NSPK CEO Calls Visa and Mastercard Useless in Russia

Dmitry Dubynin, the CEO of the National Payment Card System, recently declared that Visa and Mastercard are essentially useless inside Russia. Because the national system now handles all domestic payment processing, the CEO argues that the global brands no longer serve a functional purpose for local users.

Visa and Mastercard halted their Russian operations back in March 2022 following international sanctions. Since then, the country has relied entirely on domestic infrastructure. As remaining cards issued by these companies approach their expiration dates, they are being replaced by internal national payment solutions.

This shift highlights the total separation of Russia from the global financial card network. While the country continues to look at alternative settlement methods like digital assets to bypass international restrictions, the reliance on national payment systems remains the primary focus for daily transactions.