| Impexbank began issuing MasterCard Platinum Wealthy clients of Russian banks who use plastic have the opportunity to choose. Yesterday Impexbank and the international payment system Europay Int. announced the start of issuing the first MasterCard Platinum debit card in Russia. In a few months, Impexbank intends to increase the issuance volume to 100-200 cards, and by the end of this year make MasterCard Platinum credit cards. Impexbank cards will have to compete with Visa Platinum cards already issued by three Russian banks. Alfa Bank, for example, issued 900 such cards in two years.
Platinum class cards are a relatively new plastic product. They were first offered by Western banks at the end of 1999. In Russia, these cards are not yet very popular. Nevertheless, Impexbank decided to issue MasterCard Platinum. “This card is primarily intended for the elite category of banking clients,” notes the head of the Europay Int. representative office. in Moscow Andrey Korolev. “That is, for those who hold large account balances and can demand mobility and convenience from the bank.”
Annual servicing of MasterCard Platinum at Impexbank costs the same as servicing Visa Platinum at Alfa Bank, and the down payment is higher. At the same time, Alfa Bank's Visa Platinum already allows its clients to overspend funds from their accounts. Impexbank believes that the high cost of “platinum” is justified - owners of this card will be able to enjoy all the benefits of MasterCard Gold and a number of additional resources of the bank. In particular, according to the chairman of the board of the bank, Dmitry Eropkin, by the end of the year Impexbank plans to make MasterCard Platinum credit cards, not debit cards, as it is now.
It was not possible to find out the opinion of Europay's competitors about the new project yesterday. The Visa payment system, which also has Platinum cards, was unable to comment. Nevertheless, the competitors of Impexbank itself are not asleep. According to our information, Alfa Bank will begin issuing MasterCard Platinum in the fall.
As the head of the plastic cards department of Rosbank, Igor Zotikov, told the Vremya Novostey newspaper, the banks’ interest in the new, elite product is understandable. “Cards like Gold have somewhat devalued themselves: there are so many of them that the former respect for them is no longer there.” In his opinion, demand for expensive plastic products will also increase from customers. “Every bank has wealthy private depositors or factory directors who would be happy to use such cards,” he says. “Especially if the bank can make them creditable.” According to Mr. Zotikov, Rosbank is also going to start issuing “elite plastic.” At the end of July, the bank will issue the first Visa Platinum, and by the end of the year will increase their volume to 200. Victoria ABRAMENKO |
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