From 01.09 the Magnit retail network and MTS will start accepting the digital ruble, the third legal-form of the national currency.

Where and how payments will work

Magnit customers will be able to pay at all stores and on all tills, including self-service points, using a universal QR code at checkout.

MTS will accept the digital ruble through MTS Pay in the "My MTS" mobile application and via its online store checkout system.

Other market participants and obligations

Ozon and Wildberries announced similar launches days earlier, while Rostelecom and Megafon are preparing to enable acceptance as well.

The law mandates acceptance of the digital ruble by all sellers with annual revenue above ₽120 million for the year 2025 if their acquiring bank is designated systemically important.

From 2027 the threshold drops to ₽30 million, and from 2028 it falls to ₽5 million, extending mandatory acceptance to nearly all operating businesses.

Infrastructure and privacy features

Wallets can be opened at any of the 12 systemically important banks, which together cover more than 80% of the country’s payment market.

Each digital ruble carries a unique code, enabling the central platform to trace its movement in real time and to implement so-called "tagging" that restricts funds to specific allowed uses.

Cost to users

For individuals, all operations with the digital ruble are free of charge; merchants and service providers are not meant to collect fees from consumers for convenience.