In recent years, foreign travel has become noticeably more difficult for Russians, and it’s not just about the need to obtain visas or plan
routes. One of the main problems is paying for purchases abroad, because not all Russian bank cards work outside the country due to
sanctions. This creates additional complications: you have to look for alternative options, fiddle with cash, or worry that the card won’t work
at all in a foreign terminal.
In this article, we will analyze what the situation with bank cards for traveling After VISA and MasterCard abroad will be by 2025, which
Current situation with maps for 2025
After VISA and MasterCard left Russia in 2022, many travelers buy phone number list found that their usual cards stopped working abroad.
Issued in Russia before 2022, they still continue to function within the country and are used in Russian payment systems, but they are no
longer valid abroad. New cards of these international systems are not issued in Russia.
In response to this, Russian banks beganAfter VISA and MasterCard
to more actively promote the national payment system MIR , which, although it has gained popularity within the country, remains of little
demand in most foreign countries. Abroad, it is accepted only in a limited number of countries and not in all chain stores or services.
At the same time, the Chinese payment system UnionPay is considered an alternative solution , but there are some nuances here too. Cards
issued in Russia often help to pay abroad, but in a number of before developing a countries there may be restrictions on their use. UnionPay
works most reliably in most Asian countries, but in Europe and the USA such cards sometimes cause difficulties.
What cards should you take with you abroad?
Before choosing a specific card for foreign travel, it is important to understand in which countries it will work, what difficulties you may
encounter and what the situation is with its issuance in Russia. Let’s look at working options and analyze their strengths and weaknesses
.
MIR mapsAfter VISA and MasterCard
The national payment system MIR remains the most accessible for Russians. However, outside the country it cannot yet compete with its
international counterparts. Firstly, MIR is officially accepted ukraine business directory only in a few countries, so the geography of use is
limited (Cuba, Vietnam, Belarus).
Secondly, even in those countries where the system formally works, there are often payment failures – terminals do not recognize the card or
simply “drop out” of the system.
In addition, some stores and services may not have enough motivation to integrate less common payment solutions and prefer VISA, MasterCard or UnionPay.
