Banks in a number of countries have stopped servicing UnionPay payment system cards issued by Russia’s Gazprombank. Russian media reported.
In Germany, when trying to withdraw cash from Sparkasse and Deutsche Bank ATMs, a notification is displayed about the unavailability of the function. Previously, card transactions were possible. A similar situation was registered in the United Arab Emirates, where ATMs of credit institutions report a technical error when using cards.
Turkish banks have also refused to service UnionPay cards issued by Gazprombank. Some ATMs display messages about the impossibility of carrying out a transaction or the absence of permission to process transactions. The restrictions apply to both individual and legal entity cards.
Financial institutions in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, have also stopped servicing Gazprombank cards. According to TASS, previously it was possible to withdraw cash and pay for purchases in stores, but now transactions are unavailable.
In addition, the UK’s largest bank HSBC notified customers about the ban on accepting any incoming payments from Russia and Belarus for individuals. This decision followed the backdrop of tightening US sanctions, which blacklisted 50 Russian banks, including Gazprombank. Since the summer of 2023, HSBC has stopped servicing payments for Russian companies.
In turn, Gazprombank stated that the sanctions will not affect its work. The bank continues to serve customers and conduct transactions on financial markets as usual. All bank cards, including cards of foreign payment systems, remain in operation throughout Russia, in stores and ATMs.
