OpenSky

Has anyone successfully purchased a S7 ticket originating in Russia directly from the S7 website ( denominated in Rubles) using a non-Russian / non-European credit card?

I tried to do this last week for a friend ( who lives closer to DME) unsuccessfully . I am normally an SU person ( the ticket wasn't for me).

Inventory was closing up, so I used the pay later option and evaluated my choices. A few calls to S7 in Moscow, and apparently the S7 website payment processor looks for a text message sent security code This might work with Russian and EU credit cards, but not the American ones. US Cards and Banks don't send temporary codes nor do they use CHIP and PIN ( as of yet) .
None of my cards worked.

There was a difference in the fare purchased ex-Russian vs directly from a US travel agent, so finally I decided to have my friend in Russia pay for it directly ( which did work).

For what its worth SU had this problem for years, but was fixed as recently as last year.

This seems like a major hindrance for anyone wanting to purchase S7 tickets directly from the S7 website with a credit card issued from the USA. Or maybe they don't want people to do so

Rami Tamimi

I constantly pay with both:UK HSBC and Russian Sberbank cards and never had an issue.

OpenSky

Try paying with a US issued card. I tried all of mine and even called the bank.
Doesn't work. Aeroflot used to have this problem, but was since fixed.

dumba

I recently bought a ticket for an S7 flight between two cities in Russia and paid for it with my Spanish credit card. I did get an SMS with a temporary code to approve transaction, but I thought it's only my bank's settings. UK banks normally use passwords. So probably it's a US-issued cards' issue.

OpenSky

I think this is the case. US bank cards have not fully implemented chip and pin, and also other payment processors i.e Yandex money will not accept anyone with US domicile because of FINRA requirements. The regulatory burden in too much.

I WISH S7 ACCEPTED PAYPAL!

( which now works in Russia). If S7 can accept Yandex money etc, why not paypal?

in my case, I had to paypal a friend in Moscow, who bought the ticket on my behalf using his Sberbank Mastertcard. Of course that worked.

alwaysquestions

I've got a flight I need to pay for within 23 hours.

It is a return flight with S7 flight nos although they are codeshare flights on BA and JL

I have tried to input my Amex, HSBC credit and debit card numbers but they all show a data format error.
The page won't allow the 4,6,5 amex or 4,4,4,4 HSBC formats. Having Googled it appears they do take Amex and they say they take visa but I just can't get it to work.

I'd really appreciate some help please

AQ

Rami Tamimi

Some screenshots (personal data erased ofcourse) would help.

ParisMoskau

You can just call them toll free using the 'Online call' link on their website.

Happened to me once, and I had to email them a photo of my credit card. Took just a short time for them to whitelist it in their payment system.

OpenSky

I did not take screen shots but.

Basically when you book a flight, and attempt to pay for it, the portal will then ask for a one time security code for the credit card , which I at first understood to be the CVV2 code ( which its not).

I entered the CVV2 code ( did not work),

Then, I called S7 and apparently what the system is looking for is a security code sent by text message ( None of the banks in the United States do this, or any credit card issuer in the United States, as far as I know)

So basically the transaction fails at this point, and cannot go forward. There is then a few days ( or one day ) courtesy hold. Its impossible to pay via any credit card unless you have a European card that send out the one time codes, or A Russian / Asian one.

I tried to set up WebMoney / Yandex Money but these processors do not accept US taxpayers for FINRA reasons ( at first I thought its because of sanctions, but its because of FINRA reporting requirements, which makes sense. ). It would be nice if PayPal was accepted, which is now in Russia.

Anyway, so I sent money to friend in Moscow who bought the ticket with his Sberbank card, which worked.

I should mention that Aeroflot used to have this problem, ( 6 years ago?) but now uses a different processor ( that also accepts MIR ) that does not require the one time security code, if you are buying tickets denominated in Dollars or whatever. Of course Aeroflot flies to New York, LA and Washington, and has offices in the USA.

I also found it frustrating that the S7 agent could not accept payment by phone, and insisted that I use the portal, which did not work. The other option was to stop by an S7 ticket office, of which there are none in the USA.

alwaysquestions

Thanks both of you, I have spoken to a friend after your comments and got him to phone S7 in Moscow. I had forgotten he speaks Russian fluently and so he was able to get them to send the code. All has gone through now!

Thanks again

AQ

OpenSky

S7 obviously doesn't want to sell tickets to anyone who can't authenticate via this text message one time code.

Never mind, not all banks in the world send this code.
Certainly not ones in the US.