Most popular in-store payment methods in Russia 2017-2021

The share of cash in Russia continued to decline since COVID-19 whilst credit cards and, to a lesser extent, wallets became more popular. The share of transactions paid for in physical stores that involved paper money or coins declined from roughly 50 percent before the coronavirus pandemic to 35 percent in 2021. This shift in payments might coincide with the growing number of credit cards issued in Russia. How mobile wallets will develop in the country was unclear: The source notes that the user count of digital wallets like QIWI, VK Pay and WebMoney initially declined after a ban of anonymous deposits in August 2020 from the Russian government.