Internet service provider fined for refusing to accept World cards that do not exist

Strange things are happening in the Russian state. Only in December 2015, individual banks launched a trial emission of the national “World” cards , but as early as May 2015, the Rospotrebnadzor began to fine dealers for refusing to accept such cards.

The newspaper "Vedomosti" found in the file of arbitration cases several trials between the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and the merchants , challenging the fines imposed by the controller for not accepting Mir cards.

Four arbitration cases were found in the file, but only in one case the court upheld the decision on a fine of 30,000 rubles. A fine was imposed on the Internet provider “Nizhny Tagil Computer Networks” (NCC) in May 2015.

As stated in court documents, the provider’s subscribers “are provided with a non-cash form of payment for services using Visa and MasterCard cards from the personal account of the network’s subscriber”, which “ limits the circle of persons for whom non-cash form of payment for services of the provider is available, without providing payment using national payment instruments. ”

In May 2015, the National Payment Card System (NSPK) has not yet issued a single card. Moreover, she has not yet chosen a name for these cards, and only held a competition for a brand.

The NCC provider filed an appeal, but it was rejected.

The remaining three complaints were satisfied by the courts, canceling the fines on the grounds that the “Mir” card does not yet exist. It is a logical decision.

In fact, there may be more fines, Vedomosti notes, because not everyone challenged in court the orders of the inspectors of the Rospotrebnadzor.

The law obliges retail outlets with revenue of 120 million rubles. per year to accept the card "World". If the revenue is lower, but the company accepts other cards, its acquiring bank is obliged to connect it to the “World”. In February 2016, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation explained that banks must ensure acceptance of the “World until July 1, 2016” cards. Independent lawyers explained that “by virtue of the direct indication of the article in the Code of Administrative Offenses from January 1, 2015, the Rospotrebnadzor could have fined for violating the obligation to provide payment by the national payment instrument”.

“The possibility of imposing fines before the release of these cards worried the market, but the NPCS assured bankers that the Federal Service would not penalize retail outlets for the time being,” said one of the informed sources.