As the use of the digital ruble expands in Russia on September 1, 2026, citizens will not pay commissions on transactions made with the currency. Alla Bakina, director of the National Payment System Department at the Central Bank of Russia, announced that citizens would not be charged any fees.
The digital ruble, a new form of the national currency alongside cash and non-cash money, is currently used only by participants in the pilot program.
Banking infrastructure being prepared for the digital ruble
All systemically important banks in Russia have been prepared for the transition ahead of the broader rollout scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Citizens will be able to open digital ruble wallets through the mobile applications of systemically important banks. Their home pages will feature a dedicated button bearing the digital ruble logo.
Banks considered important in the payment services market are also expected to provide citizens with access to the digital ruble.
Banks joining the system
Systemically important banks include Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Alfa Bank, T-Bank, PSB, Russian Agricultural Bank, UniCredit Bank, Raiffeisenbank, Sovcombank, MKB and Dom.RF.
The institutions considered important in the payment services market are Rossiya, Saint Petersburg, Tsifra Bank, TKB, Russian Standard, Ak Bars Bank, Yandex Bank, Ozon Bank and the non-bank credit institution Mobil Kart.
Large retail chains to accept digital rubles in September
Commissions charged to businesses will be kept below the existing bank tariffs applied to similar transactions. Large retail chains with annual revenue exceeding 120 million rubles will begin accepting digital ruble payments in September.
The measure will eventually cover smaller businesses as well. Users wishing to pay with digital rubles will need to scan a dedicated QR code in their bank application, select the digital ruble as the payment method and confirm the transaction.
