Moscow has launched the Virtual Troika ticketing project

The Moscow Department of Transport together with Google, Samsung, VTB Bank, and Mastercard have launched the Virtual Troika ticketing project. Now passengers can pay for their trips in the Moscow Metro, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC), the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD), and the surface transport with a transport card in their smartphone.

To pay fare it is necessary to have an Android smartphone with an NFC module, Google Pay or Samsung Pay wallet, and a ticket downloaded to the Virtual Troika card. Paying for travel with a virtual Troika card is similar to paying for purchases in a store using a smartphone. 

This payment option is available at all terminals and turnstiles that accept contactless bankcards. 

«The Virtual Troika is one of the most long-awaited digital transport services of this year. I am sure it will become no less popular among Moscow citizens than the actual Troika card. We expect that over time, millions of citizens will use a transport card loaded into a smartphone every day. The Mayor has set a task to increase the number of fare payment methods so that passengers always have a choice. By the end of next year, it will be possible to pay for travel at any metro turnstile with a virtual Troika», — said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.

Moscow has one of the most developed fare payment systems in the world. Two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021, it was recognized as the "smartest" at the international Transport Ticketing Award. Earlier this year, the Face Pay was launched in the Moscow Metro:a service that allows passengers to pay the fare with biometrics at all stations of the network. 

The Moscow Transport Twitter account