KoronaPay

[IvanTheTerriblyNice]

Has anyone experience of using Koronapay to bring money into Russia? I've sent small test amounts from Britain to friends in Russia (who haven't collected it) but I was planning to use it to send money from my UK account to myself whilst in Russia. KoronaPay assured me by phone that I could do this but I'm not fully confident and don't want to be stuck in Russia without cash. I'm in Istanbul now and could bring in dollars but Western Union's rates for changing GBP to USD are exorbitant. I fly to Sochi on Sunday. Thanks for any help.

[BigBear]

Much depends on how you want to receive the money. My rouble bank account is with Sberbank and KoronaPay cannot pay to any Sberbank card and I suppose the same would apply to any other sanctioned bank in Russia. I haven't tried transferring money to be collected in cash. If I believe the app, there are locations in my village where I could transfer money to be collected in person, but I haven't tried to do that yet. I'm curious how you will get on...

[IvanTheTerriblyNice]

That's interesting. They told me last night that I can pay to my or my girlfriend's MIR card but when I tried the app said I couldn't. Our MIR cards have Sberbank written on them. The message that they cannot transfer money to this card comes up as soon as I enter the first four digits 2202. Are there Sberbank MIR cards and non-Sberbank MIR Cards? I'll give them a ring in a minute but it's good to have what they say backed up by on-the-ground experience.

[FatAndy]

Are there Sberbank MIR cards and non-Sberbank MIR Cards?

Yes. MIR is interbank payment system, it doesn't belong to Sber only.
https://mironline.ru/about-card/rece...d-maintaining/

I'm in Istanbul now and could bring in dollars but Western Union's rates for changing GBP to USD are exorbitant.

It WAS better to change GBP/USD and vice versa at small exchange points, hold by Indian and Pakistanian guys, around Paddington railway station... well, in 2000-2006, IIRC.

Current cash exchange rates for GBP in Moscow: https://cash.rbc.ru/?currency=321&ci...l&amount=10000

[Colloc]

Avoid Tinkoff
They are charging 15k rubles per transfer

[tasel]

Just open an account with Raiffeisen and you can receive but now the banks are charging for inward remittance (receiving)

[Benedikt]

Just open an account with Raiffeisen and you can receive but now the banks are charging for inward remittance (receiving)

depends how good ($$$$$... a client you are)

[IvanTheTerriblyNice]

Thank you. How much are Raifeisen charging?