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Is electronic money money? Electronic money. What is it and how to use it

Many modern users have heard the term “digital money”. But not everyone understands what it is. But you need to know about this. After all, digital technologies are an integral part of life modern man. And electronic money is becoming more and more common in practice. But what is it? And how can you use these objects?

Terminology

Digital money is a system for storing various currencies using modern technologies. In particular computers.

In simple terms, electronic money refers to cash flows stored in so-called electronic wallets. We can say that this describes a currency that circulates not in the form of cash, but in electronic payment systems.

An electronic wallet is a storage of digital money. A set of data available to a financial organization that emphasizes a citizen’s right to use certain finances. Often, electronic wallets are simply called payment systems.

Flaws

What are the pros and cons of digital money? Let's start with the shortcomings. After all, every user should know about them. And at the same time we will dispel some myths.

The disadvantages of digital money include:

  1. Legal regulation. In most countries, it is not yet entirely clear how to legally work with electronic media. In addition, there are official prohibitions on the use of digital money in some areas. For example, they will not be able to pay for the purchase of an apartment or car.
  2. Daily life. Another very dubious drawback. Not everyone is familiar with digital money. And they can't be used everywhere. Some people claim that it will be possible to work without problems with electronic means only on the Internet. In practice this is not the case. Especially when you consider that the bulk of payment electronic systems offers a special form of storing money (more on it later). This service allows you to freely use available funds.
  3. Difficult to use. Digital money today is strongly tied to technological progress. Just a few years ago this feature was a serious drawback. For example, if a person’s internet or electricity is cut off, they will not be able to access funds.

We have studied the disadvantages of electronic money. But they also have enough advantages. After all, today users are working more and more with a similar interpretation of tools.

Positive aspects

Now about the positives. Electronic money is very convenient. It is important to understand that the bulk of their shortcomings are already being perfectly eliminated. In particular, if you choose a good storage facility.

So, the advantages of digital money include:

  1. Mobility. For digital media there is no concept of size. In addition, a person will always be able to use his money. All funds will be at hand. This is very captivating. You no longer need to stand in line to pay receipts and taxes; you can easily transfer money anywhere in the world.
  2. Full automation. There is no human factor when working with digital money. All operations are performed by computers and then recorded. In electronic payment systems there is no concept of change. And thanks to saving the history of transactions, a person will be able to understand where this or that money went.
  3. Safety. It is almost impossible to lose electronic funds. They will not be stolen from your hands, and a person will not forget where he put them. All finances are stored in a special electronic wallet. Electronic money can only be lost if the corresponding storage facility is hacked. Fortunately, such situations are extremely rare.
  4. Freedom. When working with digital finance, the user may not provide information about himself. For most operations, it is enough to know the account details of the recipient of the funds.
  5. Comfort of use. Today, technological progress does not stand still. And now digital money can be used almost everywhere. The main thing is to choose the right e-wallet. Paying digitally is allowed wherever there is cashless payment.

As you can already see, the components being studied have a lot of advantages. But what else do users need to know? How to work with electronic money and wallets?

Examples of digital media

It is important to understand that electronic money is different. And they all allow you to work with different currencies. Therefore, it is not entirely clear how digital media differ. It is customary to classify them by storage systems.

Let's look at the most common types. Examples of digital money:

  • cryptocurrency;
  • "Yandex. Money";
  • PayPal;
  • Qiwi;
  • Webmoney.

These are not all types of electronic media. But users work with the listed options most often.

Blurred concept

The definition of digital money is vague. On the one hand, we found out what it is. On the other hand, some people claim that any non-cash transactions are actions with electronic means. Is this really true?

Yes and no. After all, many banks offer Internet banking. In this case, the funds will be stored in an account opened in advance, and management will be carried out using computer technology. Therefore, it is not always possible to understand what digital tools are.

But as we have already said, this term is usually used to describe money stored on an electronic wallet. It is with this interpretation that we will work further.

About wallets and their use

We found out what electronic money is. An electronic wallet is a repository of relevant finances. Such payment systems are in great demand. Especially when shopping online.

Electronic wallets, like money, are diverse. Most often, people work with the systems "WebMoney", "Yandex. Money", "Qiwi", "PayPal". How can I use a wallet of one type or another?

The main functionality of the digital (electronic) money storage includes:

  • paying bills (any);
  • checking taxes and fines;
  • payment for purchases on the Internet;
  • payment for receiving certain services;
  • mobile phone account replenishment;
  • making money transfers.

Almost like a regular wallet with money! The difference is that cash does not appear in this case. Cashless payments only.

Under certain circumstances, the user can cash out digital funds. For example, by making a money transfer via the Contact system.

Types of wallets

It is also important to understand that modern electronic wallets try to protect as much as possible. To achieve this, payment systems introduce various restrictions and several types of accounts.

The most common among them are:

  • initial (anonymous);
  • standard, formal (nominal);
  • confirmed.

In the first case, the citizen does not provide any information about himself. Such wallets are severely limited in terms of storage limits in the account, transactions and amounts that can be withdrawn from the account per day/week/month. Formal certificates (profiles) require the user to upload passport data and indicate personal information. This is the most common scenario. The wallet has large limits, but not all restrictions have been removed from it yet.

Confirmed accounts allow you to work with all options of a particular wallet. In this case, restrictions will be minimal. Usually you have to confirm your identity at the payment system service center (for example, in Euroset communication stores). Such certificates are used by individual entrepreneurs.

About media

As we have already said, previously electronic funds were very problematic to use. But now this problem has been eliminated in many payment systems. The thing is that digital money can be stored on different media.

The following scenarios are possible:

  • electronic invoice (required);
  • bank card linked to the wallet;
  • virtual card.

When opening an electronic wallet, the user is required to be issued a special account (like a bank account). This is the money depository.

Many services like Yandex.Money allow you to create special bank cards linked to an electronic account. Under such circumstances, all the money in the wallet immediately ends up on the card. It's very convenient! Thanks to this feature, digital funds are now almost no different from money that is stored on a bank card of a regular bank.

A virtual card is an analogue of a physical medium. Used for ease of use on the Internet. With the help of such “plastic” you can pay for purchases on the Internet with special comfort. A striking example A similar product is the "WebMoney" card.

Getting started

How to get started with an electronic wallet and digital money? It is enough to register in one or another payment system.

For example, you can do this:

  1. Go to the Webmoney website.
  2. Click on the "Registration" button.
  3. Provide your mobile phone number.
  4. Click on the "Continue" button.
  5. Fill out the registration form. Here you must indicate the e-mail that will be linked to the wallet.
  6. Create a login password and repeat it.
  7. Click on the "Register" button.
  8. Confirm the operation. To do this, you need to enter a special code sent via SMS.

That's all. Now the user will have a "WebMoney" wallet. The user will see his account, which will allow him to work with digital means. In your “Personal Account” you can upload scans of your passport and receive a formal certificate.

Virtual card

The WebMoney card can be issued only after the user gets rid of the anonymous profile. This means virtual “plastic”.

To order it, you need:

  1. Log in to your wallet.
  2. Open the WM map page.
  3. Click on the "Order" button.
  4. Select the type of plastic.
  5. Click on the "Next" button.
  6. Indicate whether SMS notification is required.
  7. Check the box next to "Confirm".
  8. Click on the "Confirmation" button.
  9. Pay for plastic through the "Merchant" system, indicating the details from your bank card.

Ready! Now you can use the virtual card. This task does not cause any difficulties.

Conclusion

IN modern world The future of digital money is uncertain. But we can say with confidence that most countries are trying to introduce such means and introduce laws that allow them to control relevant finances. Electronic payment services are improving every year.

Already, there is almost no difference between a bank card and plastic linked to an electronic wallet. This means that digital tools are in demand. They replace cash. Working with that kind of money is a pleasure!

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Electronic money is increasingly becoming part of our lives. This is connected primarily, which has now become one of the most necessary attributes of our lives.

Moreover, he has long since stepped over the level when we only gained knowledge there. Now we live online - we communicate, buy, sell, pay for services, make friends, etc., etc. It is quite logical that in this environment their own systems of mutual payments arise, allowing them to move away from primitive barter.

On at the moment There are already several dozen payment systems in Russia alone, and even more in the world. Of course, not all of them are well-known, but the very fact that there is competition gives ordinary users of electronic payments (all sorts of goodies to entice), which might not have existed in the absence of a fight for the client.

Of course, it will not be possible to cover all the players in one article (and there is still a wild excitement around them, which I wrote about in a separate publication), but we will definitely consider the most popular ones. At the end of the publication, I will also invite you to vote for the Internet currency that you personally prefer.

Three leading payment systems in Russia

It all started a very long time ago (mainly at the end of the last and beginning of this millennium). At that time, monetary relations began to actively develop on the Internet (electronic commerce, etc.) and the only available form of payment was plastic cards. The emergence of Internet money options has made it possible to significantly simplify the process of paying and receiving payments via the network (without leaving home).

But not only on the Internet, because now various electronic wallets offer you to use those lying on them not only for any operations on the Internet, but also in real life. For example, a system linked to an account, with which you can pay for your purchases in real life (supermarket, boutique, gas stations and other places where cards are accepted for payment). In fact, many payment systems already offer similar services.

In Russia you can highlight 3 leading payment systems, but I think it’s unlikely to be possible to put them in their strict places. In each individual case, you will need to choose exactly according to your needs.

For example, Qiwi is truly a “people’s” system and everyone who knows what payment terminals are works with it. At the same time, WebMoney is used by almost everyone who earns money in the Russian-speaking part of the RuNet. Both Yandex Money and other electronic wallets have their own audience. But first things first.

Qiwi payment system

If the main complaints about working with Qiwi (and many other systems) relate to the work of their technical support service, then in the WebMoney payment system the main problem is. Personally, I solved this problem for myself, which does not allow me to make a single payment or authorization on sites without confirming this action on my mobile phone (you receive a confirmation code in the form of SMS, or you install a special application on your phone to generate it).

Also, the safety and security of this electronic money depends. There are several of them, and I wrote about some of them in some detail at one time:

You also need to understand that there are various Internet currencies that circulate within this system. Currencies, of course, are conditional (in fact, these are just title units), but are strictly tied to the official exchange rate of the real currencies coinciding with them (fiat money).

The main ones, of course, are dollars (WMZ) and rubles (WMR), but euros (WME), hryvnia (WMU), Belarusian rubles (WMB), etc. are also in circulation. In this regard, the need very often arises. Read about the most profitable ways to do this in the article below.

Electronic Yandex Money

Personally, this system attracts me because it can link a plastic card from Yandex to your wallet, so that you can then use it to pay in the store and in all other places where MasterCard is accepted. In this case, the account on the electronic wallet is equal to the balance on the card and no interest is charged for such use (a commission is charged only when withdrawing money from an ATM). In my opinion, very convenient way withdrawal of pennies earned on the Internet.

This payment system allows you to deposit and withdraw funds in many ways, as well as pay for many services and goods. There is a mobile phone application that allows you to conveniently work with your e-wallet without having to download a browser. In general, read about that in the article provided.

8 best electronic payment systems in the world

— once upon a time, the Payoneer Mastercard was the only acceptable way to withdraw funds earned by freelancers and stockers abroad. Nowadays, quite a few similar systems have already appeared, but Payoneer (or Pioneer) still remains in great demand, because many bourgeois exchanges and sites for making money cooperate only with it.

The main feature of the system is to receive a branded card and withdraw money earned abroad from it through any ATM in the world. Although now you can withdraw money from your Payoneer account directly to an account in a local bank and with a not very high percentage of commission, many do not want to show their income to the bank and use the card, because it is not connected to a bank account (prepaid) and there are no problems there should not be any problems with the tax authorities only when using it.

Previously, withdrawing money from Adsense was quite inconvenient, but after connecting to Rapida everything became just fine (though only for residents of Russia). The fact is that in the Rapida system you can configure payment templates for the transit of electronic money from Adsense to any terminal options for cashing them out that are convenient for you. Moreover, the templates are executed automatically when a payment is received from Google’s contextual system.

Liqpay— Ukrainian payment system, the account in which is linked to the account in Privat Bank. It positions itself as an alternative to the world-famous PayPal and Moneybookers, but in reality this is, of course, far from the case. Working with electronic money is quite safe, and read about the rest at the link provided.

10 most popular cryptocurrencies in the world

Cryptocurrency is generally difficult to classify as a payment system, because due to the nature of this system, there cannot be owners or people managing (and even administering) this system. She is launched and she begins to live her life without essentially obeying anyone (all thanks to cryptography based on the great and terrible, which simply works wonders). This is its charm and, in a sense, its disadvantage.

It is also difficult to equate crypto-currency with electronic money, because there is not yet a developed network of services and goods that could be bought with crypto-money. Something is possible somewhere, but it is still in its infancy. But at the same time, speaking about electronic money, it is impossible not to plunge into the crypto world. Why?

Because cryptocurrency is an excellent tool for speculation, i.e. fast, often high-risk, but also very high earnings. Someone sells their home, and in a month or two doubles their capital. Some people play “small” and have a stable additional source of income. There is a rush of demand for cryptocurrency and it is becoming more expensive.

With the development of credit circulation, electronic money appears, which has certain advantages compared to paper:

  • increasing the speed of transfer of payment documents;
  • simplification of processing of bank correspondence;
  • reducing the cost of processing payment documentation.

In economic literature electronic money is defined as:

  • money in computer memory accounts of banks, which are managed using a special electronic device;
  • electronic storage of monetary value using a technical device;
  • a new means of payment that allows for payment transactions and does not require access to deposit accounts;
  • an open-ended monetary obligation of a financial credit institution, expressed in electronic form, certified by an electronic digital signature and repayable at the time of presentation in ordinary money, etc.

In international practice- these are prepaid or store value financial products, in which information about funds or value is stored on an electronic device.

Electronic money - V in a broad sense words are considered as a set of subsystems of cash (issue is carried out without opening personal accounts) and non-cash money (issue is carried out with the opening of personal accounts) or as a system of monetary settlements through the use of electronic technology.

Electronic money - in the narrow sense represent a subsystem of cash issued by banks or specialized credit institutions. The main difference here is that it is not necessary to use a bank account when making a payment, when the transaction is carried out from the payer to the recipient without the participation of the bank.

Properties of electronic money

Main characteristics of electronic money:

  • the monetary value is recorded on an electronic device;
  • it can be used for a variety of payments;
  • payment is final.

Nevertheless, the question of independent allocation of electronic money in separate species remains debatable, as does their definition, role in and functions.

In modern times, electronic money is fiat money, have a credit basis, perform the functions of a means of payment, circulation, accumulation, and have a guarantee. The basis for issuing electronic money into circulation is cash and non-cash money. Electronic money acts as a monetary obligation of the issuer when servicing non-cash turnover as a requirement for it. They can be considered as an element of the monetary aggregate. Automatic maintenance of bank accounts (crediting and debiting funds, transfers from account to account, interest calculation, monitoring the status of settlements) is carried out electronically (electronic transfers). Tools for electronic access to accounts are constantly evolving, however, money is still presented in the form of account records.

Properties of electronic money are based both on traditional monetary properties (liquidity, portability, versatility, divisibility, convenience) and on relatively new ones (security, anonymity, durability). However, not all of them in the process of application meet the requirements of high liquidity and stable purchasing power, and therefore their issue and use in circulation require a special procedure for regulation and control. Electronic access tools include payment cards, electronic checks, and remote banking.

Calculations on the Internet. "Network" electronic money

These calculations are based on the concept of electronic cash. Electronic cash is digital cash in electronic form, used in network payments, representing electronic bills in the form of a set of binary codes existing on a particular medium, transported in the form of a digital envelope over the network. Electronic cash technology allows you to pay for goods and services in the virtual economy by transferring information from one computer to another. Electronic cash, like real cash, is anonymous and reusable, and digital banknote numbers are unique. They can be transferred from one person to another, bypassing the bank, but at the same time keeping them within network payment systems. When paying for a product or service, digital money is transferred to the seller, who either transfers it to a bank participating in the system for crediting to his account, or pays his partners with it. Currently, various network payment systems are widespread on the Internet.

Yandex.Money. In mid-2002, Paycash entered into an agreement with the largest search engine on the Runet, Yandex, to launch the Yandex project. Money (universal payment system created in 2002). The main features of the Yandex payment system. Money:

  • electronic transfers between user accounts;
  • buy, sell and exchange electronic currencies:
  • pay for services (Internet access, cellular communications, hosting, apartment, etc.);
  • transfer funds to a credit or debit card.

The transaction fee is 0.5% for each payment transaction. When withdrawing cash to a bank account or in another way, the Yandex.Money system retains 3% of the amount of withdrawn funds, in addition, an additional percentage is charged directly by the transfer agent (bank, post office, etc.).

WebmoneyTransfer - payment system, which appeared on November 25, 1998, is the most widespread and reliable Russian electronic payment system for conducting financial transactions in real time, created for users of the Russian-speaking part of the World Wide Web. Anyone can become a user of the system. The means of payment in the system are title units called WebMoney, or WM for short. All WM is stored in so-called electronic wallets. The most common types of wallets are:

  • WMZ - dollar wallets;
  • WMR - ruble wallets;
  • WME - wallets for storing euros;
  • WMU - wallets for storing Ukrainian hryvnia.

The WebMoney Transfer payment system allows you to:

  • carry out financial transactions and pay for goods (services) on the Internet;
  • pay for the services of mobile operators, Internet and television providers, pay for subscriptions to the media;
  • exchange WebMoney title units for other electronic currencies at a favorable rate;
  • make payments by email, use your mobile phone as a wallet;
  • owners of online stores accept payments for goods on their website.

WM is a global information system for the transfer of property rights, open to free use everyone. Using WebMoney Transfer, you can make instant transactions related to the transfer of property rights to any online goods and services, create your own web services and network enterprises, conduct transactions with other participants, issue and maintain your own tools.

There are several ways to replenish your WM wallet:

  • by bank transfer (including through Sberbank of the Russian Federation);
  • postal transfer;
  • using the Western Union system;
  • by exchanging rubles or currency for WM at an authorized bank or exchange office;
  • by receiving WM from any of the system participants in exchange for services, goods or in exchange for cash;
  • using a prepaid WM card;
  • through the E-Gold system.

RUpay- The payment system, operating since October 7, 2002, is an integrator of payment systems, where payment systems and exchange offices are programmatically combined into one system.

Main features of the RUpay payment system:

  • making electronic transfers between user accounts;
  • buy, sell and exchange electronic currencies with a minimum commission;
  • make payments to other electronic payment systems: WebMoney, PayPal, E-gold, etc.;
  • accept payments on your website in more than 20 ways;
  • receive funds from the system account at the nearest ATM;
  • manage your account from any computer connected to the Internet."

PayCash- electronic payment system. It began its work on the Russian market in early 1998, positioned primarily as an accessible means of fast, efficient and secure cash payments on the Internet.

The main advantage of this payment system is the use of its own unique developments in the field of financial cryptography, highly appreciated by Western experts. The PayCash payment system has a number of prestigious awards and patents, including the “Certificate of Special Recognition from the US Congress.” At the moment, such well-known payment systems as Yandex operate using PayCash technology. Money (Russia), Cyphermint PayCash (USA), DramCash (Armenia), PayCash (Ukraine).

PayCash is based on digital cash technology. From the point of view of the user (seller or buyer), PayCash technology represents many “electronic wallets”, each of which has its own owner. All wallets are connected to a single processing center, where information received from the owners is processed. Thanks to modern technologies users can carry out transactions with their money without leaving the computer. The technology allows you to transfer digital cash from one wallet to another, store it in online banking, convert it, withdraw it from the system to traditional bank accounts or other payment systems.

E- gold- an electronic payment system created in 1996 by Gold&Silver Reserve (G&SR). E-gold is an American electronic money settlement system, the main currency of which is precious metals - gold, platinum, silver, etc., and this currency is physically backed by the corresponding metal. The system is completely international, works with all currencies of the world, and anyone can gain access to it. The reliability of this payment system is guaranteed by US and Swiss banks. The main difference between the e-gold payment system is that all funds are physically backed by precious metals stored in Nova Scotia Bank (Toronto). The number of users of the c-gold payment system in 2006 was about 3 million people. The main advantages of the e-gold payment system are as follows:

  • internationality - regardless of place of residence, any user has the opportunity to open an account in e-gold:
  • anonymity - when opening an account, there are no mandatory requirements for indicating the user’s real personal data;
  • ease and intuitiveness - the interface is intuitive and user-friendly;
  • no additional software installation required;
  • versatility - the wide distribution of this payment system allows it to be used for almost any financial transaction.

You can enter money into the system in two ways: receive a transfer from another participant or transfer money in any currency to the E-gold system using the mechanism described on the website via bank transfer.

You can receive or cash out money by ordering a bank transfer on the E-gold website, making a transfer to other systems (PayPal, WebMoney, Western Union) or to any credit or debit card.

Stormpay- payment system opened in 2002. Any user can register in this system, regardless of country of residence. One of the advantages of the system is its universality and lack of reference to a specific geographic region, since the system works with all countries without exception. The account number in the Stormpay payment system is an email address. Its main drawback is the inability to convert funds from a Stormpay account to E-gold, WebMoney or Rupay. This payment system allows you to transfer funds to credit cards.

PayPal- electronic payment system, one of the most popular and reliable among foreign payment systems. By early 2006, it served users from 55 countries. PayPal was founded by Peter Thiel and Max Levchin in 1998 as a private company. PayPal provides its users with the ability to accept and send payments using email or a mobile phone with Internet access, but in addition, users of the PayPal payment system have the opportunity to:

  • send payments (Send Money): transfer any amount from your personal account. In this case, the recipient of the payment can be either another PayPal user or an outsider;
  • execute a request to receive payment (Money Request). Using this type of service, the user can send letters to his debtors containing a request for payment (issue an invoice for payment);

place on the website special tools for accepting payments (Web Tools). This service is only available to Premier and Business account holders and is recommended for use by online store owners. In this case, the user can place a button on his website, by clicking which the payer is taken to the payment system website, where he can complete the payment procedure (you can use credit card), after which it returns to the user’s website;

  • use auction trading tools (Auction Tools). The payment system offers two types of services: 1) automatic distribution of requests to receive payment (Automatic Payment Request); 2) auction winners can make payments directly from the website where the auction is held (Instant Purchase for Auctions);
  • carry out financial transactions using a mobile phone (Mobile Payments);
  • make simultaneous payments to a large number of users (Batch Pay);
  • carry out daily transfer of funds to a bank account (Auto-Sweep).

In the future, the possibility of receiving interest for storing funds in the account is being considered.

Moneybookers- electronic payment system, opened in 2003. Despite its relative youth, it successfully competes in many areas with such a giant as PayPal. The main advantage of this payment system can be considered its versatility. Moneybookers is easy to use for both individuals and owners of online stores and banks. Unlike PayPal, the Moneybookers payment system serves users in more than 170 countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Moneybookers features:

  • installation of additional software is not required for operation;
  • The Moneybookers user account number is the email address;
  • the minimum transfer amount to Moneybookers is 1 euro cent (or the equivalent in another currency);
  • the ability to automatically send funds on a schedule without user participation;
  • the system commission is 1% of the payment amount and is deducted from the sender.

Most active Internet users use electronic money to pay for goods and services online. Payments using electronic money are instant, and they are a good alternative to bank cards and accounts. Most novice Internet users have heard about electronic money, but have a very superficial understanding of it. However, as you master the computer and the World Wide Web, sooner or later, a moment will arise when you need to make a payment online.

In this article we will talk about what electronic money is, the history of its origin, how to start it, its advantages and disadvantages.

Electronic money (or in other words, virtual money) cannot be touched or put in a wallet, but it has the same value as physical money. And this is not surprising, because... In order for you to have electronic money on the Internet, you need to add real banknotes there to exchange for an electronic equivalent or receive them from someone by transfer, who in turn also deposited real banknotes, i.e. Electronic money on the Internet does not appear out of nowhere like in a fairy tale.

Virtual funds can be compared to a bank card to which your salary was transferred. You cannot touch the money, but you can pay with it or transfer it from card to card using online banking via a computer or smartphone.

To accept, store and make payments with virtual money, you must have an account in a payment system that handles electronic money. There are payment systems on the Internet large number, both foreign and Russian. They do not issue money like the Central Bank, but simply provide operational services for a small commission percentage.

Here is a small list of what you can pay with virtual funds:

  • goods and their delivery in online stores;
  • mobile communications;
  • buy tickets;
  • book hotel rooms;
  • pay for housing and communal services;
  • pay fines.

And in general, any goods or services sold via the Internet can be paid for with electronic money.

History of electronic money

The official history of electronic money dates back to 1993, when European central banks drew attention to the growth of electronic payments on the Internet and initiated a study of this phenomenon. In 1994, according to the results of a study, electronic financial transactions were officially recognized on the Internet. And since 1996, the central banks of the Big Ten countries began to carry out financial monitoring of electronic money in countries with a developed Internet.

On the territory of Russia, electronic money has been used for the first time since the mid-90s of the last century, gradually increasing turnover and actively developing. By 1998, the first electronic payment system (EPS) Webmoney appeared in Russia, carrying out transactions in all major currencies.

At the moment, the most common electronic payment systems in Russia are:

  1. Yandex money.
  2. Qiwi.
  3. Webmoney

Payments from the above systems are accepted by all online stores in Russia

To pay for goods and services with electronic money, you need to open an account, or a so-called “wallet,” in one of the EPS (electronic payment systems) that you are going to use.

To create electronic money you must complete the following steps:

  1. Register in the selected electronic payment system and receive an account number, the so-called “wallet”.
  2. Identify yourself. Without personal identification, the use of EPS is possible only with restrictions.
  3. Enter the required amount in real money to your wallet in any way (through a terminal, communication shops, online banking, from a bank card, etc.) that is available for this payment system.

Registration and further work with the wallet should not cause any problems, you just need to follow step by step instructions payment system.

Advantages of electronic money

The main advantages of electronic money are:

  1. Instant payment for goods and services at any time of the day using a computer or smartphone. Each payment system has an application for a mobile device.
  2. Quick transfer of funds to relatives and friends.
  3. Quick replenishment of your wallet with a minimal commission or no commission at all, depending on the replenishment method.
  4. Easy to use and create an account.
  5. All popular payment systems issue a virtual or real card from which you can make payments online without fear of revealing your main salary or credit card. And in the case of receiving a physical plastic card from the payment system, you can pay with it in ordinary stores or withdraw money from it that was transferred to you in the system.

Disadvantages of electronic money

Along with undeniable advantages, virtual money also has a number of disadvantages.

  1. Commission when withdrawing funds from your wallet to your bank account or card.
  2. Commission for withdrawing electronic money from a payment system card.
  3. If you lose your password, you lose access to your wallet, which will be difficult to recover.
  4. It is possible that the wallet could be hacked by attackers and therefore lose money.

Do not forget about the payment system, and also do not allow your password to become known to anyone, otherwise you may lose all the funds in your electronic wallet. When registering a wallet, come up with one that will be impossible to match.

In addition, despite the serious measures taken by payment systems to protect user funds, the possibility of wallet hacking cannot be completely ruled out. So don't keep it permanently. large amounts on the EPS account.

Share.

You will learn the names of electronic money, which are most popular in Russia, how and where you can buy such means of payment, and what are the features of cashing them out.

Good afternoon, dear readers! Denis Kuderin is with you - editor-in-chief and part-time expert at HeatherBeaver magazine on financial topics.

I work remotely and receive my salary via the Internet, namely through online banking and through electronic payment systems (EPS). I have accounts in at least 5 of these services, and I use them more or less regularly. Electronic money is convenient, fast and reliable, provided that you use it wisely.

I will tell you what the pros and cons of electronic money are, how to manage them correctly, which wallets are preferable for domestic and which for international payments.

You will learn how profitable it is to cash out digital money, where the lowest commission is, and why you cannot put an equal sign between WMR and rubles.

1. What is electronic money and how did it appear?

It is useful to know about electronic money for everyone who intends to use or already uses money payments on the Internet. If you want to pay for the services of a provider, throw money at your phone, buy a bike in an online store, get paid for the work done by a designer, author, translator, payment systems will become your reliable assistant.

EPS has only one alternative - Internet banking. But not all service providers, customers and employers support financial settlements through a bank. For some it is expensive, for others it is unprofitable, and for others it is inconvenient. EDs provide additional freedom of action in this regard.

What is electronic money (ED) from a legal point of view? This is a kind of obligation assumed by the issuing organization. They are the equivalent real money, stored on an online resource. This is part of the virtual financial market.

What is the level of reliability of cashless systems in comparison with banks? It will be difficult for a non-specialist to compare the degree of vulnerability of a personal Internet account in a bank and an account in an EPS.

The developers assure that your funds will be kept equally secure both in the bank and in virtual wallets. But a bank is still a bank, that is, a place, by definition, intended for storing money. And EPS is primarily a service for virtual payments and only then storage.

Hence the conclusion: store on electronic wallets large sums- not the smartest move. Keep funds here for operating expenses and everyday payments. It's better to keep the rest in a bank account.

Historical information:

The need for remote electronic payments appeared almost immediately after the widespread spread of the Internet. The first full-fledged EPS appeared in 1997. In Russia it was a platform called CyberPlat, which allowed instant payments through secure channels.

The first online payment in the Russian Federation was carried out in 1998. In the same year, the WebMoney platform, which is still successfully operating today, went into operation. The date of the first transaction was November 1998. Now WebMoney Transfer has more than 36 million users around the world.

The legal regulation of the status of ED is regulated by the Federal Law on PS of 2016.

ED is the equivalent of real monetary units. They perform the same function as regular money and are legally taxed. Some services even issue plastic cards that have the same capabilities as traditional bank plastic.

Personally, I have a YandexMoney plastic card, which I use to successfully pay in supermarkets, coffee shops, cinemas and wherever there are acquiring machines.

The only disadvantage of this card is the 3% commission for cash withdrawals. But some banking products also require interest on withdrawals, so this is a relative minus.

Let's list the main advantages of ED:

  1. Convenience– most payments and transfers are made in one click.
  2. Reliability– if necessary, you set up confirmation of transactions via SMS: no one except you will know the code for the operation.
  3. Durability– money is stored in your wallet as long as you need it.
  4. Liquidity– transfer virtual funds into real ones at any time.
  5. Anonymity– if desired, the recipient and sender remain unknown.
  6. Safety– all EPS use modern algorithms for protecting funds and transactions.
  7. 24/7 service– services are automatic and work seven days a week.
  8. Versatility– almost all banks, online stores and service sites accept electronic payments.
  9. Anti-counterfeit protection– they will not transfer you a counterfeit bill electronically.
  10. Portability and comfort when using.

Among the disadvantages of virtual coins are the presence of a commission for some operations, the risk of account hacking by attackers, and loss of access to the wallet if the authorization data is lost.

The last drawback can be easily eliminated if you go through full identification. For example, in YaD, for this you need to come to the organization’s office (or to the Euroset salon) with a passport and pay 50 rubles. After this, it will be easier to restore access if you lose your password and code word.

To use EPS, a person only needs access to the network, an ATM or a card issued by a payment system. But I have to warn you that not all countries accept electronic payments. When traveling abroad, it is wiser to use the international EPS Visa and MasterCard.

2. Ways to use electronic currency

The main area of ​​application of ED is settlements between users (individuals, companies, public organizations).

Payments are made instantly thanks to modern digital technologies. This distinguishes EPS from transactions with bank accounts, which are often delayed for several hours or even days.

Let's consider all the ways to use virtual money.

Method 1. Internet payments

This is the main use case – payments on the Internet for goods, services, work performed. Money from an electronic account is sent to other wallets, bank cards, accounts of organizations and individuals.

Payments are available around the clock. Pay when it’s convenient for you for purchases, housing and communal services, Internet providers, operators cellular communication, government services, traffic police fines, etc. All transactions are tracked and saved in the transaction history.

If required, you will receive a check by mail with details and payment date. Print it out and use it as proof of payment.

Method 2. ATMs

Terminals and ATMs are another popular tool for using digital money.

Using hardware, they top up accounts, pay for purchases, and receive cash.

Method 3. Credit cards

Some systems allow you to pay with credit funds when paying for purchases in stores, supermarkets, hotels and other places.

In addition, you have the right to pay off expenses from credit cards using electronic money.

Method 4. Bank checks

You transfer ED to a bank account, then withdraw funds from a bank or ATM.

Another option is to send electronic money using international EPS, the recipient receives the transfer at the bank. The method is not the fastest, but sometimes it is the only possible one.

3. What types of money are there on the Internet?

I have used all three EPS presented below and can reliably indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each service.

I would like to warn you in advance that these electronic documents are beneficial to use only for internal settlements on the territory of the Russian Federation and near abroad. Make transactions with Europe, the USA and other countries through other services.

1) WebMoney

The oldest PS in Runet. It is noteworthy that it is used not only in the Russian Federation and neighboring countries, but also in some Western European countries.

WebMoney has several types of currencies:

  • WMR – account in rubles;
  • WMU – in hryvnias;
  • WMZ – in dollars;
  • WMB – in Belarusian rubles;
  • WMX – in bitcoins.

There are even accounts in litecoins and gold. WebMoney bills are paid through the Keeper website or client, as well as through banks, exchange offices and other payment services.

The disadvantages are the same as those of other EPS: commissions, difficulties with transferring to cash. So, in Kazakhstan, in order to cash out WMR, you need to pay a commission to exchange offices from 10 to 30%.

Among the shortcomings that affected me personally is the complex and lengthy identification process. There are many steps and procedures required to obtain a personal certificate. Not everyone has the desire or time for such manipulations.

Another point is the difficulty of transferring Keeper (the client for working in the system) to another computer and recovering the password if it is lost.

Many also remember the situation with vague sanctions by companies several years ago - withdrawal of money from any WM accounts was unavailable for a long time. It was necessary to use complex withdrawal schemes from the account, with a loss of 5 to 10% of funds.

2) Yandex.Money

In the Russian Federation, this is perhaps the most popular platform for online transactions.

Three types of wallets are available to users:

  • anonymous;
  • nominal;
  • identified.

They differ in the amounts that are allowed to be stored in the account, limits on payments and cash withdrawals.

When cashing out funds or transferring to bank card You will be charged 3% commission.

3) Qiwi

A convenient and modern payment system with many terminals throughout Russia and wide capabilities. Your Qiwi account is linked to your phone number: to log in, you only need your number and password.

The service is convenient for those who are not particularly comfortable with the Internet, but use a telephone and terminals.

In addition to the above, I would like to draw your attention to the PayPal system - if you pay for purchases in foreign online stores or auction sites (for example, on AliExpress or EBay), then this service is ideal.

Service comparison table:

4. How and where you can buy electronic money

The easiest way to buy electronic money is where it is most often used, namely on the Internet. To purchase virtual money, you need to register on the website of the system of your choice and create a virtual wallet.

There are several replenishment options:

  1. From a bank card.
  2. In cash – through banks, salons of partner companies (for YandexMoney and Qiwi these are: Euroset, Svyaznoy, Megafon).
  3. From a mobile phone account.
  4. Through ATMs.
  5. From wallets of other payment systems.
  6. Through translation services – Unistream, Contact.
  7. Through Russian Post and Rostelecom.

Find out how to purchase ED on the websites of payment companies and from telephone consultants.

Personally, I rarely use such an option as “Replenishment” for the reason that it is more relevant for me inverse function- "Conclusion". But my friends assure that the most popular replenishment option is payment terminals. Transferring from a card is faster, but for this the system charges a commission of around 0.8-1%.

5. Features of cashing out

The main feature in this matter is obvious: 100 virtual rubles are not 100 real ones. That is, WMR is not the equivalent of RUR. This is a couple or three percent less. Various systems They charge different commissions, and a lot depends on the method of cashing out.

Not all types of wallets and certificates provide cash withdrawal. For example, in WebMoney, cash withdrawal is available only to authenticated users. And the process itself is not available in all cities of the Russian Federation, but only in those where there is a WebMoney office.

It is much easier to withdraw money to a bank card and then cash it out at an ATM. Or get an EPS card and also cash it out at an ATM. It's quick and easy, but you will lose a certain amount - that's what payment companies make money on.

I rarely withdraw cash from my YandexMoney card, but as an experiment I did it at the nearest Sberbank ATM. I lost 3% from 1000 rubles, but now I can say with confidence that the withdrawal works.

It is much more expedient to use this card to pay for goods directly, by bank transfer. In this case, no interest is charged - neither in supermarkets nor in online stores.

As for the lowest commission for cashing out, the opinions of users are divided. Some believe that WebMoney is more profitable, others believe that, taking into account all the extra charges, this system removes more than Poison.

I have practiced both output schemes. At the time of writing, the Yandex service is more convenient and slightly cheaper in this regard.

Watch a video on the topic of comparing virtual wallets:

6. Conclusion

What types of electronic payment systems are there for depositing and withdrawing money from the Internet - an overview of the most popular systems in Russia