Contact Money Transfer System
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Owners
The Contact payment system has been operating since 1999, registered in the unified register of payment systems operators of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation under the number 0001 and has the status of a socially significant system.
The founder is JSCB Russlavbank"" (CJSC), which performs the functions of a settlement, payment clearing and operating centers for the system. The Contact system laid the foundations for the formation of a national one. remittance market
Performance indicators
2021: Online remittance segment grows nine-fold
The CONTACT payment system summed up the results of its activities for 2020. Against the background of a decrease in the activity of individuals and a decrease in money transfers due to the pandemic, the online segment showed a nine-fold increase. The average online transfer check was 13,856 rubles. This was announced on March 26, 2021 by the Qiwi Group.
{{quote 'The remittance market is recovering from a worsening macroeconomic situation in 2020. One of the steady trends is the growth in the distribution of online tools that make customer experience more flexible and comfortable, "explained Sergey Nesterov, head of the CONTACT payment system. }}
The return to pre-crisis indicators after the lifting of restrictions caused by the pandemic occurred in June 2020. In comparison with March 2020, the turnover of online transfers increased by 52%, the number of payments - by 32%, and the average check - by 16%. The largest growth was recorded in December 2020: in comparison with March, turnover increased by 86%, the number of transfers by 46%, the average check by 27%.
In the overall structure of transfers, the volume of transactions within Russia decreased by 43% compared to 2019, the number of transfers over the same period decreased by 44%. The average bill of transfers within Russia in 2020 amounted to 43,518 rubles, practically unchanged in comparison with 2019. The leading regions in terms of translation turnover within Russia were Moscow and the Moscow region, Krasnodar Territory, St. Petersburg, Altai Territory, Rostov Region.
The largest turnover of transfers from Russia fell on Turkey, Germany and the Czech Republic in the far abroad. Among the CIS countries, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia became the leaders in receiving transfers from Russia with an average check of 15,498 rubles. The average check of transfers from Russia to non-CIS countries fell by 6%, in the CIS - by 22%, and in the Baltic countries increased by 64%.
The leading countries in sending money transfers Russia to steel, and Italy Israel USA among non-CIS countries, the average check amounted to 43,337 rubles. Among the CIS countries, Kazakhstan Tajikistan became the largest senders. Uzbekistan The average check of transfers to Russia from non-CIS countries increased by 26%, from the Baltic states - by 39%, and from the CIS decreased by 11%.
The largest turnover in sending transfers between non-CIS countries fell on, South Korea,, Israel,, Sweden UAE receiving Great Britain- on,,,. Mongolia Czech Republic Turkey The average Vietnam check of transfers between non-CIS countries increased by 22% compared to 2019.
2019:37% of total international transfers to Russia are made through Contact
As of July 2019, the Contact system accounts for 37% of the total international transfers to Russia. The partner network includes more than 700 financial institutions and more than 200 agents in Russia and abroad. The general geography of the presence covers 180 countries of the world and includes more than 500 thousand service points.
History
2024: Shutdown after licence revocation from Kiwi Bank
On February 21, 2024, Contact stopped working after revoking its license from Kiwi Bank, which is the operator of this one of the largest payment system in Russia.
 | The work of the service is temporarily suspended, - said in the Contact message, which leads TASS. |  |
The RBC correspondent tried to make a translation through Contact, but the service issued an error and the following inscription:
| | An unknown server error occurred while processing your request. If the error persists, try refreshing the page. | |
Later on February 21, 2024, the Bank of Russia announced that Contact would not work due to the revocation of the license from Kiwi Bank.
By February 2024, Contact, according to the system itself, is one of the leaders in the global money transfer market. The international network includes over 670,000 service points in 186 countries.
As RBC notes, Contact is used for money transfers abroad, it is popular among Russian relocants. After the US sanctions against Unistream, the Golden Crown and Contact remained of the most popular money transfer systems.
On February 21, 2024, the Central Bank revoked the banking license from Kiwi Bank, which ranked 89th in terms of assets in the country's banking system. The Central Bank explained this by the fact that the Kiwi Bank violated the laws governing banking activities, as well as the requirements of legislation in the field of countering the legalization of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism.
The Central Bank also points out that Kiwi Bank was involved in "high-risk operations aimed at ensuring settlements between individuals and shadow business." We are talking about money transfers in favor of crypto exchanges, illegal online casinos and bookmakers. In addition, as stated in the Central Bank, numerous cases were recorded when the bank opened Qiwi wallets using personal data of individuals without their knowledge and conducted operations on them, which "created significant risks for citizens."[1]
2020
Launch of money transfers from Tajikistan
CONTACT launches money transfers from Tajikistan to bank cards, electronic wallets and phone balance. Qiwi announced this on December 17, 2020.
Shipping is available at all banks connected to the National Processing Center for Money Transfers of Tajikistan.
To transfer, you need to contact any bank branch, name the card number, e-wallet or mobile phone and deposit the required amount.
| | We are pleased to provide our clients in Tajikistan with this opportunity for international translations in the digital environment. Every year money transfers are becoming more technological, we are working to ensure that our customers around the world receive a convenient and affordable service that meets the request for time. | |
Launch of money transfers in Svyaznoy stores
CONTACT money transfers became available in Svyaznoy stores, as the latter announced on October 16, 2020. Customers of the payment system were able to send money in Russia and abroad in any store of the network. Read more here.
2019
Launch of online currency exchange service
The Contact payment system on November 26, 2019 announced the launch of a currency exchange service from bank cards on the official website online.contact-sys.com. The exchange is made in US dollars and euros. The payment can be received in cash at any of the 5000 points of the system in Russia. The service is available only for citizens of the Russian Federation.
To use the service, you need to go to identification the Contact website, select the amount and the required currency, as well as indicate data the ruble card from which the debit will be made. The minimum amount to convert is $1 USA or €5, and the limit is limited only to the customer's card issuing bank. On the Contact website, you can immediately see the real rate and the full amount of the charge in. rubles
Remittance Platform Update
On April 2, 2019, QIWI Group announced that the CONTACT payment system (QIWI group) has updated the platform for money transfers via the Internet.
Not only the design, but also the functional content of the site has completely changed. Navigation has become easier, and the interface as a whole is clearer and more informative.
The key sections of the site have been improved - for sending translations and replenishing cards. Now, when filling in the details, only those fields that need to be filled out specifically for this type of translation are displayed on the screen. Combined steps with the choice of region and city, as well as templates for entering sender and receiver data. This minimizes the risk of data entry errors. In addition, all these changes allow you to significantly save the user's time when performing operations.
The main page has important information for customers about service points, tariffs and promotions, as well as a section with frequently asked questions. Also, from the main page, you can now quickly go to the form to check the status of the translation.
Shapes, buttons and other design elements are rendered by the Creative Agency BULVAR on a custom basis. All stylistics and navigation management have been redesigned to meet the modern requirements of user experience when working with financial services. The complex of these transformations made it possible to make a qualitative breakthrough to improve the service. Now the product meets all quality standards and meets the requirements of the most discerning customers.
The reliability of the service and the security of transfers through CONTACT, as before, provide at a high level cryptographic information protection tools.
Massive Brand Update
The international money transfer system Contact on January 24, 2019 announced the holding of a large-scale brand update for the first time in 20 years. In addition to positioning and marketing strategy, the changes also affected the company's corporate identity.
The redesign of the logo was carried out by the famous creative agency Bulvar. The idea of the logo is a circle of families where the head of the family protects and takes care of loved ones. Soft forms symbolize the friendliness, reliability and care with which Contact helps to be closer to relatives even at a distance, the company explained.
Simple visuals and a concise functional logo design also reflect the digital transformation of the payment system. Contact is part of the Qiwi group (as of January 2019, it owns a 100% stake in the Contact system and its operator) - one of the largest IT ecosystems in Russia. Thus, the updated visual identifier emphasizes the company's commitment to the values of Qiwi and its readiness to actively participate in the promotion of high-tech, but easy to use services on the Russian market.
2017: KIWI Bank became the operator of the Contact payment system
On March 17, 2017, the Bank of Russia registered KIWI Bank (JSC) as the operator of the Contact payment system in the unified register of payment operators. Since the same date, NPO Rapida LLC has been excluded by the Bank of Russia from the list of payment systems operators. Both credit institutions are part of the Qiwi Group.
The change of the Contact payment system operator is carried out as part of the procedure for reorganizing KIWI Bank by joining NPO Rapida.
The settlement centers of the system are banks FC Otkritie also the VTB payment clearing center and the operating center - KIWI Bank. As of March 17, 2017, NPO Rapida continues to regularly perform the functions of one of the settlement centers of the Contact payment system.
2015
Qiwi Group bought Contact money transfer system and NPO Rapida
Contact payments integrated into TranzWare Internet Banking
On April 15, 2015, it became known about the integration of the functionality of sending Contact system money transfers into the TranzWare Internet Banking platform of Compass Plus.
This is a joint project between two companies using the Compass Plus processing center under the TIC protocol. All necessary tests are completed in the pilot project. Banks using Compass Plus software can connect Contact money transfers, thereby providing cardholders with the ability to send funds to anyone in the Russian Federation and the CIS.
CONTACT payment system is recognized as nationally significant
In March 2015, the Bank of Russia awarded the CONTACT payment system the status of nationally significant. The relevant entry was made by the regulator on March 26, 2015 in the Register of Payment Systems Operators. The operator of the CONTACT payment system is LLC NPO Rapida.
The payment system is recognized as nationally significant if the payment system operator and payment infrastructure service operators are directly or indirectly controlled by the Russian Federation, the Bank of Russia or citizens of the Russian Federation and at the same time the information technologies used by the operators comply with the requirements of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
The nationally significant status is a confirmation of the compliance of the CONTACT payment system and its operator NPO Rapida with the increased requirements of Russian legislation, which contributes to an increase in the reliability of client services at various levels.
2014
Japan's Money Transfer Market Entry
In November 2014, the CONTACT payment system provided its customers with the opportunity to make money transfers in Japan. System customers around the world can now send remittances to Japan with payment in Japanese yen in cash or delivery of a check to the recipient's address. The commission is 1.5% of the transfer amount + $/€ 15, regardless of the form of payment. The sending currency for cash payment is US dollars, and for delivery of a check to the recipient's address - euros. You can find out the exact amount of the cash payment at the shipping point. The transfer is available for issue 15 minutes after shipment.
In case of payment by check, the conversion is made at the exchange rate on the date following the date of sending the transfer. Delivery time of the check to the recipient's address: when sending a money transfer via the CONTACT system by 10:00 CET in 3 business days (after 10:00 SETH - in 4 business days), Japan Post sends a notification (check) about the receipt of the money transfer to the recipient's address indicated in the payment order. The check may be cashed at any financial services branch of Japan Post within 30 days of the check issue date (shown on the postmark) upon presentation of the check and identification document. In addition to receiving money transfers, CONTACT customers also have access to a service for sending transfers from Japan to the Russian Federation and the CIS countries through the website of the CONTACT system partner - the telecommunications operator Brastel.
Among the partners are more than 900 financial institutions in Russia and the world
As of July 2014, Contact partners are more than 900 financial institutions in Russia and the world, which form an extensive network of service points - over 400,000 points, including payment terminals, in more than 160 countries. The Contact system makes payments to over 1,500 legal entities - commercial banks, trading enterprises, insurance and travel companies and their agents, Internet providers, telecom operators, etc. Millions of customers around the world use the System's services annually.
According to 2014 data, the Contact payment system is one of the leaders in the markets for payment and transfer services in Russia and neighboring countries.
Creation of a holding company with the Rapid system
In July 2014, Rapida and Contact payment systems announced a new stage of strategic partnership
Shareholders of the Rapid payment systems and Contact signed an agreement on the creation of a holding, which should become one of the largest players in the Russian market for electronic payments and money transfers. In the created holding, 70% will be owned by Rapida shareholders, 30% - by Contact shareholders.
The holding will combine the Rapid and Contact payment systems. Within the framework of this project, companies will retain their existing brands and focus on the current lines of business in which they occupy a leading position. Rapida will continue to specialize in the segment of payments to service providers and banks, and Contact will continue to develop the direction of money transfers.
The projected turnover of the holding by the end of 2014 will amount to 800 billion rubles, the number of payment points will exceed 500 thousand - these indicators correspond to a place in the top 3 largest participants in the electronic payment market.
"During theperiod of strategic cooperation, we were able to conduct a more thorough analysis, as a result of which we were convinced that companies have similar approaches to doing business and vision of their strategic development, and the existing competencies and market segments in which they work are complimentary to each other. In this regard, the most effective option is further work within the framework of a single holding, "said Georgy Shabad, a member of the Board of Directors of the Rapida NGO.
"The creation of a holding based on the Contact and Rapid systems will be an important stage in the development of the entire payment services market and will significantly strengthen the competitive advantages of both companies, allowing them to localize innovative projects in the development of the latest payment products and services, as well as intensify work on their implementation and launch to markets, including international," - said the head of the Contact payment system Alexey Abrameitsev.
1999: Payment System Registration
The Contact payment system appeared in 1999 - it was registered in the unified register of payment systems operators of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation under the number 0001. Initially, the system was focused not only on domestic Russian, but also on foreign markets. The priority task was the development of the partner network.
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