The key facts

  • Biometric payment works in the metro of all seven Russian cities; it is being introduced in ground transport in stages.
  • In Moscow and St. Petersburg recognition is automatic, in other cities payment must be selected at the terminal.
  • Data in the UBS is stored in encrypted form; consent can be withdrawn on Gosuslugi without deleting the biometrics.

Where the technology works

You can pay for a trip by biometrics at an equipped turnstile with a single glance at the camera — without a card or phone in hand. As the Center for Biometric Technologies (CBT) told Gazeta.Ru, the technology operates in all seven Russian cities with a metro: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Samara. Money is charged to a linked card or bank account. The technology is being introduced in ground transport in stages: in June 2026, the Moscow Department of Transport announced recruitment of participants for testing on buses and electric buses.

How to activate payment

The activation process depends on the city. In Moscow, you need to open the 'Payment by biometrics' section in the 'Moscow Metro' or 'Moscow Transport' app, upload a photo, link a bank card and a 'Troika' card; after the data is confirmed, a green indicator will appear. Passengers of Kazan transport must register their biometrics in the Unified Biometric System via the 'Gosuslugi Biometrics' app, then activate payment in 'SBPei' and select the account of a partner bank. Registration in the UBS by itself does not activate payment — separate consent is required to use the service.

Payment features and disputed charges

According to CBT representatives, in all metro systems except Moscow's and St. Petersburg's, biometric payment must be selected at the terminal — without this, recognition will not start. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, recognition happens automatically, but the biometric payment is processed no earlier than five minutes later: during this time the system checks whether the trip has been paid by another means, and if so, blocks the biometric payment. If money was charged for a trip that did not happen, the transaction can be disputed by contacting the metro.

Data protection and disabling the service

Biometric samples registered in the UBS are stored in the system in encrypted form, and the composition of data used by the carrier depends on the model of interaction with the UBS. Protection mechanisms check whether a live person is in front of the terminal and detect attempts to spoof with a photo, video, mask or deepfake. To disable transport payment via the UBS, it is enough to withdraw on Gosuslugi the consent issued to a specific carrier: deleting the biometrics is not required, other biometric services will remain. CBT also noted that before a trip, it is worth checking whether benefits and season passes apply with this payment method: fares, discounts and transfers depend on the carrier.