Due to the increased probability of hindrances in making payments by Russian economic agents in the international financial infrastructure, the proof of the strategic significance of payment service providers and ensuring their trouble-free functioning becomes especially relevant. Introducing the national payment service provider as the main measure to solve the problem of the possible risks of hindrances in making payments determined the purpose of this work. To identify the fundamental features of the systematically important characteristic of the payment service provider. Based on the system approach, the article illustrates the institutional infrastructure of the payment service provider, quantitative indices of payment instruments use are given, the subordinance of risks has been determined. The directions for implementation of the main functions of the payment service provider as an element of financial infrastructure were defined, the unity of financial and informational flow in the payment service provider was characterized, the strategic significance of the payment service provider was proven. The author concluded that in the modern conditions the system-forming payment service provider shall meet some fundamental criteria such as commonality and standardization of processes, fail-safety of functioning, transparency, oligopolization of the market of such services, convergence and merger of flows regardless the country of origin.