Million Muscovites join biometric fare payment system

A million Muscovites have joined the biometric fare payment system. This is a cutting-edge technology that offers the most convenient way to pay the public transport fares. You only need to look into the camera at the turnstile, and it will let you through. Every week, more than 1.2 million passengers use biometrics to get onto the public transport.

“Moscow is a world leader in the number of types of transport where biometric fare payment is available. This is a fully Russian-developed solution that belongs to the Government of Moscow. Public transport passengers have used biometrics technology over 230 million times. Joining the service takes only a minute thanks to the Moscow Metro mobile app. By the end of 2026, as per Sergei Sobyanin’s assignment, we will have introduced biometric payment at stations with turnstiles on the third Moscow Central Diameter (MCD-3),” shares Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Moscow Mayor for Transport.

Biometric system registration

In order to register in the biometric system, you need to go to the Account section of the Moscow Metro mobile app and log in via an SMS code or another service. In your personal account, go to the Services section, select Biometric Payment System, and in the Biometrics click Add. After that, log in via Mos ID (your mos.ru portal account) or fill in the data manually.

Then take a selfie. The portrait must meet several requirements: even lighting, no deep shadows on the face, no accessories, hair must not cover the face, look straight into the camera. Next, in your personal account, go to the Payment Methods section and link a bank card or a Moscow Resident Social Card. The service will be available within a few hours.

During registration, a neural network converts the user’s photo into a depersonalised set of symbols. It cannot be decrypted back into an image. When passing through the turnstile, a special Liveness technology distinguishes a living person from a photo or video. It analyses the passenger’s facial expressions and movements. Therefore, the system is completely safe.

The servers are located within Russia. The system has a banking level of security, and all data is reliably encrypted.

Convenient and fast

Biometric payment was launched across all Moscow metro stations in October 2021. To this day, Russian capital remains an incontestable leader in this field.

Since December 2025, the biometric fare payment service has been available at absolutely all turnstiles of the metro and the Moscow Central Circle. It also works on Aeroexpress trains, at the piers of regular river electric transport, and at Moscow Central Diameter stations.

Currently, biometrics system operates at MCD-1, MCD-2, and MCD-4 stations with turnstiles. By the end of the year, the option of biometric payment will have also appeared on MCD-3. On the MCD, the facial recognition payment system works the same way as on other means of public transport. If a passenger is already registered in the Moscow Metro app, re-registration is not required.

For new users, after a one-time registration in the service, it is enough to look into the camera at the turnstile. At stations without turnstiles, to start or end a trip on the MCD, you need to tap the same bank card that is linked to the service to the validator.

Biometrics is the most convenient and fastest option for paying public transport fares. The user has no need of a plastic card, phone or wallet. To pass through, you need to approach the turnstile and look into the camera on it. The payment process is automatic.