Topping up the App Store from Russia with a Kazakhstan Apple Account
Russian bank cards are not accepted in the App Store, so there is no direct way to top up a Russian account. The route thousands of people use is an Apple Account with the Kazakhstan region plus a Kazakhstan gift card.
Why Kazakhstan
The Kazakhstan App Store works in Russian, the catalogue of apps and subscriptions is nearly the same, and tenge prices are comparable to the former Russian ones. Most importantly, gift cards are issued for Kazakhstan accounts, and they are easy to buy with rubles.
What you need
- An Apple Account with the Kazakhstan region: a new one created with that region, or your current one after a country change - we have a separate guide on changing the region.
- A Kazakhstan Apple Gift Card - its code adds the face value to the balance in tenge.
How it works here
You pick a face value on the home page and pay in rubles - with a Russian Visa or Mastercard, or via SBP by QR code. The code arrives by email within a minute of payment, automatically and around the clock.
Redeeming the code in the App Store takes another minute, and the full face value lands on the balance in tenge. The balance pays for everything: apps, games, in-app purchases and subscriptions.
Common questions
Do I need a separate iPhone? No: a Kazakhstan account works on any device. Many people sign into the App Store only, keeping their main account for iCloud and photos.
Will my purchased apps survive? Purchases belong to the account that paid for them: whatever is bought on the Kazakhstan account stays with it.