Overview
- All banks must support the universal QR from September 1, 2026, with systemically important and key payment banks also enabling digital-ruble settlements then, followed by banks with universal licenses in 2027 and the remaining banks in 2028.
- NSPK says the technology is already available to more than 200 banks and about 7.4 million merchant points, and PSB reports integration on roughly 90% of its acquiring terminals.
- The Bank of Russia is forming a working group under its Advisory Council to coordinate initiatives for national digital infrastructure, reflecting calls from market participants.
- SBP now serves nearly 100 million people and over 3 million businesses, with more than 13 billion transactions totaling about 75 trillion rubles in the first nine months of the year.
- T‑Bank reports that over 30% of former QR users have shifted to phone-based T‑Pay on iPhone, and banks expect contactless and biometric methods to keep drawing volume from QR payments.