For several years, Russian banks did not join UnionPay, but now announcements are coming one after another. Following "Tsentr-Invest", which is preparing to issue cards based on the Chinese payment system by the end of July, Ingo Bank announced its launch: classic cards will appear on August 3, and premium Diamond cards in September.

A standard plastic card will cost 3,000 rubles, but then it will be serviced for free. With Diamond, it's more interesting: there will be no charge if balances are from 5 million rubles or from 3 million with spending of 75 thousand rubles per month. In other cases, maintenance will cost 2,500 rubles monthly.

Ingo Bank is the former Ingosstrakh Bank. In February 2025, the insurance company sold it to the automotive holding GK "Avtoriteyl", after which the organization changed its name and began to build an independent brand.

Based on the tariffs, it seems that UnionPay is needed by the new owner not so much for commissions on plastic, but for clients with large balances, foreign currency, and expenses abroad. Such an audience is especially valuable against the backdrop of a shrinking credit business: the bank's retail portfolio decreased by 23% over the year, corporate by 19%, and 2025 ended with a loss.

According to travelers' reviews, Russian UnionPay cards are accepted in Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Indonesia, UAE, and other countries. But the card does not work everywhere, so turning it into the only payment method abroad is still risky.