MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Russian banks will start the mass issue of cards of the Russian National System of Payment Cards (NSPC) from the third quarter of 2016, Chief Executive of NSPC Vladimir Komlev told TASS on Friday.

"We believe it will take place in the third - fourth quarter of 2016. Everything depends on broadening of the card acceptance network; no other restrictions are in place. We therefore expect [the issue] to occur in the second half of the year, in order to avoid the situation when cards are issued but there is no opportunity to use them so far," Komlev said.

70 banks have already joined the system and applications of 15 banks are considered, he added.