INTERVIEW: NPCS may reach target of 20 mln Mir cards in 2017

MOSCOW, Sep 27 (PRIME) -- Russia’s National Payment Card System (NPCS) has almost fulfilled a plan to issue 20 million payment cards under the Mir brand in 2017, Managing Board Member Sergei Radchenkov said in an interview with PRIME on Wednesday.

“A total of 19 million cards have been issued so far. Actually, Mir has almost fulfilled this year’s plan,” he said.

Radchenkov added that the issue size grows every month with 2.9 million cards issued in July and 4.5 million in August.

“Within a year and a half we have managed to do what other payment systems did for years. Last year we expanded the acceptance infrastructure, and now it is possible to pay with a Mir card wherever you go and withdraw cash in ATMs nationwide,” the executive said.

“This year our main goal -- which has almost been successfully reached -- is to issue cards. Banks issue them actively in different product segments and we are very happy with it.”

Vladimir Komlev, NPCS CEO said in June that 65–70 million Russians may get Mir cards until the end of 2020.

The NPCS was created in 2014 after Russian banks encountered problems with international payment systems Visa and MasterCard due to the Western sanctions. Mir cards will be acquired outside Russia through co-badging deals with MasterCard, Japan’s JCB, American Express and China’s Union Pay.

Radchenkov also said that Mir cards may be used as a unified travel card for city transport around Russia.

“The idea is to provide the possibility to pay for city travel using Mir cards, not special applications that differ depending on a region,” he said and added that the work has already started.

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