Payment chaos: Mastercard glitch behind cashless payment issues in Ukraine
Card problem is solved (Photo: Pixabay)
Ukrainian bank customers reported widespread issues with cashless payments on March 9, with Mastercard cardholders particularly
affected.
Social media was filled with complaints as users described
long delays during transactions and difficulties making payments in stores and
other businesses.
PrivatBank’s press service told NV that the issue had been
resolved, and users now had full access to all services. The bank confirmed
that the problems had been linked to Mastercard transactions.
According to Focus,
the disruption had impacted both Visa and Mastercard services on a broader
scale.
In Kyiv and the surrounding region, many customers were
unable to pay by card in stores.
Interfax-Ukraine
reported that while some Ukrainian bank customers experienced issues with
cashless payments, others managed to complete transactions without trouble.
“There were problems everywhere — in restaurants, stores,
and at Privat. But Monobank is working fine,” one reporter noted. Another
correspondent quoted a barista who said some customers were experiencing issues
with PUMB bank cards.
In addition to Mastercard, users also reported problems with
Apple Pay and Google Pay transactions.
Visa’s press service denied any issues on their end.
“In response to media reports about cashless payment
disruptions, we confirm that there are no issues with Visa’s payment
processing. Visa’s systems are operating smoothly and processing Ukrainian
consumer transactions in full,” the company said.
Mastercard’s press service told Forbes
that “the situation has been resolved, and all systems are operating normally.”
However, the company did not disclose the cause of the outage.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
