Users in Russia yesterday reported problems paying with cards of some banks for subscriptions to Spotify and Netflix streaming services, the portal vc.ru reports.

“Twitter users from Russia try to pay for a Spotify subscription with Sberbank and Tinkoff cards, but receive an error message,” the portal notes.

The publication reports that vc.ru editors were unable to pay for a subscription to a music service using Alfa-Bank and Sberbank cards, as well as register a subscription to Netflix using Tinkoff and Alfa-Bank cards.

The press service of Netflix declined to comment to RBC.

Tinkoff Bank posted a message on the main page of the site that there are no restrictions on financial transactions. “Operations of individuals and legal entities are carried out without restrictions. We are in touch and guarantee the protection of our clients' funds,” the statement said.

The Tinkoff press service told vc.ru that “the problem with Netflix is on the side of the acquiring bank, which is included in the sanctions list.” “Alfa-Bank confirmed that the problem is in the sanctioned bank that is engaged in acquiring,” the portal notes.

Reports of problems with payments for the services began to arrive after the imposition of sanctions against Russian banks due to the Russian operation in Ukraine. On February 27, taxi and car sharing services Citymobil and Yandex.Go reported possible failures when making payments through Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The Central Bank warned that Apple Pay and Google Pay services would stop working with cards of banks that fell under sanctions blocking, in particular, such as VTB, Otkritie, Sovcombank, PSB and Novikombank.

The United States has included Sberbank, VTB, Sovcombank, Novikombank and Otkritie on the sanctions list. A few more banks were subject to funding restrictions. The list of banks sanctioned by the EU includes Alfa-Bank, Otkritie, Rossiya and Promsvyazbank.

This morning, both MasterCard and Visa announced that it has blocked access of Russian banks to its credit cards.