The government has approved the parameters of an experiment on the use of “Mir” payment cards for the provision of certain social protection measures.

Published on: 2026-07-27

Source: Government of the Russian Federation –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

From August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, an experiment will be conducted in Russia on using “Mir” payment cards to provide certain social protection measures to several categories of beneficiaries. The decree approving the procedure for its implementation was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Participants in the experiment will be large families, pensioners, disabled people, and students. To participate in the experiment, they will need to register their “Mir” card, issued by any bank, on the government services portal. After that, they will automatically start receiving benefits when paying for travel on city and suburban transport, as well as when visiting cultural institutions, pharmacies, and grocery stores.

The implementation of such an initiative on the part of the state will be provided by the Ministry of Digital Development (the coordinator of the experiment), the Federal Treasury, JSC “National Payment Card System,” the Pension and Social Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Labor, and regional authorities.

The main objective of the experiment is to test a new mechanism for targeted and transparent provision of benefits. In addition, the Mir card, which citizens already use to receive pensions and social benefits, will be used to confirm benefits without transmitting sensitive personal data, which is especially relevant for certain categories of beneficiaries.

To date, Bashkiria, Rostov, and Tyumen regions have announced their participation in the experiment.

Based on the results of the experiment, a report will be submitted to the Government, on the basis of which a decision may be made to scale such a practice of granting benefits across the entire country.

Mikhail Mishustin announced the decision at a meeting with as deputy prime ministers on July 27. The Chairman of the Government instructed Dmitry Grigorenko to keep the process of testing the new mechanism under personal control.

“Be sure to monitor feedback from citizens and consider how comfortable they are with receiving benefits in this form. The decision to scale the project should be made based on their opinion,” emphasized the head of the cabinet.

Please note; This information is raw content received directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.