VTB experts explained the popularity of bank cards in Russia

Debit cards remain the main method of non-cash payment among Russians, VTB estimates. The cards are chosen for payment because of their versatility, reliability and bonuses in the loyalty program, the bank noted.

In the first quarter of 2025, VTB customers made purchases worth more than 1 trillion rubles using debit cards (an increase of almost 60% compared to the same period last year). The number of transactions reached 1.2 billion. Debit card spending is expected to increase by 36% in the fourth quarter.

The use of credit cards also showed significant growth: in the first quarter of 2025, customers spent more than 138 billion rubles, 20% higher than in the same period last year. The number of transactions reached 100 million, increasing by almost a quarter year on year.

"When the charge on the phone runs out or the Internet is lost, and you need to pay for the purchase immediately, it is the plastic card that becomes the "joker". At the same time, we are seeing a significant increase in interest in alternative payment solutions — modern consumers value freedom of choice and flexibility in payment methods," said Rostislav Yanykin, Head of the Transactional Retail Business Department, Senior Vice President of VTB.

According to the bank's forecasts, by the end of 2025, the share of debit card payments will grow by 1.5%, while the share of credit cards, on the contrary, will decrease by 1.5%.

Alternative payment instruments, despite their smaller share in the total volume of transactions, are also growing in terms of the number of transactions and the amount of expenses. For example, despite the novelty of the bank's pay service, in the first quarter of 2025, customers used it to make more than 40 million transactions and spend over 30 billion rubles on purchases.

The share of digital cards does not change and remains at the level of 2.1% of the total transaction turnover, VTB noted. In the first quarter, customers made more than 21 million payments using such cards totaling over 25 billion rubles. At the same time, the number and amount of expenses increased by 54% compared to last year.