Payments in Russia: A Restricted and Rapidly Changing Payment Environment

Payments in Russia: A Restricted and Rapidly Changing Payment Environment A merchant looking at Russia can see two different markets. The first is visible in domestic payment statistics. Consumers use banking apps, cards, QR codes, mobile interfaces, and the Faster Payments System at substantial scale. In 2025, the Bank of Russia reported 18.3 billion transactions through the Faster Payments System, with a total value of ₽103 trillion. By the third quarter of that year, average daily Faster Payments System activity included approximately 15 million payments for goods and services. (Central Bank of Russia) The second market appears when an international merchant tries to reach those customers. Visa suspended its Russia operations in 2022. Visa cards issued outside Russia no longer work inside the country, while cards issued by Russian financial institutions no longer work outside it through Visa’s network. International sanctions have continued to expand, targeting financial institutions, payment access, services, technology, trade, and attempts to circumvent restrictions. (Visa) Both descriptions are true: * Russia has a large and increasingly digital domestic payment environment. * Ordinary international access to that environment is severely constrained. That distinction should govern the market-entry decision.

For an international merchant, the first question is not how Russian customers prefer to pay. It is whether the merchant, product, provider, bank, currency flow, settlement route, data model, and counterparties can lawfully and operationally support the transaction. Consumer demand cannot compensate for a prohibited transaction, an unavailable provider, an inaccessible domestic method, a blocked counterparty, or revenue that cannot be settled into a usable account. Russia payment snapshot Category Russia Region Eastern Europe and Northern Asia Population Approximately 143.4 million in current IMF country data Currency Russian ruble, RUB Economic position Major global economy; rank depends on year, exchange rate, and nominal-versus-PPP methodology Domestic payment maturity High use of cards, banking apps, Faster Payments System transfers, QR payments, and other cashless instruments Domestic card system Mir and domestic card-processing infrastructure Account-to-account system Faster Payments System, commonly abbreviated SBP International-card access Severely restricted; cards issued abroad generally cannot be assumed to work domestically Cross-border provider access Highly restricted and provider-specific Settlement complexity High Sanctions and legal complexity Very high and frequently changing Data and localization complexity High Merchant recommendation Begin with sanctions, export-control, provider, counterparty, and settlement feasibility before commercial assessment

The IMF’s current country page reports a population of approximately 143.4 million and projects real GDP growth of 1.1% for 2026. The working brief’s “eighth-largest economy” description requires final verification against the selected nominal-GDP dataset and year, since exchange-rate movements can materially change Russia’s position in current-dollar rankings. (IMF) The feasibility gate comes before market sizing In a conventional market assessment, the sequence often begins with: Demand → payment methods → providers → integration → launch For Russia, the safer sequence is: Legal permissibility → counterparty screening → provider availability → settlement feasibility → data feasibility → demand → launch decision A merchant should not proceed from “there are customers” to “how do we collect payment?” without first answering: * Is the product or service permitted? * Is supplying it to Russia restricted by the merchant’s home jurisdiction? * Is the customer, bank, provider, owner, intermediary, or beneficiary subject to sanctions? * Does the payment involve a prohibited financial institution? * Is a relevant general or specific license available? * Does the merchant’s PSP permit the activity? * Can funds be received, converted, and transferred lawfully? * Does the proposed structure create circumvention risk? * Do export controls apply to software, encryption, cloud services, digital goods, or technical support?

* Can personal data be collected and processed under applicable Russian requirements? * Can the merchant meet consumer, tax, invoicing, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations? These questions are jurisdiction-specific. A U.S. company, EU company, UK company, Asian merchant, and locally incorporated Russian business may face materially different obligations and provider options. OFAC maintains multiple Russia-related sanctions programs, licenses, FAQs, and designation lists. The EU has continued to expand and renew sectoral and financial restrictions; as of July 2026, it had adopted 21 sanctions packages and renewed important economic measures into 2027. (OFAC) This article provides general information and does not constitute legal, sanctions, export-control, regulatory, tax, or accounting advice. Merchants should obtain advice from qualified specialists in every jurisdiction connected to the proposed transaction. A large domestic payment system does not imply international accessibility The Bank of Russia reported that, as of January 1, 2026, the national payment system contained 31 payment systems and 353 money-transfer operators. That indicates substantial domestic infrastructure, but not universal foreign-merchant access. (Central Bank of Russia) Three separate questions must be kept apart: 1. Does the payment method operate domestically? A domestic consumer may be able to use: * A locally issued bank card * The Mir card system * The Faster Payments System * QR-based payment

* A domestic banking app * A local wallet * Bank transfer * Cash or another domestic arrangement 2. Can the merchant obtain commercial access? The merchant may still need: * An eligible contracting entity * A domestic or permitted provider relationship * An approved merchant category * A local settlement account * Local onboarding * Technical access * Satisfactory sanctions and compliance review * Acceptable ownership and control structure 3. Can the merchant receive and use the proceeds? Even if customer payment succeeds, the merchant must determine: * Where funds settle * Which institution holds them * Whether the bank is restricted * Whether currency conversion is available * Whether cross-border payout is permitted * Whether funds can be repatriated * Whether reserves or controls apply * Whether the merchant can use the revenue for its intended purpose A successful domestic payment is not the same as usable international revenue. How consumers pay domestically Domestic payment behavior remains commercially relevant, but only after the feasibility gates have been passed. Domestic cards and Mir Russia developed domestic payment-processing infrastructure and the Mir card system, reducing reliance on international networks for transactions inside the country. For a merchant, “supporting cards in Russia” therefore does not simply mean enabling ordinary international Visa and Mastercard acceptance. The merchant would need to verify: * Which domestic cards the provider accepts

* Whether the merchant is eligible for that acquiring setup * Whether online and card-on-file transactions are supported * Authentication requirements * Tokenization * Recurring-payment capability * Refunds and reversals * Disputes * Settlement currency * Reporting and reconciliation * Whether any bank or intermediary is sanctioned Visa’s continuing notice states that Visa cards issued outside Russia no longer work within Russia and Russian-issued Visa cards do not work outside the country through Visa’s network. This creates a structural limitation for conventional international card acceptance. (Visa) Merchants should not assume that domestic processing of a familiar international brand creates cross-border interoperability. Faster Payments System and QR payments The Faster Payments System has become a major domestic account-to-account infrastructure. Bank of Russia data indicate that in 2025: * SBP processed 18.3 billion transactions worth ₽103 trillion. * The number of businesses accepting SBP payment increased by 36%. * Approximately 3 million businesses accepted payment through the system by the reported period. * In 2025 Q3, purchases through SBP averaged roughly 15 million transactions per day. (Central Bank of Russia) The Bank of Russia also reported that alternative non-card methods, including QR and biometric methods, represented 14.1% of cashless payment value in 2025. (Central Bank of Russia)

These figures show strong domestic customer familiarity with account-to-account and app-based payment experiences. They do not establish that a foreign merchant can directly access SBP. The merchant must confirm: * Whether a permitted provider offers the method * Required entity and bank-account structure * Customer flow * QR or deep-link behavior * Confirmation timing * Refund capability * Reconciliation identifiers * Recurring suitability * Settlement * Legal and sanctions permissibility Banking applications and mobile payment High usage of domestic banking apps can make mobile account-to-account payment intuitive for customers. This affects checkout design: * Mobile handoff must be reliable. * Bank-app deep links should return correctly. * QR codes should work across devices. * Pending and completed states must be distinguished. * Duplicate submissions must be controlled. * The order should not be fulfilled until reliable payment confirmation is received. The Bank of Russia reported rapid growth in QR, biometric, and other cardless transactions through 2025 and early 2026. (Central Bank of Russia) Again, this is evidence of domestic digital maturity—not evidence that international access is available. Bank transfers Traditional transfers may remain relevant for: * B2B transactions * Invoiced services * Higher-value purchases * Contractual payments * Domestic marketplace or supplier relationships For an international merchant, bank transfer introduces acute screening and treasury questions:

* Originating bank * Correspondent banks * Beneficial owner * Currency * Payment purpose * Documentation * Restrictions on the product or service * Settlement location * Rejection or freezing risk * Refund path A technically possible transfer can still be prohibited or commercially unusable. Digital wallets and app-based methods Domestic wallets and bank applications can be familiar to consumers, but provider support is fragmented and can change. Merchants should avoid publishing a fixed list of “supported Russian wallets” without immediate verification. For each method, confirm: * Current operator * Ownership * Sanctions status * Underlying bank * Contract eligibility * Merchant-category eligibility * Funding source * Geographic access * Refunds * settlement * Data processing * Ongoing provider support Payment-method priority matrix: only after legal clearance Unlike an ordinary country guide, this matrix does not recommend a universal launch stack. Method Domestic relevance International merchant accessibility Recommendation Domestic cards/Mir High Restricted and operating-model dependent Consider only after legal, provider, acquiring, and settlement approval Faster Payments System/SBP High and growing Usually requires suitable domestic connectivity Consider only through verified, permitted provider access Domestic bank transfer Relevant, especially for B2B Counterparty-, bank-, currency-, and sanctions-sensitive Specialist legal and treasury review required International Visa cards Structurally limited

Foreign-issued Visa cards do not ordinarily work in Russia Do not treat as a viable standard launch method International Mastercard cards Structurally limited Requires current network and provider verification Do not assume availability Domestic wallets/bank apps Potentially material Highly provider-specific Review individually Cash-based arrangements Possible in some models High operating burden Usually unsuitable for a conventional international digital launch Cryptocurrency Legally and operationally sensitive Sanctions and circumvention risk can be substantial Do not treat as a workaround; specialist review required The classification “domestically relevant” must never be interpreted as “available to the merchant.” Cryptocurrency is not a sanctions solution Merchants should not use cryptocurrency or third-country intermediaries to bypass banking or provider restrictions. Sanctions frameworks increasingly address: * Crypto providers * Third-country financial institutions * Intermediaries facilitating restricted trade * Attempts to obscure counterparties * Circumvention structures The EU’s 2025 and 2026 packages added restrictions involving financial and crypto channels, while OFAC warns that foreign financial institutions may face sanctions exposure for specified dealings with blocked persons. (OFAC) A payment route is not acceptable merely because it is technically possible. Currency, settlement, and usable funds Russia’s official currency is the Russian ruble.

For any proposed payment model, distinguish: * Presentment currency: what the customer sees * Processing currency: what the payment method processes * Settlement currency: what the provider credits * Payout currency: what reaches the merchant * Reporting currency: what finance uses * Conversion currency: where foreign exchange occurs A customer paying in rubles does not prove that the merchant can receive another currency outside Russia. Treasury questions to answer before integration * Can the provider settle RUB? * To which entity? * Into which bank? * Is that bank sanctioned or restricted? * Can funds be converted? * At what rate and spread? * Can the converted funds be transferred internationally? * Which correspondent institutions are involved? * Could a future designation interrupt settlement? * How are refunds funded? * How are reserves or frozen balances handled? * What happens if the provider loses access to a bank or currency route? * Can settlement and transaction data be reconciled? Settlement feasibility metric A useful internal metric is: Usable settlement rate = funds received in an approved, accessible merchant account ÷ completed customer-payment value A payment that completes domestically but cannot be paid out into an approved, usable account should not be counted as commercially successful. Also measure: * Time to usable settlement * FX loss * rejected payout rate * frozen or restricted balance * reconciliation exceptions * provider concentration * bank concentration Provider feasibility

The provider landscape is not a normal open procurement environment. An international merchant may find that: * Its existing PSP has exited Russia. * A listed payment method is no longer commercially available. * A provider supports only locally incorporated businesses. * A provider cannot serve the merchant category. * Settlement is possible only into a domestic account. * An acquiring bank is restricted by the merchant’s jurisdiction. * The product is outside the provider’s risk appetite. * The merchant’s ownership or investors create compliance concerns. * Contracting is technically possible but prohibited by the merchant’s bank or insurer. Required provider evidence Do not rely on a country-coverage webpage. Require written confirmation of: * Contracting entity * Merchant eligibility * Product and category eligibility * Domestic payment methods * Acquirer and money-transfer operator * Underlying banks * Settlement route * Settlement currency * Refunds * recurring payment * tokenization * data storage * support * sanctions-screening responsibilities * termination rights * handling of future sanctions changes Provider approval does not replace the merchant’s own legal obligations. Regulation, sanctions, export controls, and data Sanctions screening is transaction-specific Russia is not subject to one simple universal rule that can be summarized as “all commerce prohibited” or “ordinary ecommerce permitted.” The result may depend on: * Merchant jurisdiction * Customer and beneficial owner * Product * service

* software functionality * bank * provider * region * end use * end user * currency * license * ownership and control * intermediary A merchant must screen more than the customer name. It may also need to screen: * Customer organization * owners * directors * bank * provider * acquirer * marketplace seller * recipient * reseller * shipping party * technical end use Export controls can affect digital merchants Potentially sensitive categories can include: * Enterprise software * cybersecurity * encryption * cloud services * technical support * industrial software * semiconductors * telecommunications * dual-use technology * certain professional services A digital delivery does not avoid export-control analysis. Personal data Russia’s Federal Law No. 152-FZ regulates personal-data processing and expressly extends certain provisions to foreign persons processing Russian citizens’ personal data under contracts or consent arrangements. It also addresses cross-border transfers and has been amended repeatedly, including in 2025. (Government of Russia) Merchants should obtain current advice on: * Collection of Russian citizens’ data * Database localization * Cross-border transfer notifications * Consent * processing grounds * retention * security * breach response * analytics * cloud hosting * payment-provider data sharing Do not assume that compliance with GDPR, CCPA, or another foreign privacy regime satisfies Russian requirements. Tax and invoicing Depending on the product and structure, review: * VAT on digital or consumer services

* registration * electronic receipts * invoicing * fiscalization * refunds * marketplace obligations * permanent establishment * withholding * reporting * local representative requirements This should be handled by Russian and home-jurisdiction tax specialists before launch. Checkout localization—after feasibility is established A permitted launch would likely require: * Russian-language checkout * RUB pricing * familiar domestic payment presentation * correct name, address, and phone formats * clear seller identity * transparent terms * refund and cancellation instructions * mobile app and QR support * accurate pending-payment messaging * local customer support * method-specific error states However, localization cannot repair an inaccessible payment route. The merchant should not invest heavily in localized design until it has verified: * Legal permission * Provider approval * Settlement * customer support * refunds * Data processing Recurring payments and subscriptions Recurring models are especially difficult because an initial successful payment does not establish future collection viability. Verify: * Whether the method supports recurring collection * Customer mandate or consent * Credential storage * Token lifecycle * recurring indicators * cancellation * price changes * failed-payment recovery * refund rights * provider continuity * settlement continuity

Sanctions changes or provider exits can interrupt an otherwise functioning subscription portfolio. The merchant needs a customer-communication and wind-down plan. Refunds and disputes Before launching any payment method, test: * Full refunds * Partial refunds * failed refunds * refund funding * customer receipt * return timing * exchange-rate treatment * provider termination * bank restrictions * reconciliation A merchant may be able to accept a payment while being unable to return funds through the original route. That can create consumer, legal, accounting, and reputational risk. Refund success rate Refund success rate = refunds received by customers through an approved route ÷ valid refund requests submitted Do not count the provider’s acceptance of a refund instruction as completed customer reimbursement. Fraud, sanctions evasion, and counterparty risk Fraud analysis should focus on behavior rather than labeling Russian consumers collectively. Relevant risks can include: * Account takeover * stolen credentials * marketplace abuse * synthetic identity * refund abuse * chargeback or dispute abuse * money laundering * use of intermediaries * prohibited end users * attempts to disguise transaction purpose * sanctions evasion * third-country rerouting The merchant’s controls may need to combine: * Payment fraud screening * sanctions screening * ownership screening * device intelligence * geographic signals * end-use review * transaction monitoring * manual investigation * escalation procedures

A fraud approval is not the same as sanctions clearance. Merchant verticals: no recommendation without legal review The brief identifies possible domestic opportunity in ecommerce, gaming, software, marketplaces, digital services, and travel-related services. Those sectors should not be presented as recommended entry categories without specialized review. Gaming and digital goods Questions include: * Software and content restrictions * export controls * platform policies * domestic payment access * age controls * refunds * virtual items * sanctions screening * end-user location * app-store availability SaaS and software Review: * Prohibited services * encryption * cloud access * updates * technical support * enterprise end users * government or military links * recurring billing * data localization Marketplaces Marketplaces add: * Seller screening * beneficial ownership * payouts * prohibited goods * transaction monitoring * data obligations * refund responsibility * sanctions exposure through third parties Travel-related services Travel payment may involve: * Restricted airlines or entities * card limitations * foreign-currency settlement * refund risk * insurance * transportation sanctions * customer location and destination No vertical should receive a launch recommendation until counsel confirms the exact product, customer, entity, and flow. Constrained-market feasibility scorecard A market-entry team should require a passing answer in every category. Gate Required evidence Fail condition Legal permission

Written sanctions and export-control analysis Product, party, service, or payment prohibited Counterparty eligibility Screening of entities, owners, banks, and providers Blocked or unacceptable counterparty Provider availability Written production approval Coverage claimed but merchant ineligible Payment-method access Verified merchant-specific method support Domestic method inaccessible Settlement Tested lawful payout to usable account Funds cannot be received or repatriated Currency Approved FX and treasury process Conversion or transfer unavailable Data Reviewed hosting and transfer model Data processing cannot comply Tax and invoicing Specialist-reviewed operating model Unresolved registration or fiscal obligations Refunds End-to-end refund validation Customer cannot be reimbursed reliably Operations Named compliance, payments, treasury, and support owners No durable operating capacity Change management Sanctions and provider monitoring No process for rapid suspension or wind-down A market that fails any mandatory gate should be paused regardless of estimated demand. Recommendations by merchant stage Merchant considering demand Do not collect unnecessary customer or payment data merely to test interest. First: * Obtain sanctions and export-control screening. * Determine whether the product can be supplied. * Ask the merchant’s bank and PSP about restrictions. * Identify prohibited counterparties and regions. * Document a no-go threshold. Merchant evaluating providers

Require written, current, merchant-specific confirmation. Validate: * Merchant entity * category * banks * domestic methods * settlement * currencies * refunds * data * contingency plans Merchant technically capable of launch Run an operational readiness review before accepting payment. Test: * screening * payment * rejection * timeout * refund * settlement * FX * reconciliation * support * provider suspension * account closure * sanctions change Merchant already operating Continuously monitor: * sanctions lists * provider changes * bank designations * settlement * currency exposure * customer screening * refunds * data obligations * new product restrictions * provider concentration Historical approval does not guarantee continuing permissibility. Russia launch checklist * Obtain current sanctions advice in every relevant jurisdiction. * Complete export-control classification of the product or service. * Screen merchant entities, owners, customers, banks, providers, and intermediaries. * Confirm that the business is not relying on circumvention or disguised routing. * Obtain written merchant-category and product eligibility from the provider. * Verify the domestic acquiring or payment-method arrangement. * Confirm which domestic cards, bank methods, and SBP flows are available. * Do not assume international Visa or Mastercard interoperability. * Map customer currency, processing currency, settlement currency, and payout currency. * Verify that funds can reach an approved, usable merchant account.

* Review FX, repatriation, reserves, and account-closure risk. * Test refunds to the customer. * Review Russian personal-data and localization requirements. * Review tax, invoicing, receipt, and fiscalization obligations. * Localize checkout only after feasibility is confirmed. * Implement sanctions and fraud monitoring as separate controls. * Build an immediate suspension and wind-down plan. * Assign legal, compliance, treasury, payments, data, and support owners. * Establish frequent review of sanctions, banks, providers, and regulations. * Stop the launch if any mandatory feasibility gate remains unresolved. Final merchant recommendation Russia should not be prioritized through an ordinary demand-first expansion process. Domestic consumers are digitally experienced, and Russia has substantial card, banking-app, QR, and Faster Payments System usage. But that commercial demand exists inside a payment system whose international connections are severely restricted and subject to rapidly changing legal, banking, provider, currency, and counterparty constraints. An international merchant should proceed only when it has independently verified: 1. The activity is permitted. 2. Every relevant counterparty and institution is acceptable. 3. A provider has approved the exact merchant, product, entity, and payment flow. 4. Customer payments can settle into an approved and usable account. 5. Refunds, data processing, tax, reporting, and support can be operated lawfully.

6. The business can suspend or unwind the model quickly if restrictions change. Until those conditions are satisfied, Russia is not a payment-localization project. It is a legal and financial feasibility question.

The uploaded brief gives the Russia guide a fundamentally different role from an ordinary country-payment overview. It requires a constrained-market feasibility investigation in which sanctions, export controls, provider eligibility, banking access, settlement, foreign exchange, and data obligations are evaluated before demand or payment-method optimization. Editorial interpretation Country-specific anchor: Russia combines a large, digitally sophisticated domestic payments market with severe restrictions on ordinary international payment access. Editorial position: International merchants should begin with legal and provider feasibility—not customer demand, ecommerce forecasts, or checkout design. Unsafe assumption challenged: A large economy with high digital-payment adoption is automatically accessible to an international merchant. Merchant decision supported: Determine whether the proposed business activity and payment flow are legally permissible, contractually available, operationally sustainable, and financially usable before considering a launch. Selected format: Constrained-market feasibility investigation. Recommended decision sequence: 1. Legal and sanctions permissibility 2. Product and merchant-category eligibility 3. Provider and banking availability 4. Payment-flow feasibility 5. Settlement and currency feasibility 6. Data and operating requirements 7. Commercial demand Controlled validation, where legally permitted

Editorial recommendations package SEO recommendations Title options 1. Payments in Russia: A Guide for Global Merchants 2. Russia Payment Methods, Sanctions, and Access 3. Accepting Payments in Russia: Merchant Feasibility 4. Russia Payments: Domestic Systems and Restrictions 5. Payment Processing in Russia: What Merchants Face Recommended SEO title Payments in Russia: Methods, Access, and Restrictions Recommended H1 Payments in Russia: A Restricted and Rapidly Changing Payment Environment Meta description Understand Russia’s domestic cards, Faster Payments System, QR payments, sanctions, provider restrictions, settlement, currency, and merchant-access risks. URL slug /payments-in-russia/ Primary keyword payments in Russia Secondary keywords * Russia payment methods * payment processing Russia * accept payments in Russia * Russia Faster Payments System * SBP payments Russia * Mir card payments * Russia payment sanctions * Russian ecommerce payments * payment gateway Russia * cross-border payments Russia Search intent High-risk commercial and operational feasibility research for international merchants evaluating whether payment acceptance in Russia is legally and practically possible. Article excerpt Russia has a large, digitally mature domestic payment market, but international access is constrained by sanctions, network restrictions, domestic systems, provider availability, settlement, foreign exchange, and data rules. Social description

Russia’s domestic payment market is highly digital—but international merchant access is severely restricted. Start with legal, provider, banking, and settlement feasibility before demand. Internal-link recommendations * What to evaluate before entering a new market * How to select a PSP for international expansion * International payment expansion checklist * Payment infrastructure for global expansion * Global payment gateway versus local PSP * Merchant of Record versus PSP * How payment methods affect conversion * How to measure payment success by method * Payment data quality and authorization * Settlement and reconciliation for international payments Recommended original assets 1. Russia Market-Entry Feasibility Gates Purpose: Prevent teams from proceeding to demand and integration before resolving legal and financial barriers. Format: Sequential gate diagram. Stages: Legal → counterparty → provider → payment method → settlement → data → operations. Placement: Near the beginning. 2. Domestic Payment Access Versus International Accessibility Purpose: Show why high domestic adoption does not imply foreign-merchant access. Format: Two-column comparison. Left: Domestic cards, SBP, QR, banking apps. Right: Sanctions, provider eligibility, network limitations, settlement, FX, data. Placement: After the payment snapshot. 3. Customer Payment to Usable Funds Purpose: Trace where a transaction can become blocked or commercially unusable.

Flow: Customer → domestic method → provider → bank → currency conversion → cross-border payout → merchant account. Placement: Settlement and treasury section. Hero-image concept “Two Payment Environments”

* Domestic layer: Cards, SBP, QR, mobile banking, ecommerce * International-access layer: Legal review, sanctions screening, provider eligibility, settlement, and currency barriers Central message: Digital demand does not guarantee payment access. Alt text: “Russian domestic payment systems separated from international merchant access by sanctions, provider, settlement, currency, and legal feasibility checks.” Human review requirements Required before publication * Sanctions and export-control counsel * Russian payments specialist * Merchant banking and treasury reviewer * Data-protection counsel * Tax and invoicing specialist

Strongly recommended * Fraud and financial-crime specialist * Settlement and reconciliation specialist * Cybersecurity and software export-control specialist * Regional operations reviewer Optional enhancement Add a verified first-hand observation describing how a provider, bank, settlement route, or product became unavailable after a sanctions or policy change. Do not identify a merchant or provide performance figures without approval. Final fact-check list Verify immediately before publication: * Russia’s latest nominal GDP and global rank * Population * Current sanctions packages and effective dates * OFAC, EU, UK, and other applicable restrictions * Current sanctioned banks and payment operators * Visa and Mastercard operating status * Mir and SBP merchant access * Current provider availability * Domestic acquiring requirements * RUB settlement and conversion * Cross-border payout availability * Data-localization and transfer rules * Tax, receipt, invoicing, and fiscalization obligations * Merchant-category restrictions

* Whether publication itself requires legal or reputational review

Prompt for the guide: