According to Kommersant, citing data from the Unified Credit Bureau, nearly one in three credit cards held by Russians is inactive. That means a sizeable portion of plastic remains unused, sitting in wallets or drawers without activation or regular use. The phenomenon affects household budgeting as well as bank planning because unused lines still require monitoring, provisioning, and strategic thinking about future demand. Much of the idle capacity is a sign of cautious consumer behavior, where households weigh daily expenses against potential credit safety nets and lenders watch how this idle money could be unlocked through smarter product design. Analysts note that inactivity can stem from a mix of hesitation, high costs, and the friction of using cards for small purchases. In this environment banks monitor idle credit and weigh the risk of keeping facilities open against the potential revenue from future use.
September alone saw the unclaimed limit on issued cards surpass 75 billion rubles, and when viewed on an annual basis the sum stands at almost 1 trillion rubles. This idle capacity signals both pent-up demand among consumers and an opportunity banks perceive to entice spending through new offers. In practical terms, money sits ready to be spent but not spent, influencing how banks assess risk, how they provision reserves, and how product lines are shaped for the coming months. Analysts suggest banks may soon experiment with more aggressive incentives to activate this dormant credit through promotions and refunds that appeal to everyday shoppers and small businesses alike.
Cardholders do not need to activate their cards or spend immediately to keep them open, but banks nonetheless must set aside reserves against unused funds on cards Russians keep in reserve. This reserve work is part of standard risk management; it ensures banks can cover potential losses if the relationship between credit limits and actual usage shifts. The accounting for idle funds affects reported profitability, capital adequacy, and the pricing of new card products, creating a careful balance between attracting customers and maintaining financial buffers. In practice, lenders review usage patterns, monitor repayments, and adjust credit policies to reflect evolving consumer behavior while aiming to protect their own balance sheets.
Analysts expect banks to roll out new methods to encourage card usage. Possible moves include large refunds or cash-back programs aimed at nudging customers to use their cards for everyday purchases. Retailers and fintech partners may collaborate to create time-limited offers, targeted rewards for specific categories, or frictionless ways to convert unused balances into real benefits. In a market where a large chunk of available credit lines remains untapped, such strategies could shift behavior and help lenders improve utilization metrics without compromising prudent risk management.
Data also shows that the number of credit cards issued to Russians in September rose by 16 percent compared with August, while the total limit across these cards declined—from 221 billion rubles in August to 184.3 billion rubles in September. This divergence suggests banks were expanding their card base while tightening the usable credit ceiling on existing accounts. The trend may reflect a cautious approach to lending, with issuers growing their customer portfolios while maintaining tighter controls on risk exposure amid macroeconomic pressures. In short, more cards exist, but each carries a smaller capacity for spend until utilization patterns strengthen.
Earlier reporting had already clarified how much credit Russians obtain, underscoring the tension between growing card ownership and prudent lending. The current figures illustrate a landscape where banks seek to balance growth with risk management, using incentives to unlock dormant card usage while maintaining adequate reserves for future shocks.