Cuban Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García Granda stated that the establishment of the “MIR” ATM cards to pay for goods and services in the Republic is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
The minister wrote on the “X” platform: “Technological introduction begins in Cuba to use Russian “MIR” cards as a means of payment. This process will gradually spread throughout the country, starting with the tourist sites of Havana, Varadero, and the islands of Ciego de Avila and Camagüey, scheduled for completion this year. The service will be rolled out in most tourism sector facilities, store chains and service centers across the island.
Many banks in Havana began accepting payments with Mir cards in mid-March, and at present, it is still not possible to pay with Mir cards in restaurants and shops.
The Cuban authorities expect that the introduction of the payment system in the Republic will attract more tourists from the Russian Federation, making payment terms more favorable for them in the context of sanctions imposed on Russian banks.
The first countries whose banks began accepting Mir cards were Belarus and Kazakhstan, which happened in 2018. Now this Russian payment system operates in about 10 countries, and more than 15 countries have expressed their willingness to implement it.
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