How do you pay for a bus, tram or the MCC in Russia?
In Moscow, tap a Troika (Тройка) card or a Russian-issued bank card on the validator; the same card works on the metro, the MCC and the MCD. Global payment methods are not accepted and drivers usually do not sell tickets, so board with a loaded card. Other cities have their own cards or take cash on board.
Updated September 2026
What works on a Moscow validator
Moscow buses and trams have no conductors. You board through any door and hold your card to the validator; a green light and a beep mean the fare is paid.
Global payment methods, Apple Pay and Google Pay are rejected as unknown cards. Cash is usually not taken on board.
- Troika (Тройка) — pay per ride or load a travel pass
- Any Russian-issued bank card
- phone payments on an Android phone with a Russian card linked
- A single-ride ticket from a metro ticket office or machine
The MCC and MCD share the metro fare
The Moscow Central Circle (МЦК) is a ring railway run as part of the metro. You pass through ordinary turnstiles with Troika or a Russian card, and a transfer between the metro and the MCC is free within a time window, so tapping in again on the MCC does not cost a second fare — the exact window is shown on the Moscow Metro site and in the app.
The Moscow Central Diameters (МЦД) work the same way inside the central zone, with one difference: on the MCD you also tap your card at the exit turnstile, because the fare is settled when you leave — do not skip it.
Topping up Troika without a Russian bank card
Ticket machines at every metro station take cash. If you would rather not carry it, the Metro Moscow (Метро Москвы) app lists the Russian payment network, among its payment methods.
Choose the Russian payment network, pick Промсельхозбанк (PayinRussia / Плати в России) in the bank list, and the PayInRussia app opens to confirm the top-up with one tap. Where the app asks for a bank card instead, the card details from the same app may also be accepted — check at checkout.
St Petersburg and other cities
St Petersburg has its own card, the Podorozhnik (Подорожник), sold and topped up for cash at metro cash desks. Without it, you pay the conductor or at the validator, usually in cash or with a Russian card.
Outside Moscow and St Petersburg the rules vary from city to city: often a conductor or the driver takes cash, and many routes have a terminal or validator that reads Russian cards — ask locally. Small ruble notes and coins are the safest backup on any route in the country.
