Ozon Bank Tests a New Fintech Use Case: Transfers Without Internet Access
Ozon Bank is testing money transfers to other banks in situations where mobile internet access is unavailable but cellular service remains available. The feature is currently limited to a select group of customers, though the bank plans to make it available to all authenticated users in the near future.
Funds are transferred through the latest version of the Ozon Bank app using the Sistema bystrykh platezhey (Fast Payments System, SBP). To confirm a transaction, users send a text message to a dedicated number. The SMS is generated automatically by the bank.
Money Moves Wherever a Signal Exists
Transfers take anywhere from a few seconds to three minutes, and no fee is charged. The maximum amount per transaction is 10,000 rubles (about $130). The phone number used for the transfer must be linked to the customer’s bank account. Users can view the balance of their primary account as of the last time the app was opened while connected to mobile internet. SMS notifications on payment status are also available, although that service carries a fee.
The feature gives people a way to send urgent transfers while traveling, in rural areas with weak coverage, at large public events where mobile internet may be restricted as an additional security measure, or during temporary mobile data outages. More broadly, it represents a step toward making cashless payments more resilient and less dependent on the quality of mobile internet connectivity.
A Backup Payment Channel
Until now, SBP has depended on a digital access channel, either online banking or a mobile application connected to the internet. Ozon Bank is demonstrating that SMS can also serve as a backup channel. For the company, that creates a competitive differentiator in financial services while strengthening the ecosystem that combines its marketplace and fintech offerings.
Expanding resilient payment scenarios is particularly important when cellular service remains available but internet connectivity does not. Looking ahead, the digital ruble could eventually address a similar challenge. The Bank of Russia has previously stated that work is underway to support such functionality.
Expanding the Payment Playbook
Russia’s payments market is becoming more flexible every year, steadily broadening the range of user scenarios. SBP has played a major role in that shift. Launched in 2019, the system now serves a significant share of the population. According to the Central Bank, more than 18 billion transactions worth 103 trillion rubles (approximately $1.3 trillion) were processed through SBP in 2025.
SBP has become a foundation for innovation across the payments infrastructure. Bank cards still account for roughly 80% of all transactions, whether through physical cards, payment stickers, or smartphone-based contactless payments. New payment formats, including QR payments, pay services, BNPL models, and biometric payments, make up the remaining 20%. The planned rollout of the digital ruble for mass-market use could begin to change that balance as early as this autumn.
Competition Around Infrastructure Resilience
Ozon Bank’s internet-free transfers represent another step toward building a more resilient payments infrastructure. The feature is unlikely to replace conventional online transfers, but it could prove valuable when people need to make payments under unusual conditions. At the same time, the IT industry will need to develop fraud-prevention tools tailored to such scenarios.
If testing is successful and customers show demand for backup payment options, similar mechanisms are likely to appear at other banks. Over time, they could become an important component of Russia’s digital financial infrastructure.
