Digital Ruble Takes Off: First Airport Service Payment in Russia Made at Pulkovo

The first digital ruble payment for airport services has been successfully conducted in St. Petersburg. The transaction to pay for parking using the national digital currency was carried out at Pulkovo Airport. The operation was conducted jointly by VTB Bank and the managing company "Northern Capital Gateway".

The payment was made through a POS terminal using a QR code. The client scanned the code with the camera of their mobile device, selected the appropriate payment method in their bank's application, and confirmed the transaction. After processing, the operation was successfully completed, and the buyer was issued a receipt.

Thanks to this testing, Pulkovo became the first airport in Russia to integrate digital ruble payments as an alternative payment method. In the future, other services can be paid for in this way: visits to business lounges, fast track service, and others.

The Bank of Russia has been developing the digital ruble since 2021. An experiment on its use began in August 2023. Initially, the mass introduction of the new currency was planned for July 1, 2025, but later the Central Bank proposed postponing the deadline to the following year.

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