On 9 September 2008, MasterCard representatives have announced the first transaction on a MasterCard PayPass card in Russia. As part of a demonstration of contactless payments, a purchase was made with MasterCard PayPass card which was issued by UK-based Barclays Bank's subsidiary Expobank.

The first Russian contactless MasterCard PayPass transaction was handled by a Prime Star restaurant, part of the acquiring network of Expobank.The bank announced plans to distribute 400 contactless point-of-sale terminals at supermarkets, pharmacies, petroleum stations and restaurants across Moscow.

PayPass is the only contactless card available for the Russian cardholders. MasterCard PayPass is an EMV compatible, contactless payment feature that provides cardholders with a simpler way to pay by tapping a payment card or other payment device, such as a phone or key fob, on a point-of-sale terminal reader rather than swiping or inserting a card.