Payments for utility services account for most settlements via payment agents: 2026 Q1 results
Between January and March 2026, household payments via payments agents totalled more than ₽155 billion. The overall number of transactions exceeded 120 million with the average payment amount of ₽1,290.
Payment agents accept cash payments for utility services, telecommunications, TV and Internet services, as well as consumer goods. In 2026 Q1, the most popular type of transactions was payments for utility services, accounting for nearly 90% of all operations, while fines, state duties, and payments for telecommunications made up an insignificant share.
Self-regulatory organisations submitted their first report on payment agents’ operations to the Bank of Russia. These data will help the regulator analyse the development of this market segment, including by region, and assess the accessibility of payments for consumers by type of operations more comprehensively.