New rules on the number of bank cards were explained to Russians

Starting from September 1, 2026, a unified payment card accounting system will start operating in Russia, and starting from September 1, 2027, a limit of no more than 20 valid cards in all banks will be set for one person. Ilya Rusyaev, a lawyer and founder of the Rusyaev Club business community, told Izvestia on August 27 how the new mechanism will work and what will change for users.

According to the expert, the new system will allow taking into account the number of cards issued per person in different banks. At the same time, information about the types and numbers of issued cards, terminated cards, INN holders and the total number of payment cards for each client will be transmitted to it.

"Accounting covers cards that are used for money transfers, regardless of the issuing bank and whether the card is issued on plastic or lives only in the application. Virtual, additional to one account, credit cards are included in the total on a par with salary ones," Rusyaev noted.

The lawyer explained that information about account balances and transaction amounts will not be transmitted to the system. The system operator is obliged to ensure the protection of information, and disclosure of the received data to third parties is prohibited.

Starting from September 1, 2027, banks will be required to take into account the established limit when issuing new cards. Before issuing the next card, the credit institution will have to request data from the unified system and refuse to issue it if the customer already has 20 valid cards.

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At the same time, according to Rusyaev, the law does not provide for the automatic closure of previously issued cards if their number exceeds the established limit. Customers will be able to decide which cards to keep on their own.

"Unilateral closure of the card on the grounds of exceeding the limit has not been introduced by law. The bank account agreement is terminated at the request of the client or on the grounds of art. 859 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, and there is no excess of the number of cards among them," the expert explained.

According to the lawyer, the year between the launch of the accounting system and the entry into force of the limit will be a transitional period. During this time, citizens will be able to check the number of issued cards and, if necessary, discard unused ones.

The restriction should not significantly affect the majority of users, Rusyaev believes. According to him, 20 cards are enough for people who use different products for salaries, savings, purchases or travel. The most noticeable changes may affect those who issue a large number of cards for bonuses, cashback or special offers.

The expert noted that the new system is also aimed at combating fraudulent schemes. According to him, previously, each bank saw only its own issued customer cards, while a single database would provide more complete information about the number of payment instruments issued per person.

At the same time, the categories of citizens who will be able to have more than 20 cards will be determined separately by the decision of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law earlier in June that limits the number of bank cards held by one person to 20 in all credit institutions combined. The document also provides for the creation of a unified payment card accounting system, where information about the number of cards held by customers will be transmitted. The system operator must ensure the protection of the information, and the Bank of Russia will have the right to receive the data contained therein.