AliExpress switched Belarusian accounts to Belarusian ruble calculations without currency selection. It turns out to be much more expensive
AliExpress users from Belarus noticed that the marketplace switched their accounts to calculations in Belarusian rubles. The option to choose the dollar or another currency in the app and on the website became unavailable — the input field is displayed as inactive (gray), Smartpress reports .
Illustrative photo. Photo: vecteezy.com
During online discussions of this update, Belarusians note that the exchange rate on the platform is noticeably higher than the official and bank rates: instead of 2.89 rubles per dollar, AliExpress sets the rate at 3.15-3.19 rubles.
According to users, this leads to an 8-10% increase in purchase prices.
The situation is worsened by multi-stage conversion: the price is shown in Belarusian rubles, the charge occurs in dollars, and then the bank converts the amount back into rubles — sometimes via euros (depending on the card and bank). As a result, the final amount turns out to be higher than expected, Belarusians complain.
Attempts to bypass restrictions using VPN, different browsers, or clearing cookies only provide a temporary effect or don't work at all. Against the backdrop of previously introduced VAT, users are increasingly calling AliExpress "virtually disabled" for Belarus.
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