two hundred Russian banks. Its main advantage is its independence from the situation in the international arena.

In 2014, the Government of the Russian Federation decided to create a Russian payment system that would not depend on Western ones - VISA and MasterCard. This happened after domestic enterprises and banks. There was a moment when the funds of our citizens were frozen. Discussions about introducing our own infrastructure have been going on for a long time, and the current situation has only spurred its development. 2015 was marked by the creation of the national payment system MIR.

Payment system MIR - what is it?

MIR is a brand. Its conductor is the National Payment Card System (NSCP). This is a completely Russian company. 100% of shares belong to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

The mission is to ensure uninterrupted and safe operation in the domestic Russian space. Creation and promotion of a domestic map. Convenience, benefit and accessibility at all levels.

The NSPK has 2 main tasks - ensuring the uninterrupted operation of international organizations related to the circulation of cards and the development of the national one. Since October 1, 2015, all card transactions in the Russian Federation are carried out at the NSPK processing center. Since December 2015, Russian banks began to issue cards with the MIR logo.

First, it was decided to create an infrastructure based on what was already available in Russia - and the “Golden Crown”. But after considering their functionality, NSPK decided to create a new program that would take into account their shortcomings and also remove unnecessary functionality.

It will take 3 years for full implementation in the Russian banking sector. Considering the pace of development, the launch is a little slow. If in large cities there are no problems with registration and service, then “on the periphery” there may still be gaps.

Which banks are included in the MIR payment system?

Now about 200 banks have joined the infrastructure. More than 50 of them issue NSPK cards under their logo. More than 100 have established an acquiring network in hundreds of retail outlets and service points throughout Russia.

Large banks that work with the MIR card (information according to NSPK data as of 02/06/2017).

Fully working	Partially	Getting ready to launch
Sberbank	Alfa Bank	RNKO "Payment Center"
SMP-bank	Promsvyazbank	Garant-Invest
RNKB	Rosevrobank	Bank Pervomaisky
AB Russia	MTS-Bank	United Reserve Bank
MDM Bank	Credit Bank of Moscow	Eurofinance Mosnarbank
Svyaz-Bank	Russian standard	Bank Trust
Zapsibcombank	Credit Europe Bank	Qiwi Bank
Gazprombank	Tatfondbank	Uniastrum Bank
Bank Avangard	Bank "Ugra	BIN Bank
VTB 24	Bank Union	Unistream Bank
Moscow Industrial Bank	Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development	Bank Avers
Uralsib	Russian capital	Bank BKF
Bank opening	SKB Bank	GAZBank
Bank Levoberezhny	Home Credit	Loko-Bank
Raiffeisenbank	Tinkoff Bank	Novikom Bank
Uraltransbank	Bank Transcapital	Globex Bank
SarovBusinessBank	Bank Vostochny	Energobank
Bank Zenith	Post Bank	Absolut Bank
Asia-Pacific Bank	City Bank	Bank PSKB

Logo

The logo represents the word of the same name. In which the globe is graphically encrypted in the form of a green inscription and the wing of a dove is blue.

If you remember what holographic logos of international payment infrastructures are, you might think that the creators of the logo wanted to make fun of them. VISA has a hologram depicting a flying dove, and MasterCard has two earthly hemispheres. If the designers joked, they did it very delicately.

Bottom line

The national payment system MIR is gaining momentum. Now it has both minuses and pluses. The main advantage is independence from the West and its decisions. This means that Russians do not have to worry about access to their funds. The portal “I am a capitalist” will tell you more about this in another article.