The new rules for personal collection codes have landed: the old codes are used normally, the aggregation codes are encircled, and the merchants are most concerned about the cost

The collection code posted by the merchant.

"Before, I was worried that the old code (referring to the personal collection code) could not be used, but these two days confirmed that it could receive money normally, and there was no change before." After the new regulations on personal collection codes were officially implemented on March 1, the owner of a small FMCG commodity store told the Beijing News Shell financial reporter.

Previously, the topic of "whether the personal collection code can continue to be used" has aroused concern, and many small merchants who use WeChat and Alipay personal collection codes have panicked, because there is a significant difference between the personal collection code and the merchant code in the charging standard.

After the implementation of the new regulations, Shell financial reporters also conducted consumption tests at many small and micro merchants such as mobile fruit stalls, street snack bars, mobile phone repair shops, and self-operated convenience stores, and scanned the merchants' personal collection codes to pay normally.

In addition to the personal collection code, this time a new "personal operation collection code" has been added, and the merchant can freely choose whether to use it. At the same time, the publicity of the aggregation collection code has also recently become hot. What is the difference between these and those? How will merchants choose? What issues will merchants consider between switching and not changing?

Actual measurement: "old code" is used normally, whether to change the business code is up to you, and the aggregation of collection codes is hot

"We have been operating here for more than ten years, probably after the rise of mobile payment in 2016, we applied for the personal collection code of Alipay and WeChat Pay, and now we receive more than 100 payments per day on average, and we are still using it as usual after March 1st, with no impact." Recently, a snack bar owner told reporters that she was concerned about the new rules of personal collection codes and has been waiting for the notice to change, which has not yet been received.

The owner of another mobile phone repair shop took the initiative to consult with the payment agency. "Because when I applied for the collection code before, I took the initiative to apply in the weChat Payment and Alipay background, and they mailed the code sticker over." So this time I also took the initiative to ask (do you want to change to a personal business collection code), and they said that it was a voluntary principle. The owner said.

In addition, the reporter also conducted consumption tests at a number of small and micro merchants such as mobile fruit stalls, self-operated convenience stores, and small FMCG commodity stores, and scanned the merchant's personal collection code to pay normally.

WeChat Pay and Alipay both said in the announcement on February 22 that according to the relevant policies of the central bank and the self-discipline requirements of the Payment and Clearing Association, after March 1, the personal collection code can continue to be used, and the original personal collection code will not be used, not closed, and the function will not change.

Whether to apply for a personal business collection code is also up to the merchants themselves. WeChat Pay said in the announcement that after March 1, combined with the user's collection situation, it will successively issue invitations through WeChat collection assistant message notifications and other means, and provide personal operation collection codes if the user voluntarily. Alipay also said that it will combine the user's collection characteristics, issue a personal collection code upgrade invitation to the user, and provide personal payment code upgrade services under the premise of respecting the user's choice. For users who want to apply, the two institutions have also opened the application portal.

At the same time, the publicity about the aggregation of collection codes has also become hot. During the recent visit, Shell financial reporters have not yet encountered merchants who have used personal business collection codes, and some merchants have applied for aggregate collection codes.

The aggregate collection code is to "unify" the mainstream payment methods such as Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, and JD Pay into a collection code. Behind it is the deeper scuffle of the acquiring market, banks, payment institutions, etc. all want to get a piece of the pie, so behind different code cards are different charging standards, arrival times, etc.

The collection code posted by the merchant. The red color on the left is the aggregate collection code, and the right side is the alipay and WeChat Pay personal collection code.

Change or not change the "personal business collection code"? Merchants are most concerned about the cost of use

Before the addition of the "personal operation collection code", the Alipay and WeChat collection codes used by merchants were divided into two categories: personal codes and merchant codes, a big difference is that the former does not have to have a business license, while the latter needs. From the front end, there are also differences, such as users can print their own personal collection codes, so you will see that many small merchants' collection codes are not uniform, some are directly printed with white paper; merchant collection codes are official delivery materials (collection code cards or code stickers). Another example is the personal collection code QR code in the middle of the user's personal avatar, and the middle of the QR code of the merchant code is the "¥" symbol or no pattern.

When adding the "personal operation collection code", the authoritative person made it clear that the personal operation collection code can also be used for individuals who have not registered for industry and commerce, and the function is powerful, can accept credit card payment, and can better achieve transaction risk prevention and control than personal collection code.

For whether to change the code, the most concerned about the surveyed merchants is the cost issue. "For example, weChat Pay personal collection code, I did not have a fee in the previous application and use process, only when the cash is withdrawn to the bank card, the standard is 0.1%, that is, to raise 1000 yuan to collect 1 yuan, when there is an activity, it will be cheaper or free." The owner of the mobile phone repair shop said.

In fact, when the central bank issued the notice of the new regulations on the collection code in October last year, it was clear not to increase the cost of merchants; before the official implementation of the new regulations, the relevant person in charge of the Payment and Clearing Association further said that for small and micro merchants and individual operators who applied for personal business collection codes, in accordance with the principle of "low is not high", reference to the standard charges of personal collection codes to reduce the financial costs of merchants.

What is the charging standard for personal collection code at this stage? Shell financial reporter learned from merchants and Alipay customer service that in the context of the industry's overall fee reduction and profit, starting from 2018, Alipay's personal collection code withdrawal is free, and it is not clear when the preferential policy will last. Alipay said in the announcement on February 22 that the process of upgrading users to the "personal operation collection code" is also completely free, and after the upgrade, the original rights and interests such as free money collection and free withdrawal will continue to be enjoyed, and will also enjoy higher rights and interests such as the "dare to collect and dare to lose" guarantee amount.

WeChat Pay said in the announcement on March 3 that since September 1 last year, it has carried out a fee reduction and profit reduction activity for personal collection code users, supporting the reduction of small change withdrawal fees, and users who meet the rules of the activity can participate, and the activity will last until September 30, 2024. According to Tencent's customer service on March 4, WeChat Pay supports free access and free withdrawal of the new personal operation collection code to ensure that the cost of the applicant does not increase significantly.

The aggregation code joins the "melee", and the merchant cares about security and the speed of arrival

Before the implementation of the new regulations, the promotion and publicity of the aggregation of collection codes was also hot. Shell financial reporters noted that ICBC, CCB, ABC, etc. have recently issued their own aggregation code promotion announcements. Among them, ICBC said that only ID cards, bank cards, and shop photos can be processed online; the Agricultural Bank of China needs users to provide business licenses.

Like the collection codes of WeChat Pay and Alipay, aggregated collection codes are also very common at present, and its advantage is that whether users use Alipay, WeChat Pay or other mainstream payment methods, they can pay by scanning the same code; the disadvantage is that the rate is relatively higher, because the institutions involved have to share in it.

Taking the bank's aggregate collection code as an example, the user's incoming funds are directly into the bound bank savings card, eliminating the withdrawal fee, but the collection is not free. "Our bank's handling fee standard is related to the balance in the user card, for example, the average daily current balance of the bank card bound by the user is 10,000 yuan in March, and the free amount of the next month's collection is 100,000 yuan, which is ten times the amount." Over the free quota, a 0.3% processing fee will be charged and will arrive at your account the next day. A bank commissioner said.

In addition to banks and Alipay, WeChat Pay, there are other payment institutions are also fighting in the acquiring market, Shell financial reporters also saw the aggregation code of third-party payment institutions such as Le Brush, Yinsheng, and Jingdong Payment during their visits.

Merchants choose different criteria for aggregator codes. Some shopkeepers require relatively simple, "there is a loudspeaker on the line, or others steal your code do not know"; some shopkeepers are on the platform to provide value-added services have requirements, hoping that the service platform supports transaction statistics, unified reconciliation and so on.

A small self-operated convenience store owner is most concerned about the speed of arrival, "We put Alipay, WeChat Pay and an aggregate collection code on the counter, customers are willing to scan whichever one." The aggregate code rate posted is 0.6%, which can be received in real time. There is also an aggregation code that is put away, although the rate is lower (0.38%), but it can only arrive the next day. The owner said.

Another snack bar owner is also concerned about the speed of arrival, he has encountered a small institutional server caton situation, "said that it is real-time arrival, caton up at least half an hour to arrive." This makes him very uneasy, so he is more concerned about the type of institution that provides services, currently using the aggregate collection code of a state-owned bank, although it can only arrive the next day, but at least it will not go out of business or run away."

Writing, photography / Beijing News shell financial reporter Cheng Weimiao

Edited by Yue Caizhou Proofreader Guo Li