In Russia, in Q2 2026, the number of cards of international payment systems Visa and MasterCard decreased by a quarter, according to materials from the Central Bank. The regulator also recorded a decrease in the issuance of bank cards.

Inactive cards are being withdrawn from circulation, while for the remaining Visa and Mastercard cards, the intensity of payments and transfers is increasing. At the same time, the number of new cards of the Russian payment system "Mir" is growing, noted the Bank of Russia.

In spring 2026, the Central Bank noted that the share of Visa and Mastercard was less than 17%. However, the regulator did not provide absolute figures.

For the first time in several years, the Bank of Russia reported a decrease in card issuance (issuance of plastic and linking an account to it for further service) based on the results of Q2. As of July 1, 525.6 million settlement (debit) and credit cards were issued, which is 4% less than the figure on April 1, 2026.

Experts believe that this indicates a natural saturation of the payment instrument market. In addition, the drop in the volume of new card issuance may indicate a shift by Russians to payments via SBP and virtual cards using smartphones.