Russian tourists will be able to pay in Turkiye with a virtual card issued by the Turkish Troy payment system, with the app now available the AppStore and Google Play stores, Kommersant newspaper said on Thursday.
After registering in the Letim application, a tourist opens a virtual Troy card and can deposit money into it in lira from ruble accounts in Russian banks through a fast payment system, the article said. The maximum amount is 250,000 lira or about 850,000 rubles. Registration requires a digital scan of the user’s passport.
In the fall of 2022, when Russian Mir cards stopped working in Turkiye,the Central Bank announced it was working with partners to develop alternative options for non-cash payments for Russian citizens. One option was the use of cards from the Turkish Troy payment system.
They are accepted at all ATMs and payment terminals in Turkiye, and tourists will have no problems with acceptance of the virtual card in stores in the country, the system tells its users.
Russians will not receive physical cards, but will be able to make online payments and withdraw money from ATMs using a QR code in the Letim virtual wallet, Kommersant said. In a few months, contactless payment with an NFC smartphone will become available.
Money not spent during a trip can be sent to an account in a Russian bank after returning from Turkiye, but only the entire remaining balance.