Fees for digital ruble transactions approved
The Bank of Russia Board of Directors has set the fees for transactions with digital rubles. People will not have to pay any fee for digital ruble payments and transfers, which will maximise the affordability of transactions with the national digital currency.
The fee for businesses accepting payments for goods and services in digital rubles will be 0.3% of the payment amount (but no more than ₽1,500). Besides, the fee for housing and utility companies will be 0.2%, but no more than ₽10. The fee for business-to-business transfers will equal ₽15 per transaction. The fees will become effective on 1 January 2025. Until this date, the Bank of Russia introduces a zero fee period for all transactions with digital rubles on the regulator’s platform.
Any person or company will be allowed to open one digital ruble account (digital wallet) on the Bank of Russia’s platform without any fee. Similarly, digital ruble transfers from bank accounts to digital wallets and from digital wallets to bank accounts will also be fee-free.
This August, the Bank of Russia plans to start pilot testing of the digital ruble on real transactions with the participation of a limited number of clients of 13 banks. The piloting will include several stages to be completed in 2023 and 2024. The adoption of the digital ruble will be gradual and is expected to start in 2025.