Sberbank will stop servicing currency and multicurrency Visa cards from 1 September 2026, according to an SMS notification sent to clients. The measure affects even those cards whose expiration dates had previously been extended until 2030.
The bank recommended that customers close the affected cards in advance and transfer any remaining funds to other accounts. Cardholders can complete the closure process through the Sberbank Online mobile application by navigating to the card management section, selecting the relevant card, and initiating the closure procedure. Clients who do not use the app must visit a bank branch in person.
Early closure is intended to help customers retain access to their funds and prevent potential delays after the September 2026 deadline. The move also allows Sberbank to avoid long queues of customers holding suddenly obsolete plastic cards.
The decision forms part of the broader withdrawal of Visa and Mastercard from Russian circulation amid sanctions and import-substitution efforts. In early July, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina stated that the process is continuing, although the regulator has not yet set a final deadline for abandoning international cards.
In May, Alla Bakina, Director of the National Payment System Department at the Central Bank, indicated that Visa and Mastercard must leave the Russian market. Since the payment systems departed, their cards have lost previous functionality, while the National System of Payment Cards continues to spend resources on their maintenance.
Over the past four to five years, the combined share of Visa and Mastercard in Russia has fallen below 17 percent. Banks are replacing them primarily with Mir cards, and the National System of Payment Cards is using economic incentives to phase out legacy plastic.
