Traveling with an Amex - will I be able to use it widely in Russiaor should I carry a backup Visa/Mastercard?
I tried Amex in Russia and it didn’t work anywhere. ATMs declined it, restaurants said no, and hotels also refused. Visa and Mastercard used to work, but now many foreign cards don’t. Meals were 500-800 RUB, taxis 300 RUB, so I spent about 3,000 RUB daily. Amex is useless here. Cash is the only way to get around comfortably.
Tried to pay with Amex at GUM in Red Square just for fun-nope. Lady at the counter just smiled and shook her head. That was my sign. Didn’t work at any ATM either. Luckily, my Visa worked in one Alfa-Bank ATM. I wouldn’t rely on Amex at all. Bring backup or just plan to use cash most of the time.
Even before sanctions, Amex coverage in Russia was patchy. Now? It’s basically non-functional. Mine failed at Tinkoff ATMs and stores around Moscow’s business district. Visa and Mastercard weren’t much better unless you used a workaround like UnionPay or MIR. If you're coming soon, assume cash will be your main method of payment and bring enough.
I had my Amex with me in April, and not one place accepted it-not in St. Petersburg, not at the airport, not even big hotels. I used a Visa debit card for what I could, but honestly most payments ended up being cash anyway. Russia's current banking setup isn’t friendly to Amex at all, so definitely carry backup.