A few weeks ago, AliExpress banned Russians from paying for purchases at bank rates, which are often much higher than domestic rates. Users quickly discovered a loophole — they could install an older version of the app, convert currency from rubles to dollars, and pay via Qiwi at rates close to those set by the central bank.
The savings turned out to be considerable — around 20%, meaning that if you use Qiwi to convert to rubles with a dollar price tag, you can buy a product priced at 1,000 rubles for $800. Similar savings opportunities existed even when AliExpress accepted Visa and Mastercard cards, but at the time the difference between the bank rate and the site's internal exchange rate was less pronounced.
For some reason, AliExpress decided to take away the opportunity to save money from Russians. Among the payment options available, the Qiwi service was still there, and payments through it even went through, but then AliExpress canceled the purchase.
Money on Qiwi can be returned with a delay of several hours, but it is also possible that it will hang on the market and be difficult to get back.
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