FAQ: What payment methods do Russian customers prefer?
Bank cards remain dominant
Bank cards, particularly those based on the Mir payment system, are the primary payment method in Russia, accounting for more than 75% of all purchases. Their popularity stems from convenience, transaction security, and tokenisation through services such as SberPay and Mir Pay, with nearly all terminals in major cities supporting contactless card payments.
Smartphone and QR payments are growing rapidly
Contactless payments via smartphones represent the second most popular payment method. Leading services include SberPay, Mir Pay, and SBPay, which account for over 30% of all transactions in 2025. The Fast Payment System (FPS, or SBP) enables customers to pay via QR code directly from banking apps, with transaction fees for merchants 2–3 times lower than for card payments. FPS is particularly popular on online marketplaces like Wildberries and Ozon, where customers pay for up to 40% of their orders via QR codes.
Emerging technologies
In 2025, biometric facial recognition payments launched in major retail chains and Moscow metro, storing data securely within state-controlled systems. Bluetooth payments remain experimental, accounting for less than 1% of transactions.
What Indian companies should know
Businesses entering the Russian market must integrate all major payment methods: Mir cards, SberPay, FPS, and Mir Pay. Russian consumers value reliability and local solutions, which reduce costs and increase conversions. Partners from India should adapt their fintech services to Russian APIs and ecosystems. To support this integration, Sberbank India provides financial solutions and technical assistance.
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