### ФАС требует равных условий для продавцовRussia's Federal Antitrust Service (FAS) on March 20 demanded that major marketplaces adjust seller commissions to economically justified levels by April 3, eliminating discrimination between domestic and foreign vendors. The regulator also mandated development of commercial policies regulating investments in independent sellers' pricing.Two leading platforms responded with specific proposals. One marketplace announced it will equalize commissions for Russian and Chinese sellers, without disclosing current or future rates. It plans to automate sellers' ability to opt in or out of platform-funded discounts via personal accounts and is preparing a pricing principles policy for submission to FAS. The other proposed capping sales commissions, mandating that discounts be funded solely from sales commissions to prevent cost shifting to logistics or promotion fees. It also suggested banning cross-subsidization of discounts across product categories to avoid rights violations for certain goods, and urged codifying norms in a legal act or memorandum adopted by all platforms, with FAS as mediator.### Responses signal compliance shiftSellers currently can decline promotional discounts, though only 2% exercise this right, with six in ten later re-enabling them. This follows February proposals from the Ministry of Economic Development to require commissions for foreign sellers not below those for Russians, building on a November 2025 memorandum on fair platform practices signed by marketplace operators.These moves address long-standing tensions over fee structures amid e-commerce's dominance: marketplaces now hold 63% of Russia's online turnover in 2024, up from 27% five years ago, with 92% of buyers using them and 74% as regulars [AdIndex].### Impact on product feeds and catalog standardsEqualized commissions pressure sellers to optimize **product feeds** for competitiveness. Lower or uniform fees for foreign vendors, especially Chinese, could flood feeds with low-cost imports, demanding faster feed validation to maintain quality. Automated discount opt-outs streamline feed management, reducing erroneous pricing signals that distort search relevance.Commercial policies on pricing investments enforce **catalog standardization**. Sellers must align feeds with platform rules on cross-category subsidies, potentially requiring no-code tools for dynamic price mapping. This elevates standards for attributes like origin and category, curbing discriminatory practices and ensuring feeds reflect true costs.### Elevating card quality and assortment velocityRegulations target **quality and completeness of product cards**. Banning hidden cost shifts to logistics forces transparent card data, where incomplete specs (e.g., missing weights for shipping) could inflate effective fees. AI-driven analysis emerges as key: machine learning checks card compliance in real-time, auto-flagging gaps in descriptions or images to meet FAS scrutiny [Fittin.ru].**Assortment rollout speeds up** under capped commissions. Sellers accelerate listings to offset fees, leveraging **no-code platforms** for bulk uploads and AI categorization. This cuts time from feed submission to live cards, vital as marketplaces prioritize fast-movers. Opt-in discount controls via personal cabinets enable real-time tweaks, boosting velocity without manual interventions.### No-code and AI as adaptation engines**No-code tools** gain traction for feed automation and card builders, letting sellers bypass devs for policy-compliant setups. Integration with state registries via no-code automates vendor verification, aligning with FAS demands.**AI integration** transforms compliance: AI search for categorization, ML for card auditing, and predictive pricing models counter subsidy bans. As SaaS for marketplace sales analytics declines amid native cabinet improvements, AI shifts to core ops like discount simulation—ensuring feeds avoid cross-subsidies while maximizing visibility [Inc. Russia]. Platforms' mediator role hints at unified AI standards, streamlining multi-marketplace ops.These changes reshape e-commerce infrastructure, prioritizing transparent, automated content flows to sustain growth amid regulatory oversight.***In light of the FAS's recent mandates, the pressure on e-commerce businesses to maintain accurate and compliant product data is intensifying. This regulatory shift underscores the critical need for robust feed management and catalog standardization tools. At NotPIM, we recognize the challenges this presents and are committed to empowering our clients with <a href="/blog/price_list_processing_program/">no-code solutions</a> that enable seamless feed transformation, enrichment, and validation, ensuring they stay ahead of evolving compliance requirements and market dynamics.