Blizko payment system

Blizko is the system of instant addressless money transfers without opening of the account.

PJSC JSB Svyaz-Bank - operator of a system.

Screenshot of a window of the system interface, 2014

Properties

• maximum share of a commission fee of the participant;
• the reasonable tariff policy satisfying the interests of clients of the BLIZKO system and participants;
• free of charge – providing the software and rendering information technical support;
• technological effectiveness of the software;
• use only the certified information security tools;
• the software of BLIZKO is adapted for work of Partner Bank with the developed branch network;
• control of customer service according to requirements of FATF;
• the user-friendly interface adapted to the core banking system of partner Bank;
• various advertizing support;
• possibility of embedding of software of BLIZKO in self-service devices;
• possibility of report generation and control of all transactions of the structural divisions by head bank online.

For April 13, 2015 the BLIZKO payment system includes more than 50 thousand service points in the territory of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova (including Transnistria), Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

2020: Closing of service

At the end of February, 2020 it became known of the solution of Promsvyazbank to close Blizko payment system. As told in bank to Kommersant, further development of a product was recognized inexpedient, and its closing was planned for a long time.

As reported on the website Blizko, the operator of payment system — the Sviaz-Bank – (joins Promsvyazbank according to the solution of Board of Directors of February 18) stops work of service since April 22, 2020.

Promsvyazbank closes Blizko payment system

Due to the termination of activity of PS Blizko payment/return of the money transfers sent on PS Blizko since April 22, 2020 will be performed in a special order — it is reported on the website of payment system.

According to interlocutors of Kommersant in the market of money transfers, representatives of the Sviaz-Bank tried to sell a system for 200 million rubles, but it interested nobody. 

According to the chief executive of National payment association Maria Mikhaylova, in the last several years Blizko occupied an insignificant market share which it is possible to estimate at the level no more than several percent.

The expert calls a segment of money transfer services without opening the account difficult as constantly increasing regulatory loading puts the double pressure upon the systems of cross-border transfers including because in neighboring countries requirements to them by analogy with the Russian legislation are duplicated. Besides, work in this market requires significant investments, first of all in technology, Mikhaylova notes.

In total eight payment systems work at the market of transfers without opening of accounts. Leaders in joint survey of Skolkovo Foundation and VR Bank company are called Zolotaya Korona, Unistream and Western Union.^[1]

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Notes