Are Russian Credit Cards Accepted for Car Rental Transactions?
A credit card is one of the essential documents we require from our guests during the car rental process. The reason is to ensure coverage for any potential additional charges such as traffic fines, toll fees, or possible damages that may arise during the rental period. But are Russian-issued credit cards valid in this process?
Seasidecar Accepts Russian Credit Cards
At Seasidecar, we accept Russian credit cards that are physically presented and actively in use. During the rental process, a physical credit card belonging to the driver or someone present with the driver at the office must be presented. The cardholder must also be present at the time of the transaction to sign the rental agreement.
❗ Presenting a credit card is mandatory, but payment does not have to be made with this card. Payment can be processed using another card (Visa, Mastercard, etc.).
❗ Important Note: Online payments cannot be made using Russian credit cards. Due to international sanctions on Russia, these cards are not supported by online payment systems (e.g., for web-based reservations).
Your card must be active and valid within Russia.
Only credit cards that are still valid and active within Russia can be accepted. Some cards lost international functionality after the war, and others may have been entirely deactivated by banks. For this reason, our team manually checks the validity of each card within our system.
Why Don’t Other Companies Accept Russian Credit Cards?
Following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, many global payment networks like Visa and Mastercard withdrew from the Russian market. As a result, many Russian-issued credit cards no longer work with international POS terminals or online systems. This technical limitation has led many rental companies to stop accepting Russian credit cards.
However, at Seasidecar, we adopt a more flexible approach. We accommodate Russian credit cards that are physically presented and at least remain valid within Russia.
Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 14:13
