Apple has suspended all payment processing in Russia , meaning residents of the country can no longer make app purchases or renew subscriptions .
This move was based in part on a directive from the Russian government, but may also be a precautionary measure following the company's violation of sanctions against the country.
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“ As of April 1, 2026, payment processing is no longer available for purchases made on the App Store or other Apple media services in Russia. This may affect existing subscriptions ,” the company warns . “ New purchases, including in-app purchases and subscription renewals, are no longer available in Russia unless users have funds in their Apple account balance. If users have funds in their account balance, they can continue to make purchases and renew subscriptions as long as there are funds available. They can also redeem any App Store codes they already have .”
Russia: Payments across all Apple services affected
The company confirms that this includes all Apple subscriptions :
- Apple Arcade
- Apple Fitness+
- Apple Music
- Apple Podcasts subscriptions
- Apple One
- App Store purchases and subscriptions
- Apple TV purchases and subscriptions
- iTunes Store purchases
- iCloud+
- Ringtone & Tone purchases
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A particular issue is subscriptions iCloud+, as failure to renew could leave customers without access to their data. The company states that “your data will remain accessible after the subscription expires,” but it’s unclear whether Russian customers will be able to continue adding data to their accounts.
The company provides links to manage storage and download photos and videos from iCloud.
Government order brings changes to payments
The main reason for the change seems to be a reaction to a new government order. Starting April 1, iPhone owners will not be able to top up their Apple ID balance from their mobile account. An order from the Ministry of Digital Affairs requires disabling the option that became popular after the ban on Russian cards for payments in foreign services.
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Apple's response goes further, disabling all payment methods, likely as a precautionary measure following a recent fine for accidentally violating sanctions against Russia. While Russian payment cards were already blocked, some users may have been using foreign cards to pay for Apple services.
The main reason for the Russian government's action is likely to be blocking access to VPN applications used to bypass internet censorship in the country.
