Banks to benefit from bankcard fee cut: expert   

刷卡手续费下调影响几何？专家称银行也是受益者

银行卡刷卡手续费已经正式下调，据央行公布数据，商业银行、中国银联等银行卡产业各方刷卡手续费收入减少超过75亿元，中新网金融频道综合央行、券商以及采访专家观点，解读银行卡刷卡手续费下降带来的影响。

Beijing (CNS) -- Reduced bankcard fees are a "win-win situation" for banks, retailers and consumers, a financial expert has said.

"With cost burdens alleviated by the cut, retailers will offer lower prices to consumers and consumption will be stimulated," He Liping, dean of the Financial Department at Beijing Normal University, said on Monday.

"Despite less gain from each card payment, banks will enjoy the same or even more benefits from an increased number of payments."

Bankcard fees should be lowered even more to boost the willingness of self-employed merchants to accept bankcard payments, he added.

China on Monday began reducing bankcard fees for retail merchants, saving them more than 7.5 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion), a move China's central bank said will benefit retailers and consumers but hit banks' intermediate business.