By information letter No. IN-03-45/30 dated 08/21/2026, the Bank of Russia introduced a temporary relaxation of the universal payment code. Until March 1, 2027, the regulator will not apply measures under the Law on the Central Bank to those who are unable to provide clients with transfer details or a link to them through a universal code.
The moratorium also applies to the second part of the obligation — to provide businesses with the opportunity to display universal QR codes at cash desks, terminals and other devices. There is only one condition for relaxation: the transfer details or a link to them are still transmitted in the form of a code according to GOST R 56042-2014.
The duty itself has not gone away. Credit organizations and branches of foreign banks must comply with the requirements for the use of universal QR from September 1, 2026 according to Federal Law No. 248-FZ of 07/23/2025. The deferral only applies to liability for non-fulfillment, not the transfer period.
The purpose of the universal code is to replace a set of competing QR codes with one. The buyer scans a single code and selects a convenient payment method: a quick payment system, a bank service, or digital rubles. For a point of sale, the design removes the cost of supporting multiple payment code systems and related integration.
It is separately stipulated that the rules do not apply to cross-border money transfers.
For owners of retail outlets, pick-up points, and offline stores in online trading, the practical issue boils down to the readiness of a particular bank. Some acquirers will switch to the universal code by September 1, while others will use a moratorium until March 2027. It depends on whether a single button will appear at the checkout and when it will be possible to abandon parallel solutions.
What should be done before September 1st. Request a written response from the servicing bank: does it exceed the deadline or does it use a relaxation. Check with the vendor of the cash register software whether the current version supports the universal code and whether an update is required. And the plan is to include both schemes in the market at the same time until March 2027, which means it is too early to curtail the usual payment acceptance.
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