Russians Face Bank Card and Account Blocks When Paying for Tours Abroad

Russians have begun encountering bank card and account blocks when attempting to pay for tours abroad. According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), this issue arose due to stricter controls on transfers through the Fast Payment System  (FPS) as part of efforts to combat fraud.

On January 1, a decree by the Central Bank of Russia came into effect, defining the signs of a money transfer made without the client’s voluntary consent. The new rules are primarily aimed at preventing transfer chains between individuals that may be part of fraudulent schemes. The key focus has been the FPS.

According to analysts, an estimated 2 to 3 Russians people may have been affected by temporary blocks in the first two weeks of January. At risk are freelance travel agents and individual entrepreneurs who accept payments from clients to their personal cards or accounts.

Tourists who transfer relatively large sums to the card of a private agent or even transfer money between their own accounts before paying for a tour may also fall under suspicion. Pensioners are also under special scrutiny from banks' risk-control systems.

According to a survey conducted by ATOR, cards are being blocked when attempting to pay for a tour via FPS using a QR code or phone number. The amounts vary from $260 to $3,900  or more.

In most cases, access to accounts and cards can only be restored after a personal visit to the bank branch. Russians complain that while they are sorting out the issue with the bank, the price of the tour increases.

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“Before the New Year, I couldn’t pay the remaining amount for a cruise. Sovcombank blocked the transfer. They decided I was the fraudster. I wrote a complaint, but it was pointless,” one tourist told ATOR.

Earlier, Estonian government announced changes to the procedure for Russian citizens working in diplomatic and consular roles when crossing the state border.

Under the new regulations, Russian diplomats, consular staff, and administrative and technical personnel, along with their families, will now be required to obtain prior authorization before crossing Estonia's external border, as reported by ERR.

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