On the world map: Russians have eight ways to pay abroad in 2025
Russian tourists still have at least eight ways to pay for purchases while traveling, despite the discontinuation of Visa and Mastercard cards abroad. Representatives of banks and experts told Izvestia about this. In a number of countries "Mir" cards still work. Other options include UnionPay plastic of two Russian credit organizations, foreign cards, payment by QR code, crypto and cash. There are also two alternative methods, which so far only work in Turkey. How these solutions work and why you should have at least a few options in your arsenal - in the material "Izvestia".
How much cash can be taken abroad
Russians will be able to pay abroad in 2025, despite the sanctions. In March 2022, after the introduction of restrictions on the part of international payment systems, Visa and Mastercard cards issued by domestic banks stopped working abroad, and foreign plastic - on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The easiest way to pay abroad is cash. However, since 2022 it is allowed to take out of Russia foreign currency in theamount not exceeding $10 thousand or its equivalent in other monetary units, reminded Venera Shaidullina, associate professor of the Department of Global Financial Markets and Fintech of Plekhanov Russian Economic University.
What countries accept "Mir" cards
Another common option is "Mir" cards. They still work in a number of countries. Among them are Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Laos, Tajikistan and South Ossetia, said Venera Shaidullina.
However, Russian plastic can work in a limited number of places, sometimes - only in some retail outlets, said economist Lazar Badalov. For example, in Armenia and Kazakhstan "Mir" cards can be paid only in the network of VTB Bank.
In 2025, the list of countries where Mir cards are accepted may expand, expects Venera Shaidullina from Plekhanov Russian Economic University. Egypt, for example, has announced plans to join the Russian system. However, due to the threat of secondary U.S. sanctions, many countries are cautious about working with the Russian payment system. In the future, Mir may also be accepted in Iran and Turkey, according to Roman Tikhonov, director of fintech products at Paygine.
Which UnionPaycards work abroad
It is becoming increasingly difficult to pay abroad with Russian UnionPay cards, said Georgy Nikonov, General Director of the Vepay payment service. For example, the Chinese payment system's card issued by Gazprombank stopped working abroad in November 2024 after the credit organization fell under US sanctions.
Now only two banks - Asia-Pacific and RSHB - accept Russian UnionPay cards abroad, added Venera Shaidullina from Plekhanov Russian Economic University. They operate in more than 160 countries, she said. However, there is a risk that in 2025, under the pressure of sanctions, the number of these credit organizations may still decrease.
How to get a card from a foreign bank and what to pay attention to
The fourth common way for Russians to pay abroad is to get a foreign bank card, said Alexei Tarapovsky, founder of Anderida Financial Group. Now about 15% of Russian citizens have such plastic. Most often it is opened in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Belarus. It costs on average 20-50 thousand rubles, the expert explained.
Many countries friendly to Russia allow to issue it remotely, added Georgy Nikonov from Vepay. Moreover, such cards work everywhere abroad. However, you should not try to issue such plastic through free bulletin boards and obscure private individuals, the expert warned.
Otherwise, there is a risk of running into fraudsters, agreed Roman Tikhonov from Paygine. According to him, it is better to apply directly to banks or to verified agents, as well as carefully check the terms of service and reviews. There are quite a lot of such services, noted Alexei Tarapovsky. Among them are EasyPay, 5 Cards, Cardlist.
However, one should not keep large sums on such foreign accounts for a long period of time, the expert emphasized. The most correct policy is to replenish the balance before traveling.
In addition, when opening a foreign account, you must necessarily notify the tax authorities, reminded Denis Astafiev, founder of the investment company SharesPro.
How Russians can pay for purchases in Turkey
Two more ways of payment abroad are still valid only in Turkey. Some tourist outlets there have started using terminals of Russian banks, said Roman Tikhonov from Paygine. He explained: this is possible due to their connection to local Turkish networks.
This is mainly the way "Mir" is accepted, because the use of Visa and Mastercard (even if payments are made through the Russian national payment system) can be considered a violation of the sanctions and rules on cross-border payments, Izvestia wrote earlier.
Another method is to issue a card of the Turkish national payment system Troy. It can be issued in digital format or in the form of plastic through the service Letim, said the press service of the organization. They added: so Russian tourists can pay for purchases in Turkish online and offline stores, as well as withdraw cash from ATMs.
Plastic card can be ordered with delivery to 17 cities in Russia within four to seven working days or to Turkey - there it will come in three to five working days. The virtual card can be used by scanning QR codes for payment.
The account is funded in rubles through SBP. They are automatically converted into liras at the exchange rate of the service, with a commission of 3.8%, specified in the press service of Letim. So far this payment method is valid only in Turkey and Northern Cyprus.
How to pay with a QR code abroad
The seventh way of payment abroad is by means of QR codes. For example, this method of payment through the system of fast payments now works in some regions of Turkey, Denis Astafiev from SharesPro has informed. He explained: the client should scan QR and confirm the transaction in the mobile bank, as it is done in Russia. The launch of such an option was previously discussed by MTS Bank.
Recently the payment by QR code abroad has also been offered in VTB. To make a transaction it is necessary to point the scanning camera in the application at the payment code in the check or at the terminal, explained in the press service of the credit organization. Payments are made in rubles with subsequent conversion into the national currency of the country where the purchase was made. The limit of one transaction - from 10 rubles to 350 thousand.
In the first half of the year the bank plans to scale the system in the near abroad countries. And in the second half - also in non-CIS countries. The credit organization did not name the specific countries where this payment method is already in effect.
How to use crypto for payment abroad
Cryptocurrency also remains one of the ways to pay abroad, said Venera Shaidullina from Plekhanov Russian Economic University. According to her, the most convenient option is to use stablecoins (coins whose rate is linked to the value of a real asset, such as a dollar or gold). The most popular is USDT, with its exchange rate pegged to the US dollar.
Digital assets can be exchanged for local currency through crypto-machines or P2P platforms, the expert added. However, one must take into account the high conversion fees and the risks of cryptocurrency volatility if the client uses non-stablecoins.
Cryptocurrencies can be used for payment in countries where this is allowed by law, such as Germany, Singapore and Switzerland, Denis Astafiev from SharesPro specified.
Another option is to issue cryptocurrency cards. When paying, digital assets are automatically converted into regular fiat money.
Under sanctions, the situation with different methods of payment can change quite quickly, so it is better to have several alternative methods on the trip. It is also worth calculating possible commissions and conversion rates in advance.
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