The Central Bank of Russia has approved a revised basic standard for microfinance organisations that prohibits firms from pre-ticking customer consent boxes to sell additional services, including when those services are offered separately from signing the loan agreement. The changes also require MFOs to give consumers full information throughout the provision of any additional service, including the service and provider, the right to refuse it, and how refusal would affect the terms of the microloan agreement. The revised standard also bars MFOs from using visual techniques such as colour, font size or font type to draw attention to the most favourable contract terms while concealing others. More broadly, it updates MFO requirements to reflect current legislation, including the procedure and timeframes for handling consumer requests, the provision of information on concluded agreements and their risks, and certain requirements for debt recovery activities. The standard takes effect on 1 July 2026.
Central Bank of Russia 2026-05-13
Central Bank of Russia approves revised MFO standard banning pre-ticked consent for add-on services
The Central Bank of Russia has approved a revised basic standard for microfinance organisations that bans pre-ticked consent boxes for additional services and requires full disclosure of such services, including the right to refuse and the impact on microloan terms. The standard also prohibits using visual techniques to highlight favourable terms while obscuring others and updates requirements on handling consumer requests, information on agreements and risks, and debt recovery practices.