Primorsky Krai residents ditch cash for digital payments in 2026 surge

Residents of Primorsky Krai have embraced digital payments in growing numbers. In the first quarter of 2026, they carried out nearly 199.4 million bank card transactions, worth a total of 458.5 billion rubles. Cashless payments alone reached 320 billion rubles during the same period. The use of QR codes and biometric authentication has surged in the region. These methods accounted for 39.2% of all cashless payments, up by 8.9 percentage points from the previous year. The total number of such transactions rose by 1.4 times, with 13.8 million payments totalling 19.5 billion rubles.

Olga Popova, head of the Payment Systems and Settlements Department at the Far Eastern Main Directorate of the Bank of Russia, highlighted convenience and lower fees as key drivers. Meanwhile, mobile banking app payments climbed by 10% in volume, surpassing 3 trillion rubles. Online banking transactions also grew by 1.3 times in the first quarter of 2026. The shift towards digital payment methods in Primorsky Krai is clear. QR codes, biometrics, and mobile banking have all seen significant increases in use. These trends reflect a broader move away from traditional payment forms in the region.