How to send money from Lithuania to Belarus now that the last bank has disabled its cards there?
Recently, banking cards of the Lithuanian fintech company Paysera stopped working in Belarus – these were the last Lithuanian cards that could be used for payments in Belarus. Some users also used them to send money to relatives in Belarus. So what to do now?
Illustrative photo. Photo: LookByMedia
After the recent disabling of Paysera cards in Belarus, there are very few options left to transfer money, as Lithuanian banks have long ceased SWIFT transfers to Belarusian accounts.
The only active method mentioned is the Paysend service, which allows card-to-card transfers.
The transfer fee is fixed at just 1.5 euros. However, it should be noted that the recipient in Belarus will receive not euros, but rubles, and the exchange rate will be less favorable than in exchange offices.
Screenshot: paysend.com
For example, while as of February 21, euros could be exchanged at a rate of 3.32-3.36 rubles, Paysend's rate is 3.285 rubles.
People who have already used the service note that money arrives on Belarusian cards quickly: from a few seconds to 10-15 minutes.
Among the banks whose cards definitely accept money from Lithuania via Paysend, Priorbank, BSB Bank, and MTBank are mentioned. But in general, the logic here is that the Belarusian bank where the card is opened must not be under sanctions, and then the money will arrive.
Another important circumstance to pay attention to: you cannot send money from Lithuania to Belarus from Swedbank cards in this way, even though the money from your card does not go directly to Belarus, but to the Paysend service. The fact is that Swedbank prohibits any transactions with money directly or indirectly related to Belarus.
There are also difficulties with transfers via Revolut.
However, Paysera allows such transfers – at least for now.
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If you live in Lithuania, you can support "Nasha Niva" in a minute with a part of your income tax. It will not cost you a single cent.
You simply redirect 1.2% of your already paid tax when filing your annual declaration.
Here is a detailed instruction on how to do it if you work in Lithuania.
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Comments
На каго працуеце, спадарове???