Russia's FAS to analyze practice of marketplaces providing discounts tied to payment methods
MOSCOW. Nov 19 (Interfax) - The practice of marketplaces differentiating product prices depending on the payment method has attracted the attention of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), which is currently analyzing the operations of online platforms and will apply antimonopoly measures if violations are established.
"Currently, the FAS is analyzing the practices of the largest marketplaces in setting discounts on sellers' goods depending on the payment methods. If violations are identified, the service will take antimonopoly response measures," the FAS press service told Interfax.
The problem of financial, tax and regulatory arbitrage in the activities of marketplaces and traditional players in the trade and financial industries has repeatedly become a topic for discussion both at the stage of preparing the basic law for digital platforms on the platform economy (will come into force from October next year) and after its adoption. One of the key contentious issues, the provision of discounts by marketplaces, was only partially regulated in the law through limiting the possibility of providing a discount at the seller's expense. At their own expense, marketplaces can still reduce prices without limitation. The FAS has already commented on this issue, indicating that it sees this as a threat of gradual market monopolization through the displacement of other players by large online platforms. The Industry and Trade Ministry, which oversees trade, said that it wants to regulate this issue as part of preparing a new concept for the trade industry, possibly through a requirement for marketplaces to obtain the seller's consent for any change in the price of its goods.
Online retailers' discount policies have repeatedly drawn criticism from financial sector regulators as well, in regard to the practice of providing an additional discount on a product when choosing the financial organization's card issued by the marketplace itself as a payment method. On Tuesday, Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina, commented on this situation once again, proposing that a ban on price differentiation depending on the means of payment be introduced, while emphasizing that she is not against discounts themselves. "We consider it fair that the customer can receive discounts and bonuses not only on the card of the bank that belongs to the platform, but also on the cards of other banks. The customer should have a choice - this is the essence of our proposals," she said.
For their part, marketplaces pointed to the closed nature of the Central Bank's position, investments in loyalty programs and their role in ensuring the availability of goods. "We regret that the Central Bank does not support the creation of conditions for healthy competition in the market. This initiative is being discussed by the Central Bank with large banks in a closed mode without the participation of digital platforms, business associations or consumer rights protection societies," the press service of the united company Wildberries-Russ said. A representative of Ozon explained to Interfax that discounts when paying for goods with a certain bank card are a loyalty program in which the bank invests, and various players in both the banking and retail markets have similar tools - for example, cashback and partner bonus programs.
