Russians have started to pay more often using QR codes.

      In the first quarter of 2026, residents of Russia became more active in using alternative payment methods, including QR codes, biometrics, payment apps, and other cashless services not linked to cards. According to the Bank of Russia, their share in the total volume of cashless payments increased by 0.8 percentage points to 14.9%.

      From January to March, Russians made about 1 billion purchases using QR codes and biometrics, which is 1.7 times more than a year earlier. In ruble terms, the volume doubled and reached 1.5 trillion rubles.

      When considering electronic wallets, in the first quarter of the year, people made 2.5 billion transactions totaling 3.6 trillion rubles. This is 1.3 times more than in the first quarter of 2025, both in volume and in number. Most often, electronic wallets were used to pay for purchases online.

      Overall, residents of the country prefer cashless payment methods. Their share in retail turnover has increased by 0.9 percentage points since the beginning of 2026, reaching 88.9% by the end of March.

      The number of cashless transactions made by legal entities increased by 28% compared to the first quarter of 2025, exceeding 2 billion. More than half of these are payments from businesses to individuals. Over the year, their number nearly doubled, surpassing 1 billion. The volume of transactions grew by 14%, reaching 17.5 trillion rubles.