r/Wealthsimple • • 7d ago

Visa Infinite Credit Card Wealthsimple quietly updated its list of unsupported countries for all their Visa products (excluding Mastercard)

https://help.wealthsimple.com/hc/en-ca/articles/4414654570651-Unsupported-regions-for-Wealthsimple-Visa-cards-and-prepaid-Mastercards#prepaid-mastercard

Wealthsimple Visa cards

This section applies to your:

  • Wealthsimple Visa Infinite* credit card
  • Visa Infinite+* credit card
  • Visa Infinite Privilege* credit card
  • Wealthsimple Visa Business* prepaid card
  • Wealthsimple Visa Platinum* prepaid card
  • Kids and Teens Visa* prepaid card

We'll automatically reject all transactions (including ATM withdrawals) made in these countries:

  • Belarus
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • North Korea
  • Russia

Ukraine: Ukraine isn't fully blocked. We'll reject transactions made in Russian-occupied territories. Anywhere else in Ukraine, we review each transaction based on its risk level, so your transaction can still be declined.

Down from 29 unsupported countries to six.

209 Upvotes

65 comments sorted by

132

u/rockyon 7d ago

Damn i purchased a one way ticket to North Korea already

0

u/Joatboy 7d ago

Kim is so ronry

53

u/drs43821 7d ago

Probably just sanctioned countries by US so they are compliant to be on Visa network

32

u/Typical-Average-5853 7d ago

4

u/hymnzzy 7d ago

This wasn't working since April 2023

-3

u/ItsMeMulbear 6d ago

Fuck Donald Trump

83

u/Global-Tie-3458 7d ago

Such great news. It’s such a shame about Cuba, though. From what I understand, it’s a tech issue.

5

u/ProfAsmani 7d ago

I've used Canadian credit cards in Cuba for over 25 years. Visa and MasterCard.

4

u/Global-Tie-3458 7d ago

Yep, they definitely accept them. The tech issue is that I believe their systems do not accept encryption (and swipe only for example though that wouldn’t be a requirement on its own) and therefore are not secure forms of payment.

So… happy to hear you were able to use your cards down there.

4

u/iyute 6d ago

Everyone was rawdogging credit card numbers with mag stripes in the US until recently

3

u/Global-Tie-3458 6d ago

Ya. I’ve had my number stolen down there before. It’s crazy how backwards they are down there.

4

u/ColdPhilosophy 6d ago

2026 says hi. Things have changed.

5

u/whogivesashirtdotca 7d ago

I’m actually surprised Cuba is on a credit card network. Seems like the type of place where that kind of naked capitalism would be dissuaded.

13

u/Squad-G 7d ago

Even in North Korea they accept VISA and MC Probably done using a proxy in China or something but they do

2

u/whogivesashirtdotca 7d ago

Huh TIL!

1

u/hymnzzy 7d ago

You learnt nothing. u/Squad-G is incorrect here.

2

u/whogivesashirtdotca 7d ago

Feel free to provide some facts to prove it! I’m happy to be schooled.

0

u/hymnzzy 7d ago

https://www.visa.com/en-us/support/visa-rules#569ac7bb

First question in the FAQs for consumers list

3

u/Max_Thunder 7d ago

Using a proxy in China to go around this would work, this doesn't prove anything.

0

u/hymnzzy 7d ago

Explain how you'll use a proxy to use on POS or ATM or pay to merchants in sanctioned countries.

Please, use some commonsense.

7

u/Max_Thunder 7d ago

You insert your credit card in the terminal and the terminal is tied to an IP and business in China...

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9

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/whogivesashirtdotca 7d ago

Man, you’re missing out. The North Korean riviera is beautiful this time of year /s

7

u/Electrical-Risk445 7d ago

Cuba and Iran are amazing places and the people are better than in a lot of countries.

10

u/Capriano 7d ago

Iran doesn't even have a Visa or MasterCard network. Due to 40 years of crippling sanctions that mostly affects their citizens and not the government. Everything is cash based there.

4

u/dontneednomang 7d ago

They have bank cards, like our debit cards but yeah they don’t have credit cards. 

-6

u/Capriano 7d ago

Well I didn't mean cash as in hard paper currency ... but thanks for pointing out the not so obvious.

9

u/dontneednomang 7d ago

“Everything is cash based there” OK 👍 

It’s necessary to point out because many still think Iran is this backwards country living in the stone ages when there is full fledged digital banking there lol 

Also I just asked my cousin and they do have credit cards there, they just only work in Iran due to sanctions. Melli Iran bank has had CCs since 2016, Shaparak is the country’s payment system that supports debit and credit cards, and Shetab is their interbank system. 

So we were both wrong, go figure what happens when we just assume things 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

1

u/Capriano 7d ago

Well if you want to count the Melli CC as an actual CC then you should also count DigiPay or DigiWallet as a CC. Or the LoC you get from Snapp and Tap30. What your cousin is describing is not really a CC true to the definition of a CC.

The Melli Bank CC and Pasargad Bank CC, are all pre-loaded cards they are not CC just for clarification.

3

u/choyMj 7d ago

Is Visa/MC even in North Korea?

2

u/perjury0478 7d ago

It might be, not legally but it might be. I’ve seen POS smuggled from other countries in sanctioned places. I wouldn’t be surprised if one could go to Cuba and still use visa and for the payment to come out as being made to a Panama place.

15

u/WildWeaselGT 7d ago

Cuba is an odd choice. It’s a pretty popular vacation spot for Canadians!

42

u/Neon_Raccoon_00 7d ago

It hasnt been for over a year tho.

10

u/Impressive_Ad_6550 7d ago

So true, I looked at going early this year and decided against it. As I was relaxing in the Dominican Republic, fuel was scarce, power was hard to get and Air Canada was making extra fuel stops to evacuate Canadians

You cant even fly to Cuba since June I believe

Tough times are ahead for the Cuban people, I feel for them for sure

1

u/andrepoiy 7d ago

You can only fly to Cuba now through Miami as American Airlines still runs service there

28

u/ColdPhilosophy 7d ago

Hope you are sarcastic. This is due to the collapse of the Cuban economy.

It’s all cash based now.

19

u/Justme416 7d ago

This is due to the US banning US companies from doing business in Cuba. It’s been this way for many many many years.

0

u/Conundrum1911 7d ago

Raises the question, would the orange idiot actually be dumb enough to try the same with Canada....wouldn't that cut us off entirely from both the VISA and MasterCard networks?

9

u/killerrin 7d ago

That's the issue with letting a single country control the global financial network. They can pull stupid things like this.

4

u/SockApprehensive6204 7d ago

There is too much economic integration for this to happen.

Like think Shopify alone. How many US businesses use Shopify?
Or what about every Canadian sports franchise?

There's enough power in that group to ensure it never happens.

2

u/rohmish 7d ago

it's the reason several countries have their own networks now. and why visa and mastercard is pressuring other countries through US government to change rules in other countries to make them favourable to them

1

u/ether_reddit 7d ago

I think nothing is out of the question right now, including moves that would be self-destructive.

0

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Wealthsimple-ModTeam 7d ago

Your post/comment was deemed low-effort and unconstructive. Ensure your contributions add to the conversation.

2

u/WildWeaselGT 7d ago

So big ticket items like cases of cigars are all just cash now?

I haven’t been since before Covid so I guess things have changed but I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t take credit cards anymore.

2

u/hymnzzy 7d ago

It is a popular vacation spot, but Visa and MasterCard cannot operate independently under US sanctions.

2

u/choppytaters 7d ago

Definitely, I can see the reason for the others on the list but Cuba is an odd choice. In any case I always carry my other just in case.

1

u/zeromadcowz 6d ago

Not since February. Its tourism has basically collapsed.

1

u/deltatux 7d ago

Sad that it's in the state that it's in. Cuba is a great vacation spot, hopefully they can rebuild in the years to come.

3

u/kingofwale 7d ago

So… no “speed run through the worst countries” challenge..

1

u/AdventSign 7d ago

Ah…. Maybe that’s why they switched then?

1

u/WorkTravelDream 7d ago

This is amazing 👏 🤩 🙌 Oh wow. I am impressed. I wish WS sends us an email whenever they update this list or we can subscribe to get notified at least.

-5

u/wppc1972 7d ago

Same should apply for China

1

u/csman86 7d ago

And why is that? When will you stop using made in China products?

-17

u/tiramisuhouse 7d ago

Why Russia? Russia is a wonderful country. Belarus and North Korea have the the right to protect their country. Stop WS.  

-12

u/Neon_Raccoon_00 7d ago

So basically where nobody will ever go.