MOSCOW, Sept. 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIWI plc, (Nasdaq:QIWI) ("QIWI" or the "Company") and UNISTREAM International Payment System of Money Transfers today announced that UNISTREAM money transfer volumes through QIWI kiosks nearly doubled in the first half of 2014 as compared to the same period of the prior year. In the past 3 years average volume growth was as high as 100% a year.

UNISTREAM and QIWI established partnership in December 2009 and introduced money transfers through QIWI kiosks and Visa QIWI Wallet web site. Further development was marked by adding an option to transfer money to CIS countries in March 2010 and later to non-CIS countries. In summer of 2011 money transfers through QIWI kiosks became available to holders of the UNISTREAM unified client card. Its number was used as an identifier for the transfer.

Thereafter UNISTREAM money remittances volume trough QIWI kiosks demonstrated nearly 100% yearly growth.

A special offer is available in QIWI kiosks for UNISTREAM money transfers until the end of November: a transfer through self-service kiosk is commission free.

There are two ways to do a money transfer through QIWI kiosk: either using the number of the UNISTREAM client card or by entering the names of the sender and the recipient. In the first case the customer should choose the appropriate button in the menu and provide information including full card number, full name, recipient's country of residence (customer can choose the country from the drop down list if it is not his first transfer), sender's phone number and the remittance amount; then the costumer inserts cash in the kiosk. The identification number of the transfer that has to be passed to the recipient is both printed on the bill and delivered to the sender via sms. If the customer uses second option, he needs to provide full name of the sender as well as that of the recipient, sender's mobile phone number and the recipient's country.

Currently intra-Russia transfers can be conducted through QIWI kiosk as well as transfers to Armenia, Belorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine as well as non-CIS countries including Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Israel, Mongolia, Czech Republic and Turkey. The user can send and receive up to 10 transfers a day with the maximum limit of RUB 150,000 and 40 transfers per month with the maximum limit of RUB 599,999.

QIWI's network includes more than 171 thousands kiosks and 70 mln users.

"Our longstanding cooperation with such significant partner as QIWI shows great results and demonstrates high demand for our services among both kiosk users and clients of our money remittance system." - said Kirill Palchun, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UNISTREAM bank.

"For the last 5 years Russia has been among the countries were money remittance services are very popular. Moreover, not only within country transfers are in demand, transfers outside the country play an important role as well, especially transfers to CIS countries. Rapid increase in volumes proves not only the relevance of our service, but also its convenience for such type of payments." - said Anna Stoklitskaya, managing director of QIWI group.

About UNISTREAM

The UNISTREAM International Payment System of Money Transfers is one of the popular systems in Russia and CIS countries. It operates in some 100 countries worldwide through some 333.5 thousand service points, including self-service payment terminals.

UNISTREAM has its own networks in Greece, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus. Over 450 financial institutions all over the world cooperate with the System.

The UNISTREAM System is the co-founder of the National Payment Council, founded under the aegis of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the Association of Russian Banks.

The International Financial Magazine named UNISTREAM the Best Money Transfer System for Eastern Europe 2013. 2012 UNISTREAM was nominated for IAMTN (International Association of Money Transfer Systems) Prize and Global Banking & Finance Review Awards.

About QIWI plc.

QIWI is a leading provider of next generation payment services in Russia and the CIS. It has an integrated proprietary network that enables payment services across physical, online and mobile channels. It has deployed over 15.8 million virtual wallets, over 171,000 kiosks and terminals, and enabled merchants to accept over RUB 50 billion cash and electronic payments monthly from over 70 million consumers using its network at least once a month. QIWI's consumers can use cash, stored value and other electronic payment methods to order and pay for goods and services across physical or online environments interchangeably.

CONTACT: Yakov Barinskiy

         Head of Corporate Development

         and Investor Relations

         +7.499.709.0192

         ir@qiwi.com

         

         Varvara Kiseleva

         Investor Relations

         +7.499.709.0192

         ir@qiwi.com

UNISTREAM Money Remittances Volume Through QIWI Kiosks Doubled in the First Half of 2014