How Sanctions Affected Payments for Foreign Services
Since 2022, Visa and Mastercard have frozen operations with Russian banks. This means cards issued by Russian banks no longer work for transactions with foreign services. Steam, PlayStation Store, Apple, Google, Netflix, Spotify — all of them stopped accepting Russian cards.
On top of that, some services suspended operations in Russia entirely: pulling their apps, blocking new account creation, or stopping content delivery.
Nevertheless, in 2026, working payment methods exist for every major service.
Working Payment Methods in 2026
Steam
- Gift Cards. Buy a card for the right region (Turkey, Kazakhstan, Argentina) on Marix, enter the code — balance added. The most stable method.
- Foreign wallet. If you have a Steam account set to a non-Russian region, you can link a foreign card directly.
PlayStation Store
- PSN Gift Cards. Buy a card for PSN Turkey, PSN Kazakhstan or PSN USA and top up the balance of the corresponding account region.
- Region change. Changing your PSN region requires creating a new account, but it unlocks local pricing.
Xbox / Game Pass
- Xbox Gift Cards for the required region. Works the same way as PSN.
Apple / App Store
- Apple ID from another region (Turkey, Kazakhstan). Create a separate Apple ID with a Turkish region and top it up via an Apple Gift Card Turkey.
- Gift cards can be purchased on Marix and redeemed in iTunes/App Store.
Spotify / Netflix
- Create an account in a region where the service is available.
- Top up via a gift card for that region or a foreign card.
Step-by-Step Guide: Paying Steam via Gift Card
- Check which Steam account region you are set to.
- On Marix, select a Steam Gift Card for the right region and denomination.
- Pay using an available method (crypto, SBP, CIS cards).
- Receive the code, go to Steam → Account → Redeem a Gift Card.
- The balance will be added to your wallet — ready to buy games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Steam ban my account if I top up from Russia? Steam does not ban accounts simply for using gift cards from Russia. Risks arise when switching regions without matching cards, or attempting to circumvent regional restrictions in violation of the rules.
How do I pay for Valve games on Steam after sanctions? Use Steam Gift Cards for your region — this is an official top-up method that doesn't depend on payment systems.
Does VPN help pay for foreign services? VPN may help access the payment page, but it doesn't solve the card problem. The payment system still checks the card's country of issue, not the IP address.
Marix is a marketplace with gift cards for all major platforms after sanctions. Steam, PSN, Xbox, Apple, Google Play, Spotify — with instant delivery and payment without a foreign card.