MOSCOW, July 6, 2007. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) in cooperation with
<link www.nacfin.ru _blank>
National Agency for Financial Studies</link> presents information concerning the ways Russians usually make their recurring payments and what methods of payment they consider more convenient than others.The most widespread methods of payment used by the population for making recurring payments turned out to be post offices (54% of the respondents make payments there) and Saving Bank departments (46%). Less common are payments made in the offices of the payees (18%), in cash (12%), at cash desks in shops (10%) or by special vouchers (7%). No more than 4% of the respondents are in the habit of regularly using any other method of payment. Payments at post offices and at Sberbank departments got the first and second place respectively in the rating of the most convenient methods of recurring payment, just in the order they were in the common payment methods scale. They are followed by the offices of the payees, paying in cash, cash desks at shops and special vouchers.
Young people no older than 35 years of age use the two payment methods - at the post offices and at Sberbank departments equally frequent. Respondents who are older than 35 years of age give more preference to post offices, this trend was especially evident among the "60+" group, where as much as 57% make their payments at post offices and only 38% at a Sberbank department. The older generation uses other payment methods more seldom than other age groups, e.g. paying in the offices of the payees (20-22% among the youth and 14% in the age group of 60 and older), paying by cash (14-15% and 8% respectively), paying by special vouchers (8-11% and 1% respectively) and by real time payment terminals (7-9% and 1%)
Higher level of education predetermines the use of more "modern" and "more technological" payment methods, and vice versa, groups of respondents with a lower level of education are more inclined to use the "traditional" methods of payment. Thus, only 2% of respondents with junior secondary education make use of the special vouchers, whereas 11% of respondents with incomplete higher education and higher education do. 2% and 8% respectively make payments via their bank's ATM. The most usual method of payment for the respondents with higher and incomplete higher education is at a Sberbank department (57%), for those with a lower level of education this was mostly at the post office (53%-57%).
Residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg give definite preference to banks: Sberbank (85% of respondents), the nearest department of any other bank, a department they first met on their way, the first suitable department, and an ATM of their bank got 8-9% each. In less densely populated cities the banks lose on popularity, whereas the rate of those using post offices grows. This tendency can still better be observed in the rural area: two thirds of the population use post offices to make their recurring payments.
The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on June 2-3, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.
| Which payment methods doyou usually use to make yourrecurring payments? (up to 5 answers) | Which payment methods would be more convenient to you to make the payments mentioned below? (up to 3 answers) |
At post offices | 54 | 34 |
In the Sberbank department nearest to your house or place of work | 46 | 31 |
In the offices of the payees | 18 | 10 |
In cash | 12 | 10 |
At cash desks in shops | 10 | 8 |
By special vouchers | 7 | 7 |
In the nearest department of any other bank | 4 | 2 |
The first suitable bank department | 4 | 3 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of your bank | 4 | 3 |
Via real time payment terminals | 4 | 4 |
In the first bank department on your way | 2 | 2 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of any bank | 1 | 3 |
Payments are deducted from my salary | 1 | 3 |
In cash, I give money right to the currier | 1 | 1 |
Via a money transfer system (such as "Anelik", "Contact", "Unistream", "Western Union") | 0 | 0 |
Via payment systems over the Internet | 0 | 1 |
Other payment method | 0 | 1 |
I do not make any payments | 8 | 7 |
Difficult to answer | 2 | 9 |
Which payment methods do you normally use to make recurring payments? (up to 5 answers) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Age, years | ||||
18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and older | ||
At post offices | 54 | 45 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 57 |
In the Sberbank department nearest to your house or place of work | 46 | 43 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 38 |
In the offices of the payees | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 14 |
In cash | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
At cash desks in shops | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 6 |
By special vouchers | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
In the nearest department of any other bank | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
The first suitable bank department | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of your bank | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
Via real time payment terminals | 4 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
In the first bank department on your way | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of any bank | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - |
Payments are deducted from my salary | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
In cash, I give money to the currier | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Via a money transfer system (such as "Anelik", "Contact", "Unistream", "Western Union") | 0 | - | - | 0 | - | - |
Via payment systems over the Internet | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Other payment method | 0 | - | 0 | - | 1 | 0 |
I do not make any payments | 8 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
Difficult to answer | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Which payment methods do you normally use to make recurring payments? (up to 5 answers) | |||||
| Total respondents | Level of Education | |||
Elementary or lower, junior secondary education | Secondary education (school or vocational school) | Post-secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher education (no less than 6 semesters), higher education | ||
At post offices | 54 | 53 | 55 | 57 | 47 |
In the Sberbank department nearest to your house or place of work | 46 | 41 | 40 | 44 | 57 |
In the offices of the payees | 18 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 21 |
In cash | 12 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 16 |
At cash desks in shops | 10 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 15 |
By special vouchers | 7 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
In the nearest department of any other bank | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
The first suitable bank department | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of your bank | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
Via real time payment terminals | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
In the first bank department on your way | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of any bank | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Payments are deducted from my salary | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
In cash, I give money to the currier | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - |
Via a money transfer system (such as "Anelik", "Contact", "Unistream", "Western Union") | 0 | - | - | 0 | - |
Via payment systems over the Internet | 0 | - | - | - | 0 |
Other payment method | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - |
I do not make any payments | 8 | 8 | 13 | 6 | 3 |
Difficult to answer | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Which payment methods do you normally use to make recurring payments? (up to 5 answers) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Type of Settlement | ||||
Moscow and St. Petersburg | More than 500 thousand inhabitants
| 100-500 thousand | Less than 100 thousand | Villages | ||
At post offices | 54 | 38 | 58 | 44 | 45 | 65 |
In the Sberbank department nearest to your house or place of work | 46 | 85 | 38 | 52 | 49 | 33 |
In the offices of the payees | 18 | 21 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 12 |
In cash | 12 | 8 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 11 |
At cash desks in shops | 10 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 7 |
By special vouchers | 7 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
In the nearest department of any other bank | 4 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
The first suitable bank department | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of your bank | 4 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
Via real time payment terminals | 4 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
In the first bank department on your way | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
By ATM (by a credit/debit card) of any bank | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Payments are deducted from my salary | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
In cash, I give money to the currier | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 2 |
Via a money transfer system (such as "Anelik", "Contact", "Unistream", "Western Union") | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - |
Via payment systems over the Internet | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - |
Other payment method | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 1 |
I do not make any payments | 8 | - | 7 | 10 | 5 | 11 |
Difficult to answer | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |