Overview
- Federal law requires lenders to finish preparing systems for the universal QR standard by September 1, 2026, after which all QR transfers must route through the single solution.
- The universal code will let buyers and merchants choose among Faster Payments, bank services and installment options, with digital‑ruble support planned later.
- NSPK reports that, as of December, more than 200 banks and about 7.4 million retail points were already technically able to use the universal QR technology.
- Central Bank data show non‑card methods reached 14% of purchases by the third quarter of 2025, while QR transactions in the first nine months rose 1.8 times by count to 2.8 billion and 1.4 times by value to 4.0 trillion rubles.
- Deputy Mikhail Delyagin urged limits on merchant acquiring fees for SMEs, but the Central Bank noted past temporary caps in 2020 and 2022 did not lower consumer prices and should remain exceptional.