Do hotels in Russia require a deposit, and how do you pay it without a Russian card?
Many do. Larger and chain hotels usually take a deposit at check-in, and a hold on a card from global payment methods fails in Russia. Pay it with cash in rubles, by the Russian payment network, where the hotel offers it, or with a card that works in Russia. Small guesthouses and apartments often ask for nothing.
Updated September 2026
What the deposit covers and how much it is
A hotel deposit (депозит or залог) is a guarantee against minibar, room service and damage charges. Most 4- and 5-star hotels and city chains ask for one. Hostels, small family hotels and rented apartments often skip it.
The amount varies widely, from a couple of thousand rubles to the price of a night or two at upscale hotels. It is usually stated in the booking conditions, so check there before you travel. It comes back at check-out once the room has been looked over.
Why a foreign card hold does not work
Since March 2022, cards from global payment methods issued outside Russia do not work anywhere in the country, and a hold is just another transaction on those networks. The reception terminal takes Russian-issued cards. Apple Pay and Google Pay fail too, and as of 2026 UnionPay cards from abroad go through only at some hotels.
Reception staff see this every day. But many hotels still will not hand over the key without a deposit, and that is where the unpleasant surprise happens.
How to pay the deposit without a Russian card
Cash comes back on the spot, while a card hold usually drops off a few days after check-out. For a long stay at an upscale hotel the deposit can reach tens of thousands of rubles, so check that your card limit covers it: PayInRussia’s verified card holds up to 600 000 ₽, the basic card 15 000 ₽. Decide on one of these before you arrive:
- Cash in rubles — accepted everywhere and refunded in cash at check-out; keep the receipt
- A card that works in Russia — a Russian-issued card, or PayInRussia tapped contactless from an Android phone (no contactless on iPhone)
- Russian payment network QR payment — some hotels take the deposit this way and refund it after check-out; ask how long the refund takes
- Full prepayment — some hotels drop the deposit if the stay is paid in advance, so ask when booking
What to ask the hotel before you arrive
Message the hotel and ask three things: whether there is a deposit, how much it is, and whether they take it in cash or by the Russian payment network. If the answer is “card only”, ask whether cash is acceptable instead. In practice it usually is.
