According to Foresight News, the Russian State Duma has passed a bill regarding the phased introduction of the digital ruble, as reported by the Russian TASS agency. The bill will take effect on September 1, 2026, and outlines the timeline for the implementation of the digital ruble in the payment system. According to the bill, merchants with an annual income exceeding 120 million rubles must support digital ruble payments by September 1, 2026; merchants with an annual income exceeding 30 million rubles must support it by September 1, 2027; and the remaining merchants must complete the 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 an annual income exceeding 20 million rubles must accept digital ruble payments, while those with an annual income below 5 million rubles and merchants in areas without internet connectivity are not obligated to do so.
