The share of cash in payments by Russians grew to 32% in the second quarter of 2026
Quick Look
- In the second quarter of 2026, the share of cash in payments by Russians increased to 32% compared to 25% a year earlier, said Dmitry Batyushenkov, head of the OFD Platform.
- The share of non-cash transactions in retail turnover decreased by 0.5 percentage points. up to 88.4%, but bank cards remain the main payment instrument.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Previously, there were forecasts about the gradual disappearance of cash payments due to inconvenience of use, but current data shows the opposite trend.
In the second quarter, the share of cash in payments by Russians increased to 32 percent, although a year ago it was about 25 percent. This was stated by the head of the OFD Platform company Dmitry Batyushenkov. He was quoted by RIA Novosti.
He recalled previous forecasts, according to which cash payments were expected to disappear due to inconvenience. However, in 2026 it became clear that this was unlikely to happen.
At the end of the second quarter in Russia, the share of non-cash transactions in retail turnover decreased by 0.5 percentage points and amounted to 88.4 percent. This happened due to the fact that in April-June 2026, Russians more often paid in cash. Nevertheless, bank cards (including credit cards) remain the main payment instrument for Russians, despite the decline in their share in the structure of citizens’ transactions.
Open Questions
- What factors led to increased cash use in Q2 2026?
- Will this trend continue in subsequent quarters?
- How does changing the payment structure affect small businesses and the informal sector?
