The installment plan has been brought under control: what has changed for buyers

      A law has come into force in Russia that completely changes the rules for installment services. Now, such companies are under the control of the Bank of Russia and are required to operate according to unified requirements. This was reported by the press service of the Rospotrebnadzor office for the Kirov region.

      Previously, "buy now - pay later" services set their own conditions. Now, operators are included in a special registry, and their activities are checked by the regulator. As of early April, several organizations have already been added to the list.

      The main innovation is that the installment plan must be truly free. It is prohibited to charge commissions or interest from buyers. In addition, stores can no longer inflate the price of goods when paying through such services: the cost must be the same regardless of the payment method.

      The terms have also changed. The maximum installment period from April 2026 is 6 months, and from 2028 it will be reduced to 4 months. This means that "stretching" payments over a long time will no longer be possible.

      Special attention has been paid to penalties. If a buyer delays a payment, the amount of fines is limited - no more than 20% per annum of the debt amount. This is intended to protect people from a sharp increase in debt.

      Another important innovation concerns debt control. If the amount of debt on the installment exceeds 50,000 rubles, the information will be sent to credit history bureaus. This will allow banks to take into account a person's actual financial burden when issuing loans.

      The new requirements also affect sellers. They are prohibited from passing commissions onto buyers and hiding the real terms of the installment plan. Additionally, advertising must be honest: it is not allowed to call the service "0%" if the costs are already included in the price of the goods.

      Experts note that the law is aimed at protecting consumers. Before applying for an installment plan, Russians are advised to check whether the service is included in the regulator's registry and to read the terms of the contract carefully.