YouTube, Google Play Halt Payment-based Services in Russia

YouTube and Google Play store announced, on Thursday, that they are suspending all payment-based services, including subscriptions, in Russia.

The decision comes as Western sanctions start to pose banking challenges in the country due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"As a follow-up, we're now extending this pause to all our monetization features, including YouTube Premium, Channel Memberships, Super Chat and Merchandise, for viewers in Russia," YouTube said in a statement on Thursday.

In the same vein, Google confirmed the Play billing suspension in an official statement;

“Due to payment system disruption, we will be pausing Google Play’s billing system for users in Russia in the coming days. This means users will not be able to purchase apps and games, make subscription payments or conduct any in-app purchases of digital goods using Google Play in Russia. Free apps will remain available on the Play Store.”

Meantime, YouTube channels in Russia are still generating revenue from viewers outside of Russia through ads and paid features, which include Super Chat and merchandise sales.

Also, free apps on Google Play will remain available in Russia, according to a company support website.