Visa, Mastercard Cards Officially Dead in Russia After Years of Limited Use
The National Payment Card System (NSPK) is recommending that Russian banks remove all remaining Visa and Mastercard cards from circulation. This is due to the expiration of security certificates embedded in the cards’ chips on January 1, 2025, rendering them unusable. The NSPK, established by the Central Bank, will work with credit institutions to determine a timeline for this withdrawal following Visa and Mastercard’s exit from Russia in 2022. This decision aligns with the Central Bank’s plans to restrict the validity of expired cards to combat fraud, a measure that was first announced in July 2025.
John Q. Hosedrinker