How do Russians rent holiday apartments in Dubai with the payments ban? (airbnb ++)

[blockchain4ever]

Airbnb requires an EU-based payment method for accounts in EU, similarly for accounts in the US.

They do not ban Russian citizens, but ban actions from within Russian territory.

I want to understand, from a practical point of view, how do Russians book an apartment on airbnb in Dubai for example?

Where is the account located, and what payment method do they use?

Reason I am asking is that it is becoming impossible to book anything on airbnb, but given that Russian tourists is a huge market in Dubai, they must have a way. Similarly for Turkey actually.

 

[apres777]

I can imagine that there are some kind of payment agents / traveling agencies which offer booking services. They will take their cut but will be able to provide booking for them.

Obv there are still Russian who hold EMI Cards or bank cards within the EU.

 

[jafo]

Airbnb requires an EU-based payment method for accounts in EU, similarly for accounts in the US.

They do not ban Russian citizens, but ban actions from within Russian territory.

I want to understand, from a practical point of view, how do Russians book an apartment on airbnb in Dubai for example?

Where is the account located, and what payment method do they use?

Reason I am asking is that it is becoming impossible to book anything on airbnb, but given that Russian tourists is a huge market in Dubai, they must have a way. Similarly for Turkey actually.

The "beauty" of Russian secrecy, as I have experienced it in the last four decades, is that they DO NOT share how they do things on public forums (where we can also have access to their SOPs). I'm not sure if they sell "courses," but it is quite frowned upon by the Russians, I am familiar with, to "explain" how they do things to "others."

I suggest approaching the AirBnBs the Russians stay and explaining to them that you have Russian friends who want to visit, but they need to know how to pay AirBnB. If they can guide you towards a solution

 

[wellington]

Usually local entities as middle entities.

 

[blockchain4ever]

AirBnb seems to look at:
- IP address
- Needs a bank card issued in the same country (says EU, but combined with IP requirement and IP verification requirements on the banks, essentially same country).
- Gift cards cannot be used without a registered bank card
- Booking for someone else is against TOS.

For Dubai I found some local marketplaces, but I would rather instead book from a Russian or Chinese web site as this surveillance is getting out of hand.

 

[jafo]

AirBnb seems to look at:
- IP address
- Needs a bank card issued in the same country (says EU, but combined with IP requirement and IP verification requirements on the banks, essentially same country).
- Gift cards cannot be used without a registered bank card
- Booking for someone else is against TOS.

For Dubai I found some local marketplaces, but I would rather instead book from a Russian or Chinese web site as this surveillance is getting out of hand.

Why not ask the Russians how they do it?

 

[Dandyline]

Many of them have bank accounts and cards from Kazakhstan.

 

[John Spectre]

If we speak about regular people, who are not in question of spending millions, but just hundreds or thousand usd\eur that need to be passed through sanction barrier for current\regular expences, most of russian nowadays use next things:
- fake residence\documents to obtain emi\bank account with card
- use stolen cards
- use card from drops
- use p2p and 3rd party services who will pay in 'west' part.
- use gateways who are actually proceeds payments from russian cards (yep, even it is available even in EU in 2024)
these methods covers a lot of transaction between russians under sanctions and any western service.

network of suppliers in russia who will provide you above solution are really huge and you could just select what you like in terms of fees, limits, etc like a place to buy cofee in morning.

for the airbnb account located outside eu and us, the rules for sure not strict.
they dont care ip address, location of the card, residence address for generic use.
for exact russian clients accounts restriction could be applied, but regular russian could mimicry to georgia or kazakhstan resident and nobody will care about it. it cost just couple of dollars for sim card which will be delivered by proper people in few hours of the any day of order.

 

[clemens]

What is the problem with crypto? what do I miss here?

 

[JackAlabama]

What is the problem with crypto? what do I miss here?

i guess it boils down to how can you pay airbnb with lightning for example?

 

[clemens]

There are other ways to rent a holiday department than AirBNB, I would say there must be others also accepting crypto or not ?

 

[John Spectre]

For example Travala is a analogue of booking.com and accept crypto directly.

Another way to make a reservation with payment at arrival and pay with cash. And order cash delivery from OTC company via courier directly to hotel.

Also there are some small agregators(for example that work inside one country) that accept crypto and as well some hotels accept crypto directly.

In 2024 you have quite wide choice if need to pay with crypto.

 

[JohnLocke]

- use gateways who are actually proceeds payments from russian cards (yep, even it is available even in EU in 2024)
these methods covers a lot of transaction between russians under sanctions and any western service.

Any major well known to mention here?

 

[John Spectre]

Any major well known to mention here?

For what purpose you need this information?