Apple says that all payment processing in Russia has ceased, meaning that it’s no longer possible for residents of the country to make app purchases or renew subscriptions. This includes subscriptions to Apple services like iCloud+ and Apple TV.
The move followed a diktat from the Russian government, and saw the closure of a loophole that allowed customers to make payments to Apple indirectly …
While card payments to Apple were already blocked, it had been possible to transfer funds to an Apple account via mobile operators. This loophole has now been closed by the government.
Apple announced the change in a new support document.
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 might affect your existing subscriptions.
New purchases, including in-app purchases and subscription renewals, are no longer available in Russia unless you have funds in your Apple Account balance […]
If you have funds in your Apple Account balance, you can continue to make purchases and renew subscriptions as long as funds are available. You can also redeem any App Store codes that you already have.
The company specifically 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
One particular concern would be iCloud+ subscriptions, as the inability to renew these could have left Apple customers without access to their data, but the company says that “your data will remain accessible after the subscription ends.”
It’s unclear whether Russian customers will be able to continue adding data to their accounts, however. The company does include links to managing your storage and downloading iCloud photos and videos.
Apple is responding to a government order
The move was implemented by mobile carriers in response to a new government order.
From April 1, iPhone owners will not be able to replenish their Apple ID balance from their mobile account. The operators of the “four” were instructed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs to disable the option that became popular after the ban on Russian cards to pay for foreign services.
The primary motivation for the Russian government’s action is likely to block access to VPN apps which are being used to circumvent internet censorship within the country.
This piece has been updated thanks to clarification by Russian readers.
- Official Apple Store on Amazon
- Apple’s iPhone cases: iPhone 17 | iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max | iPhone Air
- Wireless CarPlay adapter (2026 update)
- AirTag holders and accessories
- Mac Pro-style Mac mini casing
- NordVPN – privacy-first VPN with no logs and independent audits to verify
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