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RBI New Proposed Guidelines for Card Networks: Empowering Customers and Promoting Choice in Card Networks

rockking1994

TF Premier
Rbi seems to be in mood to remove card network restrictive agreement with bank to not allow cards to be issued in other networks

And give the customer the choice to change network freely

Also allowing the banks to issue all cards in any network

Will love to hear the thoughts of the community

Below is the draft circular

The Chairman / Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
Authorised Payment System Providers / Participants (Banks and Non-banks)

Madam / Dear Sir,

Draft Circular - Arrangements with Card Networks for issue of Debit, Credit and Prepaid Cards

The authorised card networks1 tie-up with banks / non-banks for issuance of debit / credit / prepaid cards. The choice of affiliated network2 for a card issued to a customer is decided by the card issuer and is linked to the arrangements that the card issuers have with card networks in terms of their bilateral agreements.

2. On a review, it is observed that arrangements existing between card networks and card issuers (banks and non-banks) are not conducive to the availability of choice for customers.

3. In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007), the RBI being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient, in the interest of payment system and public interest, to do so, hereby, directs as under:

  1. Card issuers shall not enter into any arrangement or agreement with card networks that restrain them from availing the services of other card networks.
  2. Card issuers shall issue cards across more than one card network.
  3. Card issuers shall provide an option to their eligible customers to choose any one among the multiple card networks. This option may be exercised by customers either at the time of issue or at any subsequent time.
4. Card issuers and card networks shall ensure to adhere to the above requirements in:

  1. existing agreements at the time of amendment or renewal thereof, and
  2. fresh agreements executed from the date of this circular.
5. The directions at para 3 (b) and (c) above shall be effective from October 01, 2023.

Yours faithfully,

(Gunveer Singh)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge


 

credit_debit

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
Seems interesting. If there is healthy competition between card issuers and customers are rewarded, its win win situation for all. Lets see how it plays out.
 

rockking1994

TF Premier
I think the card network companies will now have to compete more not just with other networks but also with the users in order to keep the user from switching this means they need to provide better features ie more lounge access and other benefits don’t think rewards points will be affected by it
Also won’t be surprised if card network companies try to persuade customers of other card networks to switch to their networks by providing some joining bonus
 

rogerthat

TF Ace
I am of the opinion that this move will eventually kill the entire rewards ecosystem. With Rupay+UPI not having MDR it will only become unsustainable for credit card companies, and the likes of Visa or MasterCard might scale down their operations in the country, and the entire rewards and benefits ecosystem will go away with it. With no MDR Rupay cards might only afford to offer nominal benefits. All these devaluations are only signs of things to come.
 

Sreerag

TF Premier
Even though the RBI circular clearly shows that customer has the right,

I can't wait to see:
1. American Express RuPay Platinum
2. Axis Reserve/Magnus RuPay
3. HDFC Regalia AmEx
4. ICICI Emeralde RuPay

Anyways, let's see TF community members enjoying and some exploiting the new cards.
 

jack333

TF Legend
Contributor
VIP Lounge
Guys, you can not ask bank to issue hdfc infinia on rupay network or amex plat on visa network... lol...
check the example part again.
if a bank issue a particular credit card on Visa, Mastercard, and Rupay networks, then the customer can change their card network. if a bank issue a particular credit card on a single network, then the customer can't request to change their card network.
But according to this news post any cards network can be changed. Agar Yeh ho gaya to visa mastercard ki chutti ho jayegi India se🤣 @Abhishek012 @ashwink

 

Abhishek012

TF Pioneer
I want axis Neo, sbi simply save and pnb patanjali on AMEX XD
kuch-bhi-arnab.gif
 

John123

TF Premier
Within next 30 to 40 years - Yes but till then maybe Visa or Mastercard will acquire RuPay card (This is what happens in the last of all national card schemes but i wish i will be wrong because many things has changed now specially after sanction in Russia, Venezuela and Iran).

Europe is also repenting after selling its Euro card payment system to Mastercard.

If you dnt know why card chip called "EMV Chip" because its a full form for Euro Card, Visa card and Mastercard.

The UK's Maestro card was also sold to Mastercard.

For the past 10 years, every week China UnionPay Card is partnering with some new foreign institutions to accept UnionPay cards.

Till now Unionpay card partner with 2500+ foreign institutions to accept UnionPay card.

UnionPay card acceptance rate is 90% in Indo-pacific, 70% in Europe and 70% in North America (ofcourse some major countries have 90% to 100% acceptance rate of Unionpay cards)

If i compare with RuPay card then RuPay partner with only 1 or sometimes 2 foreign institutions per year, yes you read it right "PER YEAR".

Another thing is that boycott RuPay card movement already started in Maldives.

Maldivians think that RuPay card will control their economy. They more favor on China's UnionPay card.

You can see some posts on twitter #Indiaout with RuPay card and welcome China's UnionPay card.

Such thinking is also in the people of Nepal and African countries, they are against RuPay card but happy with Visa/mastercard and especially China UnionPay card.
Excellent analysis on Geopolitics of card networks.

Way to go for Rupay
 

pradeepG

TF Premier
fir devaluation ho jayega
ya to UPI ke liye separate slab aajayega rewars/cashback ka ya fir minimium amount spend type ki condition aajayengi ya purntaya (completely) straightforward zero/no reward aajayega (easliest for banks), only dedicated cards like kiwi-kwik or hdfc upi rupay will not be affected by this wave of extinction of reward/cashback on UPI transactions.
 

abhishek0882

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
I feel I am missing something here, maybe too dumb to understand this. First, I need to understand how this will work, if all cards are offered with all card network variants:
  • will it mean that the same card will have different features, offers and terms based on the network that it is issued on? If so, how is it different from the card issuer offering different cards on different networks the way they are doing now? Will it not just create more confusion?
  • If it means that, unlike the above point, the same card will have to have largely the same features irrespective of the network they are issued on, it will mean that none of the networks will have any USP, everyone will offer the same as the other network, rather be forced to offer the same. This will kill competition, innovation and creativity, as well as benefits to customers as there will be no incentive for all networks to together offer a more customer friendly offering because customers will have to opt for whatever is being offered by all networks. They can choose a different card by a card issuer, but choice of the network will be redundant.
  • I don't know why I feel that it is not about giving choice to the customer, but it is about killing competition for Rupay using the government's/RBI's muscle. Rather than competing on a better offering, they are trying to bring other networks to their level, as the other networks will not be able to offer anything better than Rupay and all networks will become the same. So the other networks can not offer anything better than Rupay even if they wanted to. So Rupay need not compete with them on better offerings. It can give average to no offers and still be in its comfort zone knowing that others also cannot offer any better.
I hope I have been able to articulate my confusion properly. Would love to know and understand from others as I can see overwhelming support in favour of the move. In brief, my confusion is, if an Infinia or Magnus, if offered on VISA and RUPAY, will they have the same features, offers and terms or different. If same, according to me it will be disastrous for customers and if different, then I do not understand how it is different from the situation now because they might as well name the cards with different names like they do now.
 

SSV

TF Pioneer
Contributor
VIP Lounge
I feel I am missing something here, maybe too dumb to understand this. First, I need to understand how this will work, if all cards are offered with all card network variants:
  • will it mean that the same card will have different features, offers and terms based on the network that it is issued on? If so, how is it different from the card issuer offering different cards on different networks the way they are doing now? Will it not just create more confusion?
  • If it means that, unlike the above point, the same card will have to have largely the same features irrespective of the network they are issued on, it will mean that none of the networks will have any USP, everyone will offer the same as the other network, rather be forced to offer the same. This will kill competition, innovation and creativity, as well as benefits to customers as there will be no incentive for all networks to together offer a more customer friendly offering because customers will have to opt for whatever is being offered by all networks. They can choose a different card by a card issuer, but choice of the network will be redundant.
  • I don't know why I feel that it is not about giving choice to the customer, but it is about killing competition for Rupay using the government's/RBI's muscle. Rather than competing on a better offering, they are trying to bring other networks to their level, as the other networks will not be able to offer anything better than Rupay and all networks will become the same. So the other networks can not offer anything better than Rupay even if they wanted to. So Rupay need not compete with them on better offerings. It can give average to no offers and still be in its comfort zone knowing that others also cannot offer any better.
I hope I have been able to articulate my confusion properly. Would love to know and understand from others as I can see overwhelming support in favour of the move. In brief, my confusion is, if an Infinia or Magnus, if offered on VISA and RUPAY, will they have the same features, offers and terms or different. If same, according to me it will be disastrous for customers and if different, then I do not understand how it is different from the situation now because they might as well name the cards with different names like they do now.
I hope yor have read my posts about this topic here...

https://www.technofino.in/community...ing-choice-in-card-networks.14796/post-263542


If you carefully observe each point and how it should be interpreted then
My post may provide you with some sort of clarity about your confusions.

First thing first, practically speaking, there will never be a case where all cards will be available on all networks...
It just doesn't work that way, commercially speaking.
It's all about the ability to provide such an opportunity to both issuer and ability to choose the desired network for a customer IF, and only IF the card is available on more than one networks. So from an issuer point of view it is voluntarily action, not a compulsive option..

more later
 
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abhishek0882

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
I hope yor have read my posts about this topic here...

https://www.technofino.in/community...ing-choice-in-card-networks.14796/post-263542


If you carefully observe each point and how it should be interpreted then
My post may provide you with some sort of clarity about your confusions.

First thing first, practically speaking, there will never be a case where all cards will be available on all networks...
It just doesn't work that way, commercially speaking.
It's all about the ability to provide such an opportunity to both issuer and ability to choose the desired network for a customer IF, and only IF the card is available on more than one networks. So from an issuer point of view it is voluntarily action, not a compulsive option..

more later
Indeed this is a wonderful posts and explains things very clearly. I had understood this though, but this post gives much more clarity to me. However, I am still a little too dumb to understand the point of this. How are the two scenarios different - 1) Bank offers card A on VISA and RUPAY variants and customer can choose either variant; 2) Bank offers card A on VISA and card B on RUPAY and customer can choose either card? Assuming that the customer is smart enough to understand the difference being offered on both variants, he will also be smart enough to understand the difference in both the cards, and so can make a judicious choice in either case. And if all offerings are exactly the same, no matter what choice the customer makes it will make no difference.
 
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