How to Pay in St Petersburg: Podorozhnik, Taxi, Museums

How to pay in St Petersburg as a visitor: buy a Podorozhnik card for the metro (65 ₽ a ride instead of 95 ₽ for a token), keep rubles in cash for the airport bus, taxis and stalls, and pay SBP QR codes in cafes, shops and museums from a ruble balance funded from USDT. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad do not work.

Key facts (October 2026)

• Metro token («жетон»): 95 ₽. Podorozhnik card: 65 ₽ per ride on the metro, buses, trams and trolleybuses; the card itself costs about 90 ₽.
• Tourist unlimited tickets: 364 ₽ for one day, 701 ₽ for three days, 1,240 ₽ for five days.
• Pulkovo airport has no rail link to the centre: bus 39 or 39E to Moskovskaya metro, or a taxi for roughly 1,000–1,800 ₽.
• Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards fail at turnstiles, in taxi apps and at ATMs.
• Paying an SBP QR code from a Matrimix ruble balance costs a 3% fee; the rubles are bought with USDT at the wallet rate, shown before you confirm.

Metro and Podorozhnik

St Petersburg has six metro lines and one fare system for the metro and city buses, trams and trolleybuses.

Ticket	Price	Good for
Token, 1 metro ride	95 ₽	One or two rides in total
Podorozhnik, per ride	65 ₽	Two or three rides a day
"90 minutes" ticket	106 ₽	One metro ride plus surface transport
Tourist ticket, 1 / 3 / 5 days	364 / 701 / 1,240 ₽	Four or more rides a day
Russian Mir card at the gate	65 ₽	Residents

Buy a Podorozhnik at a metro ticket office («касса») or a ticket machine and load it with rubles; the office takes cash. The balance cannot be refunded, so do not overload it. A standard Podorozhnik works only in St Petersburg; a combined Troika and Podorozhnik card exists if you visit both cities.

Topping up without cash

The official Podorozhnik website and app accept SBP for top-ups by card number; you then activate the top-up at a metro machine or a validator. If the checkout shows an SBP QR code or payment link, a ruble balance in Matrimix can pay it with the QR button → Scan or Pay by payment link. The app may ask for a Russian phone number, and some steps are in Russian only, so keep a little cash for the ticket office as well.

Getting from Pulkovo

Pulkovo is about 23 km south of the centre, and there is no train.

• Bus 39 to Moskovskaya metro takes 30–35 minutes; 39E runs the same route express in about 20 minutes. From Moskovskaya, Nevsky Prospekt is about 15–20 minutes by metro.
• A kiosk near the bus stop sells Podorozhnik cards, roughly 8:00–20:00 with a lunch break. Outside those hours, have cash ready.
• Taxi: Yandex Go takes Russian cards and cash only. Choose Cash when you order; expect roughly 1,000–1,800 ₽ to the centre depending on traffic.

Exchange only a small amount at the airport: rates there are weaker than in the city. Volumes, currencies and daily budgets: how much cash can I bring to Russia.

The Hermitage and other museums

Online booking for the Hermitage and other big museums often needs a Russian card. Buy at the ticket desk instead, where cash always works and some desks show an SBP QR code on the terminal; ask first. If an online checkout offers SBP («СБП»), copy the payment link and use Pay by payment link in the wallet. ATMs near the big sights can be scarce, so arrive with some cash for audio guides and gift shops.

Nevsky Prospekt: shops and exchange

Many shops, chains and malls along Nevsky Prospekt and in Gostiny Dvor show SBP QR codes at the till. Exchange points cluster along Nevsky between Ploshchad Vosstaniya and Admiralteyskaya and inside Gostiny Dvor; they belong to banks, ask for a passport for larger amounts and post different rates, so compare before you hand over notes. Avoid street changers.

Cafes and restaurants

A lunch at a «столовая» (canteen) is around 400–600 ₽; mid-range restaurants near Nevsky are more expensive. Many cafes and restaurants show an SBP QR code on the terminal or with the bill. Tip around 10% in sit-down places; cash on the table is the easiest for a visitor.

How to pay a QR code at the till

Matrimix is a custodial crypto wallet inside Telegram, the Mini App of @MatrimixBot. It never pays a merchant in crypto: you hold rubles first, converted from USDT, and the merchant receives rubles over SBP.

1. Before going out, convert USDT in Swap (USDT → RUB) or on the Ruble card → Swap. Fund the wallet over USDT TON or USDT TRC20.
2. Ask: «Можно оплатить по QR-коду СБП?»
3. Tap the QR button in the centre of the bottom menu → Scan and point the camera at the code. If it does not read, take a photo of the code instead.
4. Check Recipient, Amount, Fee and You pay. A sticker without an amount asks you to enter it; agree the amount with the cashier.
5. Slide Pay … and show the Paid screen. Receipt downloads a PDF.

The quote is valid for about 30 seconds; if it expires, refresh and check again. Price breakdown with an example: SBP QR payment in Russia from a USDT balance. Product page: /qr-pay.

Taxis, private drivers and guides

Yandex Go is the main app, with Citymobil and Maxim as alternatives; none accepts a foreign card, so choose cash. Some taxis display an SBP QR code, which the wallet can pay, but do not count on it.

A guide, a private driver for a day trip to Peterhof or a landlord may ask for a transfer to their phone number. In the wallet: Services → Payouts via SBP and card number → Withdraw via SBP / card → SBP (phone and bank) or Card → check the details with the receiver → slide Send rubles → Delivered. The fee is 6%; the minimum is 1,500 ₽ over SBP and 3,500 ₽ to a card. Details: /rub-payout and how to pay someone in Russia.

Russian phrases for St Petersburg

• «Можно оплатить по QR-коду СБП?» (Mozhno oplatit' po QR-kodu SBP?) — Can I pay by SBP QR code?
• «Покажите, пожалуйста, QR-код на сумму» (Pokazhite, pozhaluysta, QR-kod na summu) — Please show a QR code with the amount.
• «Можно перевести по номеру телефона?» (Mozhno perevesti po nomeru telefona?) — Can I transfer to your phone number?
• «Чек, пожалуйста» (Chek, pozhaluysta) — Receipt, please.

Good to know

• The price is on screen before you pay. A QR payment costs a 3% fee, and the rubles are bought at the wallet rate; payouts cost 6% with the minimums above. The total is always shown before you confirm. Prices as of October 2026; the confirmation screen and /fees show current numbers.
• Matrimix holds your coins and rubles for you. No seed phrases and no extra apps — everything opens in Telegram.
• A confirmed payment goes through at once. It cannot be cancelled, so check the amount and recipient. If the shop issues a refund, claim it with Request a refund; it returns to the ruble balance without the fee.
• Buy your rubles in advance. Telegram is largely blocked in Russia: since mid-March 2026 most connections fail on mobile data and Wi-Fi alike, and since July 2026 foreign SIM and eSIM roaming is filtered too. Set up the wallet and swap USDT to rubles before you fly — they will wait on the balance until you pay. Carry a little cash for the metro office and stalls. See does Telegram work in Russia.
• Law. Russian law (282-FZ) forbids paying merchants in crypto; the wallet pays rubles only. Overview: is crypto legal in Russia. This is not legal advice.
• Turnstiles and stalls. The metro gate needs a Podorozhnik, a token or a Russian card; many stalls want cash.

Sources

• St Petersburg fares, Podorozhnik and Pulkovo transport: russiable.com
• Paying in St Petersburg in 2026: piterpass.com
• Podorozhnik top-ups and activation: metro.spb.ru, Podorozhnik app
• Federal Law 282-FZ: kremlin.ru

Read also

• How to pay in Russia as a tourist
• How to pay in Moscow
• Mir card for foreigners
• USDT to RUB

FAQ

How do I pay for the metro in St Petersburg?

Buy a Podorozhnik card at a metro ticket office and load it with rubles in cash: each ride costs 65 ₽. A single token costs 95 ₽. Foreign cards do not work at the turnstiles.

Is the Podorozhnik or the tourist ticket better?

The Podorozhnik is cheaper up to about three rides a day. At four or more, a 1-, 3- or 5-day tourist ticket (364, 701 or 1,240 ₽) usually wins.

How do I get from Pulkovo airport to the centre without a Russian card?

Take bus 39 or 39E to Moskovskaya metro, paying in cash or with a Podorozhnik bought at the kiosk by the stop, or order Yandex Go with cash as the payment method.

Can I pay at the Hermitage without cash?

Online booking often needs a Russian card. At the ticket desk you can pay in cash, and some desks also show an SBP QR code that a ruble balance can pay. Ask before you queue.

Can I pay with crypto in St Petersburg?

No. Russian merchants may not accept crypto. Convert USDT to rubles in the wallet first; the wallet then pays the SBP QR code in rubles and the shop receives rubles.