In the third quarter of 2023, the Mir national payment system reached a milestone by accounting for more than half of the Russian card market for the first time. This shift is reflected in data compiled from the Central Bank of Russia and reported to be noteworthy for the broader payments landscape in Russia and neighboring regions.
Annual figures for the first nine months of 2023 show that Mir cards represented 52.5% of all card-based transactions in Russia, while 51.6% of issued cards were Mir-branded. Earlier in 2023, during the first half, Mir’s share stood at 49.4% of transaction volume and 48.2% of issued cards. The total number of Mir cards in circulation reached 256 million by that period, signaling a sustained acceleration in adoption and usage across the country.
Regulatory data indicate that banks issued roughly 424.9 million cards to individuals in the third quarter, with Mir transactions totaling 44.3 billion rubles. Of this amount, approximately 14.4 billion rubles were for retail purchases, about 21 billion rubles were transfers, and 8.8 billion rubles were cash withdrawals. The growth in Mir’s share aligns with a broader shift in the payments ecosystem following geopolitical and sanctions-driven changes in the payments landscape across the region.
The expansion of Mir’s market footprint followed the withdrawal of international systems such as Visa and MasterCard from many routes in Russia in March 2022. While these systems could no longer process overseas transactions, Mir maintained in-country functionality through the National Payment Card System operator. This allowed Mir to gain prominence as domestic payment infrastructure adapted to preserve payment flows and support consumer and merchant needs amid sanctions-related adjustments.
Historically, before 2022, international networks dominated the Russian market in terms of share and card counts. In 2021, Mir’s share of total card transaction volume stood at 25.7%, with 32.5% of cards issued under the Mir brand. The Bank of Russia outlined a strategy in 2021 to bolster the National Payment System and anticipated Mir’s share rising to the 27–30% range of total transaction volume by the end of 2023. Projections from NSPK leadership suggested Mir’s dominance could continue to grow, with estimates of a possible 70% share of total card transactions by late 2024, and discussions about a potential further reduction in reliance on international networks. These projections have been part of public discussions about the evolution of Russia’s domestic payments infrastructure and the role of national systems in the broader financial system.
There have been regional explorations of Mir’s acceptance beyond Russia. For instance, some banks reported limited acceptance of Mir at merchant points and payment terminals in other markets, highlighting ongoing efforts to expand the card’s footprint while staying aligned with regulatory and operational considerations. This context helps understand how Mir is positioned within a changing global payments environment and the steps taken to support domestic financial resilience.
Throughout this period, public communication from central banking authorities emphasized that banks retain discretion on disclosure of sanctions-sensitive data, a stance that has influenced market perception and the interpretation of official statistics. The evolving landscape underscores the importance of monitoring quarterly updates, regulatory notes, and strategy documents as the payment ecosystem in Russia continues to adapt to both internal policy goals and external pressures. [citation attribution required].
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