How to send money to Russia in 2026 (my personal experience)

Sending money to Russia in 2026 can be a real challenge, especially with so many payment services no longer working due to sanctions and restrictions. Whether you’re trying to support family, pay for services, or simply transfer funds, the traditional platforms like won’t help — they’re either blocked or limited when it comes to Russia. In this article, I share the methods that are still working. I also cover what options are still available if you’re sending from the USA, EU or UK.

Methods that work (and those that don’t)

With the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, it has become increasingly difficult for me to send money to my relatives in Russia. This has meant that I have had to look for alternatives.

If before the conflict with Ukraine I used money transfer services such as Wise, after the sanctions I started using services such as SendNOW, Bybit, Whitebird, Volet or BestChange.

Over the last few years, the available methods to send money to Russia have changed constantly. What worked in 2023 stopped working in 2024, new options appeared in 2025, and in 2026 the situation keeps evolving. In this article, I explain the methods I have personally tried that currently work to send money to Russia. I emphasize “currently” because what works today may stop working tomorrow, so I will do my best to keep this article updated.

I will begin by summarizing the current situation. Methods that DO NOT WORK to send money to Russia:

• Traditional money transfer methods such as Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria Money, etc. do not work.
• Western online payment services such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Wallet, Skrill, PaySend, Revolut, Payoneer, etc. do not work.
• The YooMoney (formerly Yandex Money) payment system does not work, as a Russian (or some countries of the former USSR) bank account is required to top up the account.
• Koronapay no longer works to send money to Russia
• P2P financial services such as Wise, Azimo, WorldRemit, Xe Money Transfer, SendNomad, etc. do not work.

Currently WORKING methods to send money to Russia:

• Sending money by bank transfer. Despite the fact that most Russian banks have been banned from the SWIFT system, there are still some Russian banks to which it is possible to make transfers, such as Raiffeisenbank, UniCredit, Citibank, OTP Bank, Renaissance Bank, Asia-Pacific Bank, Credit Europe Bank, BBR Bank or BKS Bank. In many cases, these are credit institutions that are subsidiaries of foreign banks, so no sanctions have been imposed on them. The problem is that they apply abusive commissions that can be up to 50%. It is best to check the current rates beforehand. For example, rates of Raiffesienbank and Unicredit. There is also the risk of the transfer being blocked. I do NOT recommend this method.
• Send money with SendNOW. It’s the easiest method if you don’t want to deal with cryptocurrencies. I’ve used it myself, and it works perfectly for sending money to Russia.
• Sending money using cryptocurrencies (USDT) with Bybit and Whitebird is another method I’ve used. It offers one of the best exchange rates, but its use for transfers to Russia has recently become more limited due to the Russian government’s restrictions on cryptocurrencies.
• Send money using Volet electronic payment system. It used to be a good option for sending money, but it no longer works for direct transfers to Russian bank cards or bank accounts. However, it is possible to send money in rubles if the recipient in Russia opens an account with Volet in rubles and then withdraws the money to their bank account or card.
• You can also use platforms like BestChange, which compare dozens of electronic money exchangers and help you find the best way to convert and send funds to Russia.

I will explain each of the methods that I have tried and that have worked for me, as well as those where I know people who have used them successfully.

Option 1: SendNOW

If you don’t want to deal with cryptocurrencies, the easiest and most straightforward way I’ve tried to send money to Russia is by using the SendNOW service. You only need your bank card.

With SendNOW, you can send money to Russia from almost any country in the world, including Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, or Latin America, without the recipient needing a SendNOW account. The transfer can be done entirely through their website, and you can pay using your foreign bank card or a bank account in euros or dollars.

The process is simple:

• First, you need to register on their platform. You can also sign up quickly using your Gmail account:

• Second, once registered, click on “Send money”, choose the currency and payment method (card, bank account, or cryptocurrency). For amounts starting at $2,500 (or the euro equivalent), they offer the best exchange rate. The limit per transaction is 50,000 EUR/USD/GBP.

• Third, you’ll need to enter the recipient’s information: name, mobile phone number (in case they need to contact them), and the recipient’s card number.

• Finally, complete the payment using your card, bank account, or cryptocurrency. The recipient receives the funds in rubles, directly to their MIR card. They do not need to have a SendNOW account.

SendNOW also allows people to receive money from abroad using a very useful feature: the transfer request.

This allows anyone in Russia to generate a personalized link to receive payments from outside the country, without needing to share their banking details directly.

To request a transfer, you need to log in to the SendNOW website and select “Request transfer.” Enter the amount, currency, and your Russian banking details. A link will be generated, which you can send to the sender. The person sending the money accesses the link, enters their information, and completes the payment, which is then received in Russia.

IMPORTANT: SendNOW also allows people in Russia to send money from Russia to other foreign countries.

Option 2: Cryptocurrency (Bybit + Whitebird)

This method is somewhat more complex to set up than SendNOW, but in return it is more affordable. It combines two platforms: Bybit (to buy USDT cryptocurrency with euros or dollars) and Whitebird (a regulated Belarusian exchange that converts USDT into rubles and sends them directly to a Russian MIR card).

I used to recommend the classic Bybit P2P method (selling USDT directly to a Russian buyer in exchange for rubles), but I no longer recommend it. Since May 2025, Russian laws 161-FZ and 115-FZ have tightened controls on person-to-person ruble transfers, and many recipients in Russia are seeing their bank accounts blocked after receiving P2P payments. With the Bybit + Whitebird method this doesn’t happen, because the rubles arrive at the Russian account identified as a transfer from a regulated exchange.

The process consists of two steps: first you buy USDT on Bybit with your card, Apple Pay or bank transfer (USDT is a “stablecoin” whose value is always pegged to the dollar, 1 USDT ≈ 1 USD, so it doesn’t fluctuate like Bitcoin); then you send it from Bybit to your Whitebird account using the TON network, which has virtually zero fees, and Whitebird automatically converts them into rubles and deposits them onto a Russian MIR card.

This works whether you have your own Russian MIR card (regardless of your nationality) or whether you want to send money to a family member or partner in Russia, in which case it is your family member who opens the Whitebird account with their Russian passport and links their Sberbank, Tinkoff/T-Bank, Alfa Bank or other Russian bank card.

Total cost: around 5–6% of the amount sent, combining the USDT purchase fee on Bybit (1–2% depending on the payment method), Whitebird’s 2% fee and a small exchange rate spread of approximately 1%.

One important note: Bybit is not available in France, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada. If you live in one of these countries, you can use Binance as an alternative, which is available in more countries (including the US) although with slightly higher fees. The process for buying USDT and sending it to Whitebird is exactly the same.

I have explained this method in more detail in this article: How to Send Money to Russia with Cryptocurrency in 2026 (USDT + Whitebird), where you will find the complete guide from creating your accounts to the rubles arriving on the Russian card.

Finally, it is also possible to use the Telegram wallet app (@wallet) to send money to Russia via cryptocurrency, although I have not personally tested it. In any case, bear in mind that it works as a P2P marketplace between private individuals, so it carries the same risk of the recipient’s bank account being blocked as classic Bybit P2P under the current Russian laws 161-FZ and 115-FZ.

Option 3: Volet (formerly Advcash)

This used to be the best method until recently; however, it’s no longer possible to send money directly from Volet to bank accounts or cards in Russia. However, it is possible to send money if the recipient in Russia also opens an account with Volet in rubles and then withdraws the money to their bank account or card -similar to sending money between PayPal accounts and then withdrawing the money-. It also allows sending cryptocurrencies. Note that Volet works in most countries around the world, except the USA and UK.

You must register by choosing a personal account. The account verification process is quick and consists of sending a copy of your ID or passport and taking a selfie. To extend the money limits of the account you are also required to send proof of your address by sending a utility bill.

When I signed up with Volet the verification process took about 15 minutes.

Volet accepts the following currencies: Euro (EUR), Dollar (USD), Pound (GBP), Russian Ruble (RUB), Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH), Kazakh Tenge (KZT), Brazilian Real (BRL), Turkish Lira (TRY) , Vietnamese Dong (VND) and the Azerbaijani Manat (AZN).

As I said, the process of sending money is done in two steps:

First step. You have to top up your Volet account. You can do it in three ways;

• By SEPA transfer: it costs 3.50 euros and takes 1 to 3 business days.
• Through your Visa, MasterCard or UnionPay card: the cost is 3.5% and the recharge is instantaneous.
• Through cryptocurrencies: in this case it is free for Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.

However, depending on the country in which you create the account, the payment systems for topping up the account may be different. Thus, Volet allows many methods, depending on the country, among which are the following: Wire transfer, Paypal, Revolut, AliPay, Skrill, MoneyGram, WebMoney, AlfaBank, Binance, BitTorrent, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold. BitCoin SV, 0xproject, Algorand, Augur, Avangard, BAT, Capitalist, Cardano, Cash, Chainlink, China UnionPay, Contact, Cosmos, Credit Card, Cryptex, Currency Exchanges, Dai, Dash, Dogecoin, Eos, Epay, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Exmo, Forte Bank, Garantex, Gazprombank, Global24, Goldencrown, HUMO, Halyc Bank, Home Credit Bank, ICON, IOTA, Idram, Jisan Bank, Kaspi Bank, Komodo, Kukuruza, Kuna Exchange, Lisk Litecoin, MTS Bank, Maker, Mir, Mobile Balance, Monero, MonoBank, NEM, NEO, Neteller, NixMoney, OmiseGO, Ontology, Openbank, Oschadbank, PUMB, Pax Dollar, Paxum Ewallet, PaySera, Paymer, Payoneer, Polkadot, Polygon, Post Bank, PrivatBank, Promsvyazbank, QIWI Wallet, Qtum, RNCB, RSBank, RaiffeisenBank, Ravencoin, Ria Money Transfer, Ripple, Rosbank, Russian Agricultural Bank, Sberbank, Solana, Stellar, TCS Bank, TRON, Tether, Tezos, TrueUSD, UNI, USD Coin, UZCARD, UkrSibbank, Uniswap, VTB, VeChain, ValesPay, Verge, WU, Waves, WhiteBIT, Wrapped Bitcoin, YooMoney, Zcash, ecoPayz, etc.

Second step.Once you have money in your account, you can now send money to a Russian card. It is not necessary for the recipient to have an account with Volet. You can send money to any Russian card. The fee is 50 rubles plus 2.5% of the total amount sent. For sending 600 euros to a Russian card, I was charged 15.50 euros. You can send your Volet balance to another person in Russia who has a Russian Volet account and has passed the verification process in Russia. You can also send money directly from your Volet account to a bank account or card in Russia through an exchanger such as Swapcoin, as you can see in the screenshot below:

In this article, I explain in detail how to send money to Russia with Volet and Swapcoin:

Option 4: BestChange

BestChange is an online platform that helps you exchange both fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies across a wide range of payment systems. It allows you to compare real-time exchange rates and find the most efficient way to transfer money between different currencies and electronic payment methods.

For example, if you have euros or dollars on a Visa card or in a PayPal account and want to send money to a ruble bank card or wallet, BestChange will show you a list of verified exchangers offering the best available rates. By clicking on an exchanger’s name, you’ll be redirected to their website to complete the transaction.

All exchangers listed on BestChange go through a verification process managed by the platform’s team to minimize the risk of scams and ensure a safer user experience.

For example, I have recently used the services of the Swapcoin exchanger to send rubles to a MIR card. To do this, I previously recharged my Volet account (formerly Advcash) and through SwapCoin I was able to send money from Volet to a Russian MIR card.

Quick Tips for Using BestChange to Send Money to Russia

• Select your payment method (e.g. PayPal, Visa, Revolut, crypto) and the Russian receiving method (e.g. RUB card, MIR card).
• Compare rates and check reviews for each exchanger. Look not only at the exchange rate, but also at user feedback, number of completed transactions, and how long the exchanger has been active.
• Start with a small amount to test the process. Start with a small amount to test the process.
  This helps you confirm that everything works as expected before sending a larger sum. Keep in mind that some exchangers have minimum transfer limits — for example, $250 — so check the conditions before starting.
• Never write “Russia” or anything political in the payment message.
• Keep your receipts and stay in touch with the exchanger if needed.

How to Send Money to Russia from the USA?

Due to international restrictions and sanctions, sending money from the United States (or UK) to Russia has become increasingly complicated. More complicated than in any other country. Platforms such as Bybit or Volet no longer work for US residents. If you’re looking for a reliable alternative, the best solution is SendNOW.

I hope this guide has helped you navigate the current challenges of sending money to Russia. If you found it useful, feel free to share it — and if you have any questions or want to share your own experience, you’re welcome to join the conversation in our community at Russiable Community.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sending Money to Russia