Originally Posted by
stormpelt
Does anyone know if I can use US credit cards in Russia? I specifically want to use barclay arrival plus to book an airbnb in Russia, but a barclay representative told me that there are sanctions in place between US and Russia which might prevent me from booking any sort of travel in Russia... Is this true? So I can't use any US credit cards to book any kind of travel or lodging in Russia?
Not true. Once in-country, most US based cards work "OK", some better than others. I would recommend bringing several forms of payment (Visa, MC) and making a small in-person transaction once you land, to let the banks know you're physically in-country.
Cash is king, so be prepared to use plenty of that. ATMs are common, and work well.
In advance, online, it is very difficult to use US-based cards. One little-known workaround is Apple Pay - which works very well for online purchases in RU.
One last caution: Be aware that if you don't stay in a traditional hotel, you may end up wasting many, many, many hours attempting to "register" your stay with the authorities. If you stay in a traditional hotel, the hotel takes care of this for you for a very small fee.