Russia Plans Nationwide Facial Recognition Payment System in 2025

Russia plans to implement a nationwide facial recognition payment system in 2025, expanding on its existing Face Pay system through collaboration between Sber and the National Payment Card System (NSPK). The initiative will involve deploying about two million biometric terminals across the country, marking a significant expansion of Russia’s biometric infrastructure.

“The project roadmap had already been established, and the network launch is slated for the second half of 2025,” said Dmitry Malykh, Sber’s Senior Vice President. “We are developing a biometric payment standard, based on which other market participants will be able to launch their biometric services.”

The implementation will begin with Moscow’s Metro system in 2024 before expanding nationwide, building upon the deployment of Face Pay in Moscow’s subway system that began in 2021 and has since expanded to other cities including Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod. The system will enable customers from any participating bank to make payments using facial recognition technology after registering their biometric data through their banking applications. Notably, the system has also facilitated internal security operations, allowing Russian police to track and detain political dissidents.

The initiative operates within the framework of Russia’s Unified Biometric System (UBS), a state information system that stores biometric data for authentication and identification purposes. This expansion follows a 2022 government directive requiring state-owned banks to transfer customer biometric data to the UBS. Despite mandatory data transfer requirements, the system has not yet reached 3 million users, highlighting potential challenges in widespread adoption.

Beyond basic payment functionality, the system will incorporate features such as age verification for restricted purchases and automated hotel check-in capabilities.

The technology infrastructure will reportedly support various payment methods, including potential cryptocurrency transactions. The system aims to create a unified network where customers can utilize facial recognition payments across different banking platforms after registering their biometric data through any participating banking application, representing Russia’s most ambitious biometric payment initiative to date.

Source: Watcher.guru

–

January 24, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team