On September 1, 2026, the first phase of the mandatory rollout of the digital ruble will begin in Russia. Initially, the largest banks and companies with annual revenue exceeding ₽120 mn will adopt this new payment method. Diana Golovanova, a research fellow at the Gaidar Institute’s Laboratory for the Analysis of Best International Practices, explained in a comment for “Finam” what advantages and limitations of the digital ruble citizens and businesses will encounter.
For Russians, paying with digital rubles will work much the same as paying by card or through the Unified Payment System (UPS): users will be able to transfer money and pay for purchases using a QR code. However, no interest will accrue on the balance in the digital wallet, and no cashback is provided. Therefore, there are currently few obvious advantages for citizens compared to traditional payment methods.
For businesses, the situation is more attractive. The main advantage will be low transaction fees. With a monthly turnover of 1 million rubles, accepting card payments costs approximately ₽15,000–25,000, payments via the Single Payment System (SPS) cost 4,000–7,000 rubles, and payments via the digital ruble cost about ₽b3,000.
“For businesses, the digital ruble is primarily attractive because of the cost of payments. The difference compared to card processing and even the SBP can be significant, especially for companies with high turnover. For consumers, the situation is different for now: the digital ruble offers neither interest on the balance nor cashback. Therefore, its adoption among the general public will depend on whether additional benefits emerge and how familiar this payment method becomes,” noted Diana Golovanova.