From June to August is Russia’s peak tourist season, and it is expected that more than 70,000 Chinese tourists would visit Russia this summer. Now in Russia, Chinese tourists are able to use the payment method that they are familiar with, since more than 85% of the local ATMs and merchants POS terminals accept UnionPay cards. UnionPay cardholders can use UnionPay mobile QuickPass at a million POS terminals in Russia. Since June, UnionPay International is collaborating with about 100 popular merchants in Russia to provide cardholders with offers of up to 50%-off.

“I paid with UnionPay mobile QuickPass at hotels, supermarkets and gas stations in Russia. It is as easy as in China”; “I find many UnionPay logos in Vladivostok, and it is easy to withdraw RUB here with UnionPay”, many tourists shared their experience of using UnionPay cards in Russia in online travel communities. In recent years, UnionPay International partners with local institutions in Russia to expedite improving the local UnionPay card acceptance environment. To date, UnionPay cardholders may enjoy frictionless payment experience in major tourist destinations such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Volgograd. It is expected that UnionPay will be accepted all across Russia within this year.

With UnionPay mobile QuickPass accepted by Aeroexpress, UnionPay cardholders can now pay for Aeroexpress fares by tapping their mobile phones to get to downtown after arriving at Moscow by plane. In other words, there is no need to queue up to buy tickets any more. UnionPay mobile QuickPass is a highlight of UnionPay service in Russia: it is accepted at a million POS terminals at the local restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, shopping malls and many other sectors, accounting for 80% of all UnionPay-accepting POS terminals in Russia. Visitors to Russia may download the app of “UnionPay” to activate UnionPay mobile QuickPass function. Then, they may enjoy smooth payment service at merchants such as X5 retail supermarkets, Rosneft gas stations, Marriott and Kempinski hotels, and fast food stores such as McDonald’s.

Executive of Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow said, the airport provides a high level of service for Chinese passengers. The shops and restaurants in the airport accept UnionPay, and the airport duty-free shops provide special offers to customers who pay with UnionPay. Now, about 100 local merchants provide exclusive offers for UnionPay cardholders, covering restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, shopping malls, and entertainment establishments.

For example, in Azbuka Vkusa chain supermarkets, one box of local specialty biscuits is gifted for each purchase with UnionPay cards; up to 15% off is offered at specialty restaurants such as Jack Wolfskin and Kitaiskye Novosti; 50% off is offered for some goods of Burger King; up to 15% off is offered at Imperial Duty Free Shops in airports of Moscow; 15% off for room rates is offered at holiday inns in many places in Russia; and 10% off is offered at 15 museums in Arbat as long as more than one ticket is purchased.

With the improvement of its acceptance network in Russia, UnionPay has become a daily payment option for more and more Russian residents. At present, more than 10 local banks have issued 1.5 million UnionPay cards. In July last year, UnionPay International and National System of Payment Cards (NSPK) carried out cooperation in card issuing, which expanded the use scope of MIR cards from Russia to more than 160 countries and regions where UnionPay is accepted. Rosselkhozbank has issued the first UnionPay-MIR card in Russia, and Russian Regional Development Bank has also issued UnionPay-MIR debit cards.