Russians will be able to pay for purchases in friendly countries with a single QR code.

Russians will be able to pay with a universal QR code in friendly countries. The Russian Federation has already started such negotiations, Izvestia has learned. Kazakhstan intends to be the first to introduce the development, which has already been announced by the authorities. A single QR code with friendly countries was discussed by deputies with the Central Bank on the eve of the first reading of the bill on the introduction of a single code in Russia. The document eventually passed the first approval in the State Duma.

The Cipher of omnipotence: The authorities argued over universal QR and competition

What disagreements did the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice and the Federal Antimonopoly Service have about installing only the NSPK code at the cash registers?

Last week, on May 22, the first reading of the draft law on the introduction of a universal QR code in Russia from June 1, 2026, was held. Its author is Anatoly Aksakov, head of the Financial Market Committee. Banks and branches of foreign financial organizations will also be required to implement it and accept payments in this way. During the discussion of the bill in the State Duma, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank Alexei Guznov noted that discussions were already underway "on the possibility of cooperation with international, foreign payment systems, and systems of friendly countries."

"We already know that Kazakhstan has also decided to create a universal QR code. This will allow us to quickly resolve financial issues for both our citizens and citizens of this country, and use these technologies to pay for goods in different countries. Other countries also have such solutions: indeed, this is a very important area that we are working on," Guznov said.

We are talking about the introduction of a universal QR code in other countries, which will allow Russians to easily pay abroad in some countries, a source familiar with the details of this project explained to Izvestia. According to him, these are such areas as the countries of the former Soviet Union. In the future, discussions may also touch on more distant destinations, including, for example, Turkey and India.

"We do not disclose the names of the countries with which we are negotiating, for obvious reasons. The payment process will not change for the client, it can be done through a familiar mobile application, the integration mechanisms may vary depending on the country," the Central Bank told Izvestia.

A universal QR code is a technology that allows a person to access a distribution page where all banks and all payment options will be presented, from which customers will be able to choose the product they need. This is where the competition between different payment services and applications will unfold.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Help squared: Russians will be able to pay for purchases in friendly countries with a single QR code