According to Foresight News, citing TASS, the Russian State Duma has passed a bill on the phased introduction of the digital ruble. The bill will take effect from September 1, 2026, and outlines the implementation timeline for the digital ruble in payment systems. According to the bill, merchants with annual revenues exceeding 120 million rubles must support digital ruble payments by September 1, 2026; merchants with annual revenues exceeding 30 million rubles must do so by September 1, 2027; and other merchants must complete integration by September 1, 2028.
The bill also introduces a unified payment QR code system, which will be operated by the Russian National Payment Card System. Merchants with annual revenues exceeding 20 million rubles must accept digital ruble payments, while those with annual revenues below 5 million rubles and merchants in areas without internet connectivity are exempt from this obligation.
