Russia's MTS, Rostelecom and MegaFon have prepared to accept digital ruble payments from Sept. 1 as Russia begins the first mandatory stage of its nationwide central bank digital currency rollout.
Telecom Giants Prepare for CBDC Launch
MTS will support the digital ruble across services integrated with MTS Pay, while Rostelecom will initially offer one-time website payments. MegaFon is also preparing to add the digital ruble as another payment option. Customers will initially be able to use digital rubles through the My MTS mobile app and the company's online store. For customers, the process will work much like Russia's Faster Payments System. A user with a digital ruble account can select the digital ruble at checkout, choose a participating bank and approve the transaction through the bank's interface.
Rostelecom is completing technical work with what it described as one of Russia's largest banks, although the company did not identify the lender. At launch, customers will be able to use digital rubles for one-time payments through Rostelecom's official website. The operator plans to add the payment option to customer accounts later, extending the service beyond the first web-based implementation. VimpelCom, which operates under the Beeline brand, declined to comment on its plans.
September 1 Deadline for Large Merchants
Under Bank of Russia rules, merchants with revenue above 120 million rubles in the previous calendar year must provide the payment option by Sept. 1 if they met the required banking conditions at the start of 2026. The requirement will expand in stages. From Sept. 1, 2027, businesses with annual revenue above 30 million rubles will come under the rollout. Another stage will follow in September 2028 for merchants with revenue of at least 20 million rubles.
Russia's two largest online marketplaces, Wildberries and Ozon, said they plan to begin supporting digital ruble payments from Sept. 1. Ozon will initially accept the digital ruble in a testing mode alongside existing payment methods before expanding access. Wildberries has said its implementation is being carried out in line with central bank requirements and current regulations.
Free Transactions for Consumers
For individuals, transferring digital rubles to another person or paying a company carries no platform fee under the Bank of Russia's tariff structure. Businesses are also receiving a temporary fee exemption. The Bank of Russia has set a zero tariff for applicable business transactions through the end of 2026, while a 0.3% charge of up to 1,500 rubles per customer-to-business transfer is scheduled to apply from Jan. 1, 2027.
Customers can fund a digital ruble account by transferring regular non-cash rubles from their bank account. The Bank of Russia has set a limit of 300,000 rubles per month on the amount an individual can move from personal bank accounts into the digital ruble account. Digital rubles can also be transferred back to a conventional bank account before being withdrawn as cash.
Years of Testing Lead to Commercial Rollout
The payment rollout follows several years of testing. Russia began piloting the digital ruble with a limited group of banks and users in August 2023, gradually adding participants and transaction types before moving toward the 2026 commercial rollout. Russia has classified the digital ruble as a third form of its national currency alongside cash and existing non-cash rubles. Individuals will not be required to open a digital ruble account, and the Bank of Russia says accounts cannot be created automatically without the customer choosing to do so. Access will be provided through participating banking apps, with Russia's 12 systemically important banks including major lenders such as Sberbank, VTB, T-Bank and Alfa-Bank.