The top spots in the rating are held by regions in the North-Western Federal District. The largest share of sales turnover using cards in relation to total withdrawal of cash and sales turnover was recorded in the Nenets Autonomous Region at 56.1%, followed by the Republics of Komi and Karelia at 48.81%, the Murmansk Region (48.45%) and the Tyumen Region (48.18%).

The leading city was Syktyvkar with a 52% cashless share of sales turnover in the total cash withdrawal and sales turnover. The other cities with the highest share of cashless payment were Petrozavodsk (51%) and Tyumen (50%). They are followed by Ukhta, Apatity and Murmansk (48%), and Tomsk and Severodvinsk (47%).

Chief Analyst of Sberbank Mikhail Matovnikov:

“Russia has witnessed a cashless payment boom over the last decade. In 2018 the share of Russians’ expenses using cards out of total expenses on goods and services is approaching 50%. In 2017, this share grew to 39%, from a tiny 4% in 2008. In other words, the share of card payments has grown by ten times in ten years! This is one of the highest growth rates in the world.”

Director of Sberbank’s Acquiring and Bank Card Division Svetlana Kirsanova:

“At Sberbank we believe that infrastructure development is one of the key factors necessary for growth of cashless payments. Previously we focused on growing our merchant acquiring network. Now that PoS terminals can even be found in small shops in towns and cities throughout the country, we are concentrating on making our network more efficient, developing public transport acquiring systems, digital services, and remote services to make it even more convenient to use cards.”