Difficulties of transfers: Russians have problems paying through SBP in Turkey

Payment by SBP in Turkey turned into a lottery for Russian tourists — banks can freeze the transfer for a day right at the checkout, explaining this by fighting fraudsters, Izvestia found out. At the height of the holiday season, travelers risk being left unable to pay at a store, cafe, or pharmacy. Experts believe that financial organizations should warn customers about restrictions in advance and confirm safe transactions faster. Why a formally available service does not always work in practice and how to reduce the risk of blocking is in the Izvestia article.

Is it possible to pay through the SBP in Turkey

In April 2026, payment for purchases through the SBP appeared in Turkey, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported. Outlets that accept such payments have started to be marked in Yandex services. Currently, more than 1,000 similar establishments are represented on the maps.

However, in the summer, Russian citizens faced difficulties when paying for goods and services using a QR code. As tourist Yuri told Izvestia, in Istanbul and Antalya, he tried to pay in this way in shops and cafes, but Sberbank suspended all operations. The correspondent of Izvestia faced a similar problem.

Business representatives are also aware of the disruptions. According to Alexey Egarmin, Director General of the Russian-Turkish Business Council at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), a chain of intermediaries is involved in conducting such transactions. Because of this, technical difficulties may arise at one stage, and often on the Russian side.

Travelers also complain about blocking in tourist Telegram chats. One of them, Alexey, said that when he tried to pay through Sberbank, he was redirected in a browser to the page of a Murmansk bank. After confirmation, the bank suspended the operation for a day.

When choosing another bank, Alexey did not receive SMS or push notifications, and when paying from the account, the money was first debited, but the operation failed at the checkout. The funds were later returned.

Interruptions in the payment of goods and services by Russian tourists were previously confirmed by the owner of a hotel chain in Antalya, Mahmut Dikbash. According to him, in some establishments connected to the services of Russian banks, transactions are carried out without difficulties, while in others there are refusals.

Such transactions may be subject to automatic verification by banks, explained Valeria Smirnova, an expert on legal risks in the digital environment. According to her, an anti-fraud system can work if a customer pays abroad from an unusual IP address, uses a new payment method, or transfers money to a specific recipient for the first time.

The Sber support chat reported that operations may be suspended for security reasons. The bank explained the additional protection measures by the increased incidence of fraud. The client can repeat the payment in 24 hours. As an alternative, support suggested using another person's card. Izvestia sent an official request to Sber.

Such a pause actually deprives the tourist of the opportunity to complete a regular purchase, Valeria Smirnova emphasized.

— A restaurant, store, or pharmacy will not wait 24 hours for the bank to "cool" the payment. As a result, the payment tool formally exists, but in practice the client cannot use it," the expert noted.

The ATOR editorial board clarified that different technical solutions are used to make payments in Turkey.

"According to our current data, there are no failures among Yandex.Maps users, where the outlets receiving the SBP are marked," the association assured.

How to avoid blocking transfers in Turkey

Combating fraud remains one of the main priorities of banks, especially in cross-border transactions where the risks are higher, said Elena Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Board of National Savings Bank JSC. However, protective mechanisms should work more accurately and not create unnecessary problems for bona fide clients, she stressed.

According to the expert, banks can use additional analysis tools to quickly distinguish regular purchases from suspicious transactions. In addition, credit institutions should warn customers in advance about the specifics of the service abroad. For travelers, such restrictions are especially sensitive at the height of the holiday season, she added.

Elena Marchuk recommended Russians to clarify the rules for using SBP abroad in their bank before traveling and, if necessary, inform the financial institution about the upcoming trip.

ATOR called for paying attention to the payment mechanism itself.

— If a customer is offered to make a transfer using a phone number, even a Russian subscriber, or specify the amount yourself, it is better to cancel such an operation immediately, even if the user is already in the banking application or on the SBP website. Such transactions can indeed be blocked," ATOR said.

The correct payment method assumes that the tourist scans the QR code from the smartphone or the seller's terminal, which already indicates the product and the purchase amount, the association explained.

It is worth preparing alternative payment methods in advance. Many Russian financial organizations offer debit cards issued by banks in third countries, such as Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan, said Albert Anufriev, lawyer and managing partner at Forseti & Ting Law firm. According to him, information about such services is often posted in banks' mobile applications.

— Registration can take up to 30 days, so you should take care of this in advance before traveling. Such a scheme is legal and does not create problems in itself. You can top up a foreign bank card from your Russian account using its number, usually the transfer takes a few minutes," Albert Anufriev noted.

Cards, money and crypt: how Russians can pay abroad in 2026

What can be used besides cash and foreign "plastic" and what are the pitfalls of each option?

The other fallback option is cash. When exporting them, it is necessary to take into account customs restrictions: an amount over $ 10 thousand is subject to declaration, taking into account the equivalent of all currencies that the tourist carries with him, Albert Anufriev recalled.

At the same time, the expert doubted that prior notification of the Russian bank about the trip would help avoid blockages.

— Informing the bank about traveling abroad does not guarantee that there will be no difficulties with payment under the SBP. Contacting support after the block is also unlikely to quickly solve the problem," Albert Anufriev believes.

There is no need to abandon inspections — they should be made faster and more accurate, expert Valeria Smirnova believes. According to her, the bank can request additional confirmation through a push notification, a code word or a call, set separate limits on foreign QR payments, and also allow the customer to mark the trip in advance in the application.

Thus, while banks are strengthening the protection of cross-border payments, tourists have to insure themselves. Experts are sure that the solution would be not to weaken controls, but to confirm foreign transactions faster and more clearly — without daily locks, which actually make the SBP useless at the time of purchase.