How to make payments abroad in 2024?

In the current realities, traveling abroad can no longer be spontaneous. The first difficulties arise at the stage of choosing a country that is now easy to reach for Russian tourists. Then there are concerns about the visa, which is usually issued a few days before departure. We are completely silent about the difficulties of paying for hotels.

In general, one of the most annoying aspects of traveling abroad is the inability to pay for anything with a bank card. And the author of the text himself encountered this a few weeks ago. Convenient accommodation booking services such as Booking or Airbnb (which are also a treasure trove of great hotels and apartments for reasonable money) do not accept Russian cards. The same accommodation options are offered on Russian booking platforms with a large commission.

But despite all the difficulties, we know that traveling can still be comfortable. And now we will prove it. We talk about all the payment methods abroad in current realities.

Russian cards with UnionPay system

One of the easiest ways to feel comfortable while traveling is to apply for a card from Russian banks with the UnionPay payment system. Now, for example, this option is available at once in several organizations, including Russian Standard, Rosselkhozbank, Gazprombank, Post Bank and others. The terms of service are almost the same, but consider where exactly you can pay by card. Basically, cards are accepted only in Asia – China, Thailand, Bali and other popular tourist destinations. But in Europe, these cards do not work, but you can book accommodation through Booking.

Foreign bank cards

Another way to get a card for payment abroad is to travel to get it. Nowadays, “banking tourism” is becoming increasingly popular, where Russian citizens can get a Visa or Mastercard card. The most popular destinations include Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Tours last for several days, during which you can solve all financial problems and explore a new country. The difficulty of getting a card depends on the country you are going to; in some places you can do everything remotely, but in others you will have to stand in line and deal with local bureaucracy. In both cases, if you travel regularly, it is worth it.

Cryptocurrency

If you use cryptocurrency or at least understand something about it, don’t forget that you can also use it to make payments abroad. Let’s be honest, it’s extremely difficult for our human mindset. Basically, you can always withdraw cash from a crypto wallet and pay with it. However, in some countries, such as Germany, bitcoins are accepted even in regular supermarkets. However, “crypto” is only recognized as legal tender in some countries (USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy and Ecuador).

In advance

If there is one constant in our travels, it is the cache. Most often we agree that it is inconvenient, but what can you do? True, there are limitations to this – one person cannot withdraw more than $ 10 thousand (just do not ask how they will check how much money you have with you at the border). Another disadvantage is the inability to book a hotel in advance. But here is a life hack from the author of the text: you can always negotiate with the hotel directly about the payment and explain the situation. Remember that Russian tourists are still welcome everywhere.

Foreign virtual cards

The inability of Russian tourists to make payments abroad has led to the emergence of many startups that allow you to create a virtual card using a foreign passport. It seems like a convenient and simple thing, but unfortunately, none of these services have proven themselves reliable so far. These include Pyypl, Ininal and FlexCard.