UnionPay Payment System

Visa and MasterCard have decided to restrict their operations for holders of Russian cards starting March 11: payments abroad and in foreign online stores will be unavailable.

To pay for purchases and withdraw cash abroad, we recommend getting a co-badged «Mir» - UnionPay card, which will be accepted both in Russia and in 180 countries that support UnionPay.

All cards of international payment systems VISA and MasterCard issued by Russian banks will continue to work in Russia as usual until they expire. Transactions on them are processed domestically in the National Payment Card System, and sanctions do not affect them. Customers' funds in accounts linked to such cards are fully preserved and available.

Holders of these cards in Russia will be able to make transactions at ATMs, pay by card, and make card-to-card transfers.

At the same time, cross-border transactions on VISA and MasterCard cards will be prohibited. This applies both to paying for purchases in foreign online stores and to using these cards abroad.

If you are traveling abroad, it is recommended to take cash currency with you and a «Mir» card for the countries where it is accepted. As of today, these are Turkey, Vietnam, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia.

For purchases on foreign websites, Russians are advised to get a card with the alternative payment system UnionPay or a co-badged «Mir»+UnionPay card.
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• What is it?
  UnionPay is a payment system created in China that operates in 180 countries. Founded by the association of Chinese banks in 2002, by 2015 UnionPay had already become the largest in the world, surpassing Visa and Mastercard in terms of the share of processed transactions.
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  Co-badged cards are cards that work on the basis of not one, but two payment systems at once. Transactions on the card are processed by one or the other payment system, depending on which country the transaction is made in.
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• Where can I get one?
  The UnionPay system website lists Russian banks that can already issue such a card:
  Rosselkhozbank, Gazprombank, «Solidarnost», Promsvyazbank, Bank «Saint Petersburg», PrimSocBank, Bank «Zenit», Pochta Bank
  «Vostochny» (since 14.02.2022, «Sovcombank» has become the legal successor), «Primorye», VBRR
   Sberbank and «Tinkoff», Raiffeisenbank, Rosbank and Moscow Credit Bank also announced the possible issuance of a "Mir"/UnionPay co-badged card. «Alfa-Bank» is already working on launching UnionPay cards.
  More details: unionpayintl.com
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• How do I apply?
  Fill out an application on the bank's website or in a branch.
  Wait for a decision on the application - the reply will be sent to the phone number or email you provided
  Receive the card at a bank branch or arrange delivery by a bank representative (if this option is available)
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• Is UnionPay allowed for payments in the USA?
  Yes, UnionPay has an agreement with the American payment company Discover Financial Services, which allows UnionPay cards to be used for online purchases in stores that accept Discover or Diners Club cards.