Ladies and gentlemen!

Editorial Board of PLUS Journal informs you that next release of on-line news service PLUS-daily will be published on January, 11th, 2010, after accomplishing Christmas and a New Year's holidays in Russia.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Grizov, Publisher & PLUS team

News of Payment Systems

• Bank of Russia about the number of issuers and acquirers

News of Banks

• Russian postal bank is supposed to be created within 5 years
• Central Russian bank of Sberbank of Russia offers a new way to repay credits

Business. Technologies. Retail

• B2B–Center uniform system of electronic trade has grown by 43% in 2009

Card Society

• Poll: Russians are sceptical about banks’ New Year actions

News of Payment Systems

• Bank of Khanty–Mansiysk starts servicing AmEx cards
• WebCreds: Russians will spend 30 billion roubles in Internet on the New Year celebration
• More than 941,000 electronic payments have been made through the payment system of Dagestan

News of Banks

• One million customers of universal banking service contract
• Sberbank of Russia, Experian and Interfax Group founds the united credit bureau
• To fill up Dengi@Mail.Ru account by bank cards
• Experts expect the share of problem credits in portfolios of Ukrainian banks to increase
• Areximbank: the volume of cash transactions on ArCa cards has grown by 13.5%

Card Society

• The new airport in Sochi is equipped to check biometric passports
• Armenian pensioners are getting special pension cards

News of Payment Systems

• Banks of Armenia: the number of active cards has grown by 26.4%

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia opens in Moscow first offices of a new format
• URALSIB Bank has increased its network of partners on international payment cards issuing
• Sberbank of Russia intends to increase the number of credit cards by 7.5 times
• Master bank: Visa Transport card as a gift
• Sberbank of Russia to issue Visa Infinite cards
• Primorye Bank expands acceptance of customs payments
• Ural Bank of Sberbank of Russia has issued more than 16,000 credit cards
• “Remote banking on the run” – a new service for clients of Bank Koltso Urala
• New Year expenses of Russians have reached the pre-crisis level
• Deposit Insurance Agency forecasts a 1.3 trillion roubles growth of private deposits
• Credit cards in foreign currency in Ukraine are outside of the law

Business. Technologies. Retail

• In Moscow the first “Cash-recycling Russia 2009” Forum went off
• Infocommunication Union launches NFC Test Zone in Russia
• Ukrainian banks starts issuing Visa EMV cards with Pectoral chip–module
• Ukrainian Processing Center has opened its office in Lvov
• Ingenico obtains ISO 9001quality certification for all of its corporate activities

Fraudfighting and Security

• Allianz Kazakhstan has insured ATFBank under the BBB program
  

News of Payment Systems

• American Express and Sberbank of Russia have started a new promotion

News of Banks

• The State Duma of Russia has approved in the first reading the bill strengthening protection of private borrowers’ rights
• Federal Tax Service has suggested Sberbank to provide its customers with a “service of instant payment of taxes” 
• Royal Bank of Scotland has joined USS

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia has held a meeting of electronic components developers at Mikron factory
• Russian Post will equip all its branches with terminals to render financial services 
• Sberbank of Russia intends to establish 27,000 ATMs by 2015 
• Tieto enters the Chinese operator market with a solution to China Mobile

Card Society

• Ukraine: student ID cards can become payment cards

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia about the number of issuers and acquirers
• VTB Bank unites its ATM network with ATM networks of some Ukrainian banks
• Bank deposits in Armenia: uneven growth

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Dmitry Medvedev has extended the term of equipping payment terminals with fiscal data recorders

Fraudfighting and Security

• Andrey Sobolev will represent Russian Europay Members’ Association in PCI SSC
• Dmitry Medvedev has approved the modification of the Federal Act “On the personal data”

Card Society

• PrivatBank issues Social cards for Kharkovites

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Takes Payments Technology into the Future with the Launch of M/Chip Advance

News of Banks

• Russian banks get rid of idle cards
• VTB24 has taken the lead in the Bank client service rating

Fraudfighting and Security

• Amendments to the Act “On the personal data" have passed the first reading
• Anatoly Aksakov suggests to bring a criminal punishment for faking and dealing with counterfeit cards into the legislation
• The Ministry of the Interior of Russia and the Europol will struggle together with card fraud

Card Society

• Federal Bailiff Service will establish terminals for debts payment
• Mikron will be a RFID-tickets provider for St.-Petersburg’s transport
• The Social card of Kiev inhabitant to be issued in December

News of Payment Systems

• Bank of Russia: the National system of payment cards will be open for Russian and international payment systems
• MasterCard Launches MasterCard Mobile Payments Gateway to Spark Mobile Commerce Globally
• By 2011 BelCard will be the leader of Belarusian market
• NBRB: e-cash is not widespread in Belarus
• AmEx cards to be accepted in Azerbaijan
• The volume of private remittances to Moldova was reduced by 33 %

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia has increased the volume of cards issued by 19.2%

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Fiserv to launch new P2P payments service for online banking users
• RFID Enabled iPhone a Boon to Mobile Marketing?

Card Society

• Vologda: discount cards for pensioners

News of Payment Systems

• Sberbank of Russia starts approbating a new EMV URPS technology

News of Banks

• Belarus: the volume of private deposits has grown by 29%
• Ukraine: the number of active cards has reduced by 23%

Business. Technologies. Retail

• PLUS–Eurasia Buyers Guide 2009–2010 has come out
• G&D launches MasterCard mobile payments sticker
• ENISEY Bank has changed processing company for KartStandart to process MasterCard cards
• Latvians can take interest–free SMS microloans

Fraudfighting and Security

• Russian government to consider amendments to the Act “On the personal data”

Card Society

• Dmitry Medvedev about social cards
• Social card project to start in St.-Petersburg

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Europe Reports Results for Third Quarter 2009

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia about the number of issuers and acquirers
• ATM network of Sberbank of Russia consists of 20,000 machines
• Bank of Khanty-Mansiysk will equip LUKOIL gas stations with POS terminals
• Bank of Moscow starts issuing MasterCard smart cards
• OTP Bank: all cards by a single terminal
• X5 and Citibank issue a new co-branding card
• Merchants in Ukraine have obliged to have POS-terminals
• NIKOIL Bank has cut credit’s penalties and fines rates
• Card market of Uzbekistan: more than 5.5 million cards
• Volumes of bank lending in Azerbaijan are growing

Business. Technologies. Retail

• NCR to equip ING Belgium branch network with ATMs featuring cash-recycling module
• NCR Corp. reports stable revenue, 35% loss in Q3
• Diebold-Designed ValiTech Strengthens Access Control at the ATM

News of Payment Systems

• Visa renews Olympic Games sponsorship through 2020
• American Express company third quarter 2009 overview
• Azerbaijan and Turkey test their own online money transfer system

News of Banks

• Sberbank’s projects on the card market
• ChronoPay: rating of banks which cards were used for Internet payments
• The volume of payments by Vozrozhdenie Bank custom cards has exceeded 20 million roubles
• Sobinbank transfers its acquiring network onto EMV-standard

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Mats Odell speaks at inauguration of cash handling machine
• NXP Wins Supply Contract for Chinese ePassport chips
• NXP Semiconductors Announces Third Quarter 2009 Results
• NovaCard to expand its smart cards manufacture at the expense of Sberbank’s credit
• Luottokunta begins Visa’s first NFC trial in Finland

Fraudfighting and Security

• 10th anniversary Security Printing conference launches new website and speaker line up

News of Payment Systems

• Monthly audience of e-cash users totals 2.24 million users
• Auchan intends to accept payment cards

News of Banks

• In Russia soon debts can be collected unjudicially
• Sberbank of Russia refinances mortgages issued by other banks
• Sberbank of Russia to resort to collection services
• Lending volume in Armenia has reduced by 15.5%
• Ameriabank to start Internet banking service

Card Society

• First pension card of FIA-BANK
• Kiev: investors for the social card project

News of Payment Systems

• METRO Cash & Carry in Omsk and Krasnodar to accept Zolotaya Korona cards
• WebMoney: the number of users of system has exceeded 9 million persons

News of Banks

• URALSIB Bank and Aeroflot will issue a co-branding card based on the World MasterCard
• Master Bank introduces 3D Secure technology
• NIKOIL Bank restructures its credit portfolio
• Raiffeisenbank starts to offer clients new life insurance solutions in cooperation with Raiffeisen Life Insurance Company LLC
• From the beginning of 2009 VTB24 has issued 2 million cards
• Zolotaya Korona has opened a new point in Mongolia

Fraudfighting and Security

• Diebold Outsourcing Solution Streamlines Security for Delta Community Credit Union

Card Society

• Sberbank of Russia is to launch the project "Social and payment card 'Ugra'"
• Rosbank issues the bank card with a transport application
• Ukrainian Railways to introduce payment kiosks

News of Payment Systems

• For the year Yandex.Money users have made 16 million operations
• First million BelCard–M cards

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia has opened the first self-service mini-offices
• Krasnoyarsk branch of MBRD and MTS start issuing MTS.Card cards for VIP-clients
• Belarus banks have increased their credit portfolio by 25.4%
• Kazakhstan: all banks in the country together have issued 7.2 million cards
• Armenia: the volume of bank credits increased by 4.8 %
• Aggregate credit portfolio of AMFA members has reached $380 million

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Oberthur Technologies Achieves MasterCard Certification for Flash Memory Based Payment Cards - Giving More Flexibility to Financial Institutions in Issuing Cards and Reducing Time to Market
• Znak Company (Ukraine) has passed Visa Inc. audit
• Compass Plus announces its products compliance with Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) version 1.2

Fraudfighting and Security

• Central Bank of Russia has prepared a guide for cardholders
• NBU recommends to establish video surveillance in all banks of the country

Card Society

• Belpochta gets payments for services via mobile phones

News of Payment Systems

• Russian Europay Members' Association joins the Security Standards Council
• Instant payment systems regulation can be postponed
• Citibank Launches New Ultra Premium Credit Card “Miles & More Ultima MasterCard” for Russian Affluent

News of Banks

• Russian banks increase the number of VIP–offices
• Bank of Russia has lowered the official bank rate
• During January – July private deposits in Russian banks increased by 12 percent
• Promsvyazbank and Yarsotsbank are in the process of uniting thier ATM networks
• Bank’s slogan is the first step to trust it
• Pivdenniy Bank issues gift cards

Business. Technologies. Retail

• PayOnline System enters the European market
• SITRONICS wins Sberbank of Russia tender to deliver chip cards

Card Society

• SMS payments market can run up to $300 million

News of Payment Systems

• Forum “Russian gas stations and payment technologies 2009”
• Russian payment systems are not ready to become national ones
• Raiffeisen Bank Aval and Visa Inc. co–op action for corporate card holders

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia about issuers and acquirers
• Sberbank’s share on the market of deposits is reduced

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Romanian Banca Transilvania chooses SmartVista to support its card business development

Fraudfighting and Security

• Ingosstrakh has paid 2.8 million roubles for the stolen ATM

Card Society

• Russians do not believe that the crisis is over
• “Social card for the Smolensk region resident” project is started in Roslavl

News of Payment Systems

• Diners Club Russia: results of the first half of 2009
• Zolotaya Korona – Denezhnye perevody has increased by 206 service points
• Western Union and Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan are partners now

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia can put the limits on bank card tariffs
• Alfa bank: the volume of Internet payments has totaled $1.2 billion
• Rosselkhozbank: more than 2,300 salary card projects
• NBU: expenses of Ukrainian banks have exceeded its incomes by 15.4 billion grivnas
• HSBC Bank Armenia: 5,000 Internet banking customers till the end of 2009
• Asaka Bank: in Andizhan region the volume of payments on cards has totaled 18 billion sums

Business. Technologies. Retail

• The united ATM network ATMoSphere consists of more than 2,800 АТМs

Card Society

• Belarus: 10,000 discount cards for tourists

News of Payment Systems

• Belarus will replace Visa and MasterCard cards with BelKart
• In the first half of 2009 Russian Instant Payment Market has grown by 19 percent
• During the August the turnover of Azerbaijan payment system has exceeded $7.8 billion

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia can continue decreasing rates
• Sberbank of Russia has issued more than 35 million cards
• URALSIB Bank and Victoria Children Foundation have issued a card, called “Dostoyniy dom detyam!”
• MasterCard payment cards can be replenished in MBRD ATMs
• Alfa bank starts issuing salary cards with individual corporate design
• AccessBank: over 65,000 thousand microcredits
• During the year, banks of Azerbaijan have reduced the volume of personal lending by 1.9 percent

Business. Technologies. Retail

• 600 online shops use acquiring solutions of UPC

Fraudfighting and Security

• Ingosstrakh has paid Ukhtabank 1.9 million roubles for burnt down АТМ
• Sysnet establishes a regional office in Moscow, Russia to provide a new concept in the provision of information security services

News of Payment Systems

• StarBank is closing its Union Card project
• Vakhid Akhmedov about the volume of remittances into Azerbaijan

News of Banks

• From the beginning of the year Russian banks have reduced their personal credit portfolio by 8.3 percent
• Alfa bank: credits in OBI hypermarkets
• Three insurance companies will be partners of Sberbank on life insurance
• Ingosstrakh: payment under the policy of bank card issuers risks insurance
• PrivatBank plans to open 100 new offices
• Raiffeisen Bank Aval has introduced a system of instant mobile payments

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Russian Post becomes the universal operator of governmental services
• MilliKart introduces GSM/GPRS POS-terminals

Card Society

• Indian Railways to use NXP’s contactless MIFARE DESFire enabled smart ticketing

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Advanced Authentication for Chip Now Supported by Leading Payment Industry Providers
• TransCreditBank starts accepting Сhina UnionPay cards
• WebMoney: regular payments with templates
• Moneta.ru offers loans

News of Banks

• The Bank of Russia has joined the CPSS of the Bank for International Settlements
• Alexey Ulyukaev: banks’ credit portfolio can grow by 7-8 percent till the end of the year
• Bank of Russia: within a month credit delinquency has grown almost by 10 percent
• Dmitry Medvedev: a "good enough" mortgage rate is 6–7 percent
• Sberbank of Russia: the results of 7 months of 2009
• Bank24.ru: 100,000 express cards

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Some changes in the organizational structure of Tieto

Fraudfighting and Security

• Kazakhstan sets up Internet police

Card Society

• Sberbank of Russia has developed a citizen card prototype
• West Siberian Railways: electronic payments growth

News of Payment Systems

• UBRD starts accepting China UnionPay cards
• OSMP Company and e-port Group declare their consolidation
• In the first half of the year the volume of remittances to Moldova has decreased

News of Banks

• From the beginning of the year a number of credit debt collecting proceedings has grown twice
• Vozrozhdenie bank: deposits of individuals have exceeded 46 billion roubles
• Nizhniy Novgorod bank changes its processing center for Promsvyazbank
• Khreschatik bank and International invest bank have united their ATM networks
• Bank of Baku: bank office of the future
• Kazakhstan: bank cards issue has grown by 8 percent

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Beeline: buying railway tickets with a mobile phone

Fraudfighting and Security

• The Prosecutor General of Belarus has suggested to change locations of some ATMs
• In Azerbaijan a group of card swindlers has faced trial

Card Society

• East-Siberian bank of Sberbank starts the project “Single social card of Krasnoyarsk region”
• Payment system "Gorod": informing of tax liability
• Belarus: you can buy air tickets online using bank cards already this autumn

News of Payment Systems

• The volume of CONTACT remittances to Azerbaijan increased by 32 percent
• Bank Ekaterinburg is increasing the number of "Zolotaya Korona – Denezhnye perevody” cash points
• UNIStream is increasing its network of service points through Bank of Georgia

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia: bank card market in the first half of 2009
• Interest rate of individual deposits above 16.84 percent are forbidden in Russia
• Russian Ministry of Finance suggests permitting making remittances abroad and from abroad in roubles
• In Ukraine the level of credit card defaults has exceeded 30 percent
• Central Bank of Armenia has decreased the official bank rate for the sixth time this year

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Tieto ensures reliable issuing of China UnionPay payment cards

Fraudfighting and Security

• Ingosstrakh has paid 4.6 million roubles for the cracked АТМ
• VSK Insurance House has paid more than 700,000 roubles for cracked АТМ

Card Society

• Ulyanovsk: 40 thousand social cards

News of Payment Systems

• China UnionPay cards are accepted in ATMs of AVTOVAZBANK
• Bank of Belarus has implemented a salary card project, based on BelKart cards

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia: the results of bank card operations for the first half of 2009
• Deposits of individuals at Russian banks exceed 6.316 bn roubles
• Rosselkhozbank: 17,000 cards in the Chechen Republic
• RESO Credit bank has joined USS
• Raiffeisenbank migrates to EMV
• Ukraine: the number of mortgage lending banks has decreased
• Bank PSKB has launched “KASSIRA.NET” payment system
• Asaka Bank has issued over 53.5 thousand cards
• In Belarus banks stops issuing loans to individuals in foreign currency
• Belarus banks stop conducting debit transactions with credit cards in foreign currency
• NBRB will keep its prohibition on crediting of individuals in foreign currency after 2011
• 2.6% of credits, issued by Belarus banks, are troubled

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Sberbank of Russia: results of the conquest among ATM suppliers
• BPC Service Center to support Citibank’s ATM network
• NXP Semiconductors Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results
• 1,000 ATMs are outsourced in UPC
• Electronic payment system e-port turnover has grown by 24%
• Now mobile money transfer service is available to Utel subscribers
• Rahaxi-OTI (Open Terminal Interface) for POS system vendors

Fraudfighting and Security

• An increase in illegal ATM software

Card Society

• Study of Russian International Purchases Using Credit Cards in 2009
• Total number of SIM cards, registered in Russia, reached 197 million
• All economically active Russians are card users

News of Payment Systems

• China UnionPay cards are accepted in ATMs of AVTOVAZBANK
• Bank of Belarus has implemented a salary card project, based on BelKart cards

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia: the results of bank card operations for the first half of 2009
• Deposits of individuals at Russian banks exceed 6.316 bn roubles
• Rosselkhozbank: 17,000 cards in the Chechen Republic
• RESO Credit bank has joined USS
• Raiffeisenbank migrates to EMV
• Ukraine: the number of mortgage lending banks has decreased
• Bank PSKB has launched “KASSIRA.NET” payment system
• Asaka Bank has issued over 53.5 thousand cards
• In Belarus banks stops issuing loans to individuals in foreign currency
• Belarus banks stop conducting debit transactions with credit cards in foreign currency
• NBRB will keep its prohibition on crediting of individuals in foreign currency after 2011
• 2.6% of credits, issued by Belarus banks, are troubled

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Sberbank of Russia: results of the conquest among ATM suppliers
• BPC Service Center to support Citibank’s ATM network
• NXP Semiconductors Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results
• 1,000 ATMs are outsourced in UPC
• Electronic payment system e-port turnover has grown by 24%
• Now mobile money transfer service is available to Utel subscribers
• Rahaxi-OTI (Open Terminal Interface) for POS system vendors

Fraudfighting and Security

• An increase in illegal ATM software

Card Society

• Study of Russian International Purchases Using Credit Cards in 2009
• Total number of SIM cards, registered in Russia, reached 197 million
• All economically active Russians are card users

News of Payment Systems

• China UnionPay cards are accepted in ATMs of AVTOVAZBANK
• Bank of Belarus has implemented a salary card project, based on BelKart cards

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia: the results of bank card operations for the first half of 2009
• Deposits of individuals at Russian banks exceed 6.316 bn roubles
• Rosselkhozbank: 17,000 cards in the Chechen Republic
• RESO Credit bank has joined USS
• Raiffeisenbank migrates to EMV
• Ukraine: the number of mortgage lending banks has decreased
• Bank PSKB has launched “KASSIRA.NET” payment system
• Asaka Bank has issued over 53.5 thousand cards
• In Belarus banks stops issuing loans to individuals in foreign currency
• Belarus banks stop conducting debit transactions with credit cards in foreign currency
• NBRB will keep its prohibition on crediting of individuals in foreign currency after 2011
• 2.6% of credits, issued by Belarus banks, are troubled

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Sberbank of Russia: results of the conquest among ATM suppliers
• BPC Service Center to support Citibank’s ATM network
• NXP Semiconductors Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results
• 1,000 ATMs are outsourced in UPC
• Electronic payment system e-port turnover has grown by 24%
• Now mobile money transfer service is available to Utel subscribers
• Rahaxi-OTI (Open Terminal Interface) for POS system vendors

Fraudfighting and Security

• An increase in illegal ATM software

Card Society

• Study of Russian International Purchases Using Credit Cards in 2009
• Total number of SIM cards, registered in Russia, reached 197 million
• All economically active Russians are card users

News of Payment Systems

• RUSSLAVBANK starts issuing “Zelenyi Koridor” cards
• Electronic payments system will start functioning in the Chechen Republic In January, 2010
• The Ukrainian processing centre: the growth of the card market is slowing down
• National bank of Belarus makes changes in the e-money operating procedure

News of Banks

• The Bank of Russia has announced the monetary base figures
• Sberbank of Russia raises fees for its rouble-nominated cards
• Card for fans of extreme sportsfrom Master Bank
• Bank Ak Bars starts issuing EMV cards
• Bank VTB24 has increased its credit cards portfolio 1.5 times
• Master-bank: a debt repayment service for AmEx cardholders
• Tatfondbank: results of the first part of the year
• MDM-bank reduces its express credits interest rates
• Belarusbank: results of the first half of 2009
• Uzbekistan: the first bank co-brand card
• Bank Khreschatik has been certified as MasterCard EMV cards acquirer

Business. Technologies. Retail

• New stage of development of "Electronic transit card" system

Card Society

• Driving licenses in Russia will be with bar codes
• New changes of biopassports production in Russia
• Bio passports: "Voschod" has turned the system on

News of Payment Systems

• Cetelem starts to issue instant issue credit MasterCard
• Loans of "Moskovskoye Ipotechnoye Agentstvo" might be repaid through CONTACT
• Tickets to Uzbekistan might be paid through CONTACT
• Uzbek Central Bank has introduced its own payment system

News of Banks

• The Bank of Russia tells about the country's international reserves
• RBK Money has expanded bank card payments possibilities
• Visa Virtual Card of TransCreditBank
• "Centralno-Chernozemniy Bank" of Sberbank will use remote channels for social payments servicing
• Credit Europe Bank: a new design of instant credit cards
• Nadra Bank has increased card transactions limits
• Bank "Credit-Dnepr" offers ATM utility payment service

Business. Technologies. Retail

• 7-Eleven asks consumers to help it fight interchange fees
• ATM manufacturer GRG named among most valuable brands in China

Fraudfighting and Security

• The Ukrainian bank card swindlers can be imprisoned for 12 years

Card Society

• E-tickets sales in Perm region have increased seven times
• Khanty-Mansiysky bank offers to transfer the parent capital on social cards
• Bank "URALSIB" has started Social card pilot in Smolensk region

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Developed Prepaid Cards for Muslims

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia Reduced Refinance Rates
• AVANGARD Bank Raised Speed and Transparency of Card Processing
• Rosbank Ratchets upward Deposit Rates
• Barclays Bank Offers New Types of Credit Cards
• Association of Azerbaijani Banks Sets up Cards Promotion Workgroup

 Business. Technologies. Retail 

• SITRONICS and RUSNANO to Launch 90 Nanometer Microchip Production Project
• OpenWay Gets the Highest Possible Rating from Leading Analyst Firm
• Banco Atlantida Chooses SmartVista to Strengthen its Retail Payment Business
• BS/2 – Second Certified Wincor Nixdorf Training Centre in the World

Card Society

• Ukrainian Railways Sold over 16,000 Tickets via Internet

News of Payment Systems

• Russian Parliament Supported Law about Cash Registers
• Moscow Authorities will Regulate Installment of Payment Terminals
• Western Union: New Tariffs for Money Transfers from Russia to CIS Countries

News of Banks

• Sberbank of Russia Issues New Platinum Cards
• Barclays Bank Installs POS-terminals at Moscow Box Offices
• Bank of Moscow Started Selling AmEx Cheques with Fixed Fee
• Belarus Banks: Credit Portfolio Grew by 16.5%
• Number of Belarusbank’s Cards Exceeded 3 Million

Business. Technologies. Retail 

• BGS: Biometric Identification of Smart Card Holders
• NXP and IBM Launch Pilot of Road User Charging in the Netherlands
• NXP’s MIFARE DESFire EV1 Technology Received Trusted Security Stamp of Approval
• Symantec Positioned in the Leaders Quadrant of Leading Industry Analyst Firm’s Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention
• Royal Bank of Scotland: Archiving was Successful!

Card Society

• Rural Population of Kyrgyzstan will Make Cashless Payments
• New Rules for European Union Visas

News of Payment Systems

• NCC|UC ATMs Start to Accept China UnionPay Cards in Russia
• American Express Offers to Set Spending Limits for Additional Cards

News of Banks

• Growth of Overdue Debt in Russian Banks is Reducing
• Russian Banks Activated Cards’ Insurance

Business. Technologies. Retail 

• VeriFone Announces Public Transportation Payment and Management Solutions
• First Visa PayWave Contactless Card by People’s Bank of Georgia and Oberthur Technologies in CEMEA
• Crisis is the Best Time to Introduce New Business-Efficient Solutions into the Market
• Zamoskvoretski Bank is Diasoft New Customer
• Elecsnet Terminals Will Accept Contactless Cards

News of Payment Systems

• Russian Ministry of Finance and Central Bank Elaborate Bill about Single Payment System
• New Neste-Citibank-MasterCard Credit Card for St. Petersburg's Motorists
• Electronic Air Tickets Available by NSMEP Cards
• FinComBank Joined Golden Crown – Money Transfer System

News of Banks

• Russian Central Bank: Number of Active Banks in Russia Reduced
• PSCB Started Issuance of “Green Channel” System’s Customs Cards
• Ukrsotsbank and Universal Bank Joined Their ATM Networks
• Volume of Money Transfers to Moldova Amounted to USD90.5 Million in April
• National Bank of Ukraine Fixed Basic Rate as 11% per Annum

Business. Technologies. Retail 

• Russia Overtakes Spain and UK as Largest ATM Market in Europe
• Ingenico Announced Disposal of Sagem Denmark and Manison Finland
• New Diasoft Products Implemented in Chuvashcreditprombank
• Top Up via Internet are Encouraged by Cell Operators

News of Payment Systems

• Andrey Damaskin is President of Diners Club Russia
• People’s Bank of Georgia Issued First in СЕМЕА Visa payWave Contactless Card

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia about Russian Issuers and Acquirers
• President of Russia is Against Creation of “Bad Bank”
• Corporate Card from Promregionbank
• Association of Banks of Azerbaijan Prepares Second Package of Anti-crisis Advices for Banks

News of Payment Systems

• Turnover of Russian Instant Payments Market Grew by 22% in Q1, 2009
• Bank Standard is New Partner of Golden Crown
• Money Transfers from USA to Russia are Available via Mobile Phone 

News of Banks

• Individuals’ Deposits at Russian Banks Increased by 4.9% in Q1, 2009
• Vozrozhdenie Bank: 94% Issued Cards are Debit Ones

Business. Technologies. Retail 

• Contact with Diasoft
• Tieto Rated "Positive" in Gartner's Marketscope Report
• Diebold Renovates Branches of Banca Carige
• Gemalto First to Achieve Saudi Arabia Certification
• LA Metro Selects NXP’s MIFARE Plus Microcontroller IC for Ticketing

News of Payment Systems

• Svyaznoy and Golden Crown Launch Federal Money Transfer Project
• Russian Instant Payments Market: Results of Q1, 2009
• “The Big Three” of CIS Countries Lost 50% Money Transfers from Russia

News of Banks

• DIA Allocated RUR159.5 Billion to Financial Rehabilitation of Russian Banks in 2009
• Central Bank of the Russian Federation about Russian International Reserves
• Bank of Estonia: 5.2% Credits Overdue by More than 60 Days

Card Society

• Russian Railways Migrates to E-tickets System
• New Curbs on US Credit Card Firms

News of Payment Systems

• Russian State Duma will Consider Bill about Payment Agents Again
• MasterCard and Barclays Bank Started Issuance of World MasterCard Card in Russia
• MasterCard P2P Mobile MoneySend Platform Set To Go Live
• Primary Trend of Ukrainian Payment Systems’ Market
• UNIStream and FUIB Launched Joint Project

News of Banks

• Raising of Credit Rates is Supported by Russian Government
• NAFI: Ratings of Russian Banks’ Publicity and Awareness
• Central Bank of Russia: Card Issuance Grew 4 Times in Q1, 2009
• Turnover of Russian Banks’ Cards Reduced
• XVIII International Banking Congress
• Ukrainian Banks’ Loss Exceeded USD1 Billion from January to April, 2009
• Net Income of Moldavian Banks Totaled USD11.9 Million in Q1, 2009

Business. Technologies. Retail

• INPAS: 250,000 Visa Cards ”Donate Life”
• VeriFone Announced QX1000 Plug-and-Play Advanced Contactless Solution
• Tieto's Card Acquiring Solution Highly Ranked by PayX Research Limited
• NXP and Giesecke & Devrient Launch Contactless Fast Pay Solution
• EMV User Meeting

Fraudfighting and Security 

• IDC: Security Software Market in Russia
• Central Bank of Russia Published Standard “Maintenance of Information Security of Organizations of Bank System of the Russian Federation”
• Losses from Card Fraud in Russia Reached RUR1 Billion

News of Banks

• Sberbank of the Russian Federation Issued 32.1 Million Cards
• Sberbank of Russia: More than 17,000 Public ATMs
• Turnover of Mobile and Internet Banking Russian Market Exceeded RUR20 Billion in 2008
• Belarus Individuals’ Deposits Reached almost USD5.6 Billion
• Azerbaijan: Chip Cards are Dominating

Business. Technologies. Retail

• SmartVista Expands to Southern Africa
• Tieto Took Part in MasterCard Debit & Prepaid Conference 2009
• Inline Technologies Group has Entered the TOP-20 Largest IT-companies in Russia in CNews100 Rating
• NXP PN544 Controller to Drive Global NFC Adoption, Enabling New Era of Contactless Mobile Service Innovations
• Azericard Introduces E-commerce in AmEx System 

Card Society

• About 100,000 Passengers of Moscow Metro Pay for Trips by Banking Cards
• More than 80% Retired Persons in Azerbaijan Get Pension via Cards

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Europe Reports Growth for 2009 First Quarter
• Sbercard Launches New Project – PRO100 Cards

News of Banks

• 983 Russian Banks Finished Q1, 2009, with Profit Exceeding RUR87 Billion
• Sberbank Introduces Express Money Transfers between Russia and Ukraine
• Acquiring Infrastructure in Azerbaijan Increased by 3.6% from the Beginning of 2009
• Volume of Granted Credits in Ukraine Reducing

Business. Technologies. Retail

• OTP Bank, MasterCard and INPAS International Agreed to start a Pilot Project on Contactless Payments in Hungary
• Global Payments Completes UCS Acquisition
• INPAS Company at the Second Interbank Summit in Yerevan
• Cisco: Results of Q3, Fiscal 2009
• CFT in TOP-100 of the Largest Russian IТ Companies
• MDM Bank and CFT Signed up Partnership Agreement
• Diasoft in Top 100 of the Largest IT Companies in Russia 2008
• Teradata and SAP Expand Partnership to Unleash Rich Value of Business Data for Customers

News of Banks

• Money Supply in Russia Reduced by 10.2%
• Volumes of Largest Russian Banks’ Retail Crediting are Reducing
• Maximum Deposit Rates in Ukraine Exceeded 31%
• Overdue Credit Debt in Georgian Banks Grew by USD38 Million

Business. Technologies. Retail 

• Ukrainian Processing Center: 12 Years on the Market

News of Payment Systems

• Diners Club Russia Acquired Right to Service Discover and Pulse Cards in Russia

News of Banks

• Bank of Russia Cuts Refinance Rate from 13% to 12.5%
• Sberbank Started Granting Microcredits for Small Business
• AVANGARD Bank Started Issuing MasterCard Metro Cards
• Alfa-Bank Improves Alfa-Click Security System
• Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) Won Tender for Servicing of Ukrainian Supreme Rada
•  50% Money Transfers to Georgia are Sent from Russia

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Putin Promised Small Business to Rid Them of Cash Registers
• Tieto Joins PCI Security Standards Council to Contribute in Protecting Consumer Payment Data
• KREDOBANK’s Card Business Fully Migrates to In-house Processing Center Based on SmartVista
• SITRONICS Honored Status of the Largest Russian IT Company
• Banking Processing Center Processes More than 5 Million Cards

• State Corporation for National Payment System Development could be Established in Russia
• 6th Anniversary of Golden Crown – Money Transfer System

News of Banks

• Russian Banks Got out of Rouble Devaluation almost Trillion
• German Gref: the Peak of Crisis is Behind
• Sberbank Granted RUR93 Billion of Credits for Corporate Clients during a Week
• Overdue Credit Debt is Growing in Latvian Banks

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Analytics: Russian IT Market almost Reached Bottom of Crisis
• Crisis will not Prevent IТ Implementation in State Sector
• Total Volume of Russian Market of Digital Content will Double to 2011
• SITRONICS Supplies RUIM Cards for MTS India

Card Society

• URALSIB Bank Starts Issuing Social Cards in Smolensk Region
• Moscovite’s Social Card will be Used as Driving License?
• E-Signature Project in Azerbaijan to be Finished in October

News of Payment Systems

• Russian Parliament Council will Establish Mediation Committee on Bill about Payment Agents

News of Banks

• 901 Russian Banks Finished January and February with Profit Exceeding RUR100 Billion
• Russia's Central Bank should Reduce Refinancing Rate
• Mortgage Loans in Russia Significantly Reduced
• Individuals’ Deposits at Russian Banks Grew by 1.7%
• Sberbank of Russia’s Share on Retail Deposits Market Grew during Crisis

Card Society 

• INPAS is Payment Integrator in Project of Russian Savings Bank "Astrakhan Citizen Social Card"
• Biometric Border Control Started at Russian-Georgian Border

News of Payment Systems

• Senators Declined Bill “About Payment Agents Activity of Consumer Payments Acceptance”

News of Banks

• The Best Ukrainian Banks for Internet Payments
• Total Number of Cards in Ukraine Reduced by 40%

Business. Technologies. Retail

• INPAS and Golden Crown have Completed Integration of Video-Monitoring System “Smotritel” for ATMs
• CFT in Ranking of Stress-Resistant Russian IT Companies
• National Reserve Bank is Actively Expanding Business in the Russian Regions
• Sales Volume of E-tickets in Russia Will Double in 2009

Card Society 

• Putin about Possibility of “Building-and-Loan Associations” Creation
• New Electronic Signature Law is under Preparation in Russia
• Ukraine Might Start to Use Biometric Entry Visas

News of Payment Systems

• Russia Proposes Creation of Global Super-Reserve Currency
• TRUST National Bank Issued Visa Infinite Card

News of Banks

• About Payment Agents Activity of Consumer Payments Acceptance
• Russian Ministry of Finance Expects the Second Wave of Problems in Financial System
• Ministry for Economic Development and Trade of Russia about Debt Restructuring Bill
• RBC.Rating: the Most “Plastic” Banks
• Overdue Credit Debt of Russians Slowed Its Growth Down
• Central Bank of Russia: Overdue Debt of Corporate Clients Grows
  
• Moscomprivatbank Accepts China UnionPay Cards

Business. Technologies. Retail

• INPAS Reports 2008 Year Results of Activities in Hungary: 50% Market Share in EFT POS-terminal Equipment
• Moneris Solutions Selects VeriFone as Payment Solutions Supplier in $10 Million Contract for Wireless, Countertop and Integrated Systems
• Tieto and DnB NORD Banka in Latvia Broaden Self-service Possibilities for Banks’s Customers

Card Society 

• Volume of Consumer Credits in Latvia Reduced by 40%

News of Payment Systems

• Eurasian Economic Community Plans to Introduce Common Currency

News of Banks

• DIA Allocated RUR133 Billion for Readjustment of Russian Problem Banks
• Standard Requirements for Terminals are Prepared
• Belarusbank: Issuance Exceeded 3 Million Cards
• Bank of Georgia Granted USD239 Million of Mortgage Credits
• UPC Processes More than 11 Million of Cards
• Volume of Individuals’ Money Transfers to Moldova Reduced by 27.7%

Business. Technologies. Retail

• INPAS: iPAY application - Bank technologies in non bank projects
• Savings Bank of Russia, OpenWay and HP: 60 Million Cards on the WAY4 Platform
• TSYS Among Fortune Magazine's 'Most Admired' for 2009

Fraudfighting and Security

• ATMs with “Blue Safe” Security System Are Installing in Lithuania

Card Society 

• Sberbank and FinanceAcademy Launch Campus Cards Pilot

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard appoints General Manager for Russia
• Payment System of Azerbaijan about Results of January and February 2009

News of Banks 

• 707 Banks Issue and Acquire Cards in Russia
• Bank of Russia about Volumes of Money Transfers
• 3rd Banking Forum for CIS countries & Eastern Europe
• Sberbank of Russia will Open Representative Office in China and Branch in India
• FAS Changed Former Position about Banking and Insurance Pools
• Kapital Bank Switches to New Processing

Business. Technologies. Retail

• E-commerce Market’s Volume Totaled RUR128.31 Billion in Russia
• NXP to transfer its Mobile Services Business to Gemalto
• Experian launches comprehensive suite of collections capabilities
• InformZaschita Announced Financial Results of 2008

News of Payment Systems

• 40th Anniversary of Russian Payment Card Industry
• Golden Crown and Faster Accomplished First Stage of Technological Integration

News of Banks 

• Total Number of Banking Cards Issued in Russia Exceeded 119 Million
• Miljukov: Volume of Credits’ Non Repayment Grew by 50% – 60% in 2008
• “Bad Bank” May Appear in Russia
• Consumer Loans Made 32% of Azerbaijani Banks’ Credit Portfolio
• Banks of Kazakhstan Issued 7.1 Million Payment Cards
• Azerbaijan: ATM Network is Growing

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Diebold Named One of the World's Top Outsourcing Service Providers for the Third Consecutive Year
• LANIT: ATM Upgrading in Compliance with EMV Requirements

Fraudfighting and Security 

• Prosecutor-General's Office of Russia: Collectors Will be under Special Supervision

Card Society 

• Electronic Tickets Project in Ukraine Suffered Lack of Money

News of Banks

• Russian Ministry of Finance Estimates Non Repayment of Credit for Largest Banks
• Total Volume of Rouble Mortgage Credits Granted by Russian Banks Exceeded RUR630 Billion
• Individuals’ Account Balances of Sberbank Increased by RUR28.8 Billion
• Sberbank of RussiaChosen as Sponsor of 2014 Olympic Games

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Tieto – Sponsor of Cards Africa 2009 conference
• Rosan - Sponsor of Cards Africa 2009

Card Society

• Plastic Cards’ Popularity Decreases
• E-payments in Latvian Public Transport

News of Payment Systems

• MasterCard Incorporated Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2008 Financial Results Visa and Rosbank Announced Authorial Design Card
• Accor Services and MasterCard Europe Create a Leading Joint Venture in the European Prepaid Market

News of Banks

• Central Bank of the Russian Federation: Reporting about 30 largest banks of Russia on January, 1, 2009
• ARB and Association “Russia” Against Bill about Rising of Minimum Capital for Banks
• Central Bank of Russia: Total Number of Financially Unstable Banks Reached 150
• Sberbank Card Issuance Grew by 30.5% in 2008
• Azerbaijan: Growth of Plastic Cards Turnover by 64.2%
• Volume of Money Transfers to Georgia Reduced

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Dmitry Medvedev: There is No Real E-government in Russia

Card Society

• Ukrainian Government Permitted E-tickets

News of Payment Systems 

• Russian Payment System Golden Crown: Results of 2008
• Visa Inc. Tests Innovative Mobile Phone-Based Payment
• “Money: From A to Z”: New Service from Yandex.Money and Alfa-Bank

News of Banks

• Banks Gained RUR10 Billion from Credit Delinquency
• VozrozhdenieBankand Visa Inc.: New Service for Cards Accounts Top Up
• Master-Bank Offers Change of Banknotes at ATM
• Sobinbank Provide Corporate Clients with Instant Payments through CyberPlat
• Azerbaijan Rubs through Financial Crisis Easer than Other CIS Countries

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Tieto has Opened New Concept Data Centre in Russia, St Petersburg
• Bank Avangard moved card processing in-house with SmartVista 

Card Society 

• 50% Russians Are Not Going to Get Banking Card

News of Payment Systems 

• Srednerussky Bank of SBERBANK Issued More Than 10,000 Visa Cards ”Donate Life”
• Austrian Airlines, Raiffeisenbank and MasterCard: New Co-branded Project
• New Chairman of Sbercard’s Board

News of Banks

• More and More Russian Banks Wind Down Retail Business
• Sberbank of Russia Announced Tender for 27,000 ATMs
• Net Profit of “Tinkoff Credit Systems” Bank – RUR255.5 Mln in 2008
• Bank Vozrozhdenie Summed up Results of Card Business Development
• 732,300 Banking Cards Issued in Moldova
• Number of Payment Cards Reduced in Ukraine

Business. Technologies. Retail

• New Integration Solution – SmartVista e-port 

Card Society 

• Kharkov Metro to Issue 300,000 Contactless Cards

News of Payment Systems 

• Visa Infinite with Diamond and Gold Artwork Issued in Kazakhstan
• OSMP: Results of 2008

News of Banks

• SBERBANK of Russia: Development Strategy till 2014
• SBERBANK will Transfer 75% Payments to Distant Service Channels
• Bank24.ru: Results of 2008
• More than 200,000 Users of VTB24 Telebank System
• BM Bank: First ATMs with Currency Exchange Function in Ukraine
• Megabank Installed First Self-Service Kiosk in Kharkov

Business. Technologies. Retail

• Tieto and First Data Developed Card Solution for LatvianState Institutions 

Card Society 

• Moscow Metro: the World’s First Major Transport System to Operate Fully Contactless
• “Driver’s Card” in Omsk
• E-tickets in Far East of Russia Became Very Popular

News of Banks

• National Bank of Belarus: Volume of Individuals’ Funds Increased by USD1 Bn in 2008

Card Society 

• Single E-ticket Implemented in Minsk

News of Payment Systems 

• Azerbaijan Payment Systems: Results of 2008

News of Banks

• Central Bank of Russia: Situation in Russian Banking Sector Stabilizes
• Central Bank of Russia: Results of 11 Months of 2008
• Rosbank Plans to Create Network of 10 000 ATMs
• Co-branded Card of Russian Standard Bank and British Airways
• Sviaz-Bank abolishes fines for debt in arrears
• Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) Got Insurance on BBB Program

Business. Technologies. Retail

• SmartVista Passed PCI DSS Compliance Validation in Alfa-Bank
• Alfa-Bank: Recovery Processing Center Based on CROC and HP Solutions
• Ukrainian Processing Center Passed PCI DSS Compliance Validation 

Card Society 

• Single E-ticket Is Being Implemented in Tashkent