Will Mellow become more expensive with these changes?

No. We're absorbing all the extra costs from these new withdrawal methods. We'd rather make less money than see you break the law.

Can I still withdraw money from Mellow after January 1?

Yes, just not through every method. Russian bank cards will no longer be available. Russian bank accounts and Belarusian cards will only work if they're on the approved list.

Is the conversion rate changing?

It depends on the withdrawal method. For withdrawals to bank accounts, the rate stays the same. For Tajikistan cards, here's how it works: you withdraw in dollars or euros, then the currency converts when you make a card transfer (if the transaction currency doesn't match your card currency). That rate comes from the bank– you can track it in the app.

What happens to my documents?

Nothing changes. Invoices and work completion certificates generate normally.

What if I try adding a Russian card after January 1?

The system won't let you– you'll see an error message.

I create invoices and offers for clients. Can I keep doing that?

Absolutely. The new rules only touch withdrawals, not invoices or offers.

Will Russian cards be supported again in the future?

If sanctions against Russia are lifted, yes.

Changes to Mellow
This January

Explainer

Compliance

December 3, 2025

Mellow Team

What's Changing at Mellow

Self-Employed Individuals

Individuals from Belarus

Individuals from Russia

Individual Entrepreneurs

How Sanctions Work and Why...

Why We're Making These...

Why an Entity Outside the UK...

Why Hiring Contractors Outside...

Why Cryptocurrency Isn't...

Can You Actually Work with and...

How Closely Do Regulators Wa...

Q&A

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Hello,

Sanctions against Russia from the EU, US, and UK keep tightening. The 19th package came through in November, and the 20th is already on its way.

NSPK – Russia’s national payment card system – is now on the sanctions list, which means Russian bank cards are affected too. The penalties for violations are serious, including potential criminal liability.

Our goal at Mellow is to keep companies working with their teams without compliance headaches. That’s why we’re making these changes in January:

Starting January 1 — withdrawals to cards from banks in Belarus will only work for banks on our approved list
Starting January 1 — withdrawals to accounts of banks in Russia will only work for banks on our approved list
Starting January 12 – Russian bank cards won’t work for withdrawals anymore

We’re not going to break the law or put you at risk. Instead, we’re helping companies keep working with their people in a way that’s safe and straightforward.

We’ve partnered with several organizations so you have other ways to get your money.

Pavel Shynkarenko

Founder & CEO of Mellow.io

Learn More About Sanctions

See Your Options

Contents

What's Changing at Mellow

Self-Employed Individuals

Individuals from Belarus

Individuals from Russia

Individual Entrepreneurs

How Sanctions Work and Why We’re...

Q&A

What's Changing at Mellow

The changes work differently depending on whether you’re an individual entrepreneur (IE), self-employed, or an individual from Russia or Belarus. Here’s the breakdown foreach.

Not sure which you are?

Open your Mellow account → “Profile” → “Tax Status” to see what’s set in the system.

Self-Employed Individuals

Withdrawal changes – January 12

Russian bank cards won’t work anymore for withdrawals.
Russian bank accounts will only work if they’re on our approved list – you won’t be able to add other banks

Banks on the approved list

We’ve put together a list of over 150 financial institutions that aren’t under sanctions – Raiffeisenbank, Wildberries Bank, OTP Bank, UniCredit Bank, Credit Europe Bank, Asia-Pacific Bank, Toyota Bank, and others.

Withdrawal Details

Individuals from Belarus

Withdrawals to Belarusian bank cards will only work for approved banks. Right now that’s BNB-Bank, BSB Bank, MTBank, Neo Bank Asia, Paritetbank, Priorbank, StatusBank, Technobank, and Zepter Bank. You won’t be able to add other banks.

Bank Details

Individuals from Russia

Withdrawal changes – January 12

Russian bank cards won’t work anymore since they all run through NSPK.
You can still withdraw to approved bank accounts, but we’ll automatically withhold personal income tax.

Withdrawals with tax withholding – January 12

Starting January 12, you can withdraw to approved bank accounts in Russia. When you do, we’ll automatically withhold personal income tax – we have to, since Mellow is an international organization acting as your tax agent. Without doing this, we’d be putting you at risk.

Your tax rate depends on how much you make annually:

We’ll share more details about how tax withholding works in December.

Сentral Asia bank cards

We’re setting up an integration with a banks in Сentral Asia that can issue bank cards remotely. This takes time to set up — we’ll have details in December.

E-wallet in Russia – coming in January

We’re setting up an integration with an e-wallet that isn’t under EU, UK, or US sanctions. Russian residents will be able to open one and add it to Mellow for receiving money.

This takes time to set up – we’ll have details in December. You’ll get a separate email from us, and we’ll update this article.

Payment Options

Individual Entrepreneurs

Withdrawal changes – January 1

Russian account withdrawals will only work for approved banks.

Banks on the approved list

Some banks have special offers for our clients. Contact support to learn more.

Bank Options

How Sanctions Work and Why We’re Changing the Rules

Let’s walk through our operating model and explain how sanctions actually work.

Why We're Making These Changes

We’re updating our rules to stay compliant with the law and keep you protected.

Here’s the issue: any payment to a Russian bank card now falls under sanctions because they all run through the National Payment Card System (NSPK), which is sanctioned. Even Visa and Mastercard cards issued before 2022 – after those systems left Russia, NSPK took over processing for them too.

So we’re partnering with providers outside Russian infrastructure – like those in Tajikistan. You get your money to a payment method in that region, then move it wherever you need.

We guarantee: money from Mellow never touches Russian payment infrastructure. That’s how we keep you safe.

Why an Entity Outside the UK, US, and EU Won’t Shield You from Sanctions Liability

Sanctions are more complex than they appear. You can’t just relocate team operations to another region and escape European, US, or UK sanctions laws.

This gets interpreted very broadly. Using national currency? That's a connection. Paying for national services? Also counts. Many factors come into play, and if you want the full details, check the actual documents: UK sanctions, US sanctions.

Same goes for companies that structure their operations to use intermediaries for actions that would be prohibited in the EU, UK, or US.

Why Hiring Contractors Outside the UK, US, and EU Won’t Shield You Either

The European regulator lays out minimum verification steps: check transaction documentation, transaction basis, money flow structure, and delivery routes.

If an intermediary service breaks sanctions rules, you’re liable too – the law says you must verify all intermediaries before transacting.

The consequences: frozen accounts, fines based on turnover, canceled residency for European residents, sometimes even criminal charges.

And there’s another risk: if the intermediary operates and holds assets outside the EU/US/UK, regulators might find it easier to go after you than them.

When you work with us, you can trust we’re sanctions-compliant – we have to be. Mellow is a group of companies with our main office in the EU.

Why Cryptocurrency Isn’t an Option

We won’t violate sanctions or put you at legal risk.

We monitor cryptocurrency regulations and stay current with legislation. When the laws shift, we’ll turn on crypto access right away.

Can You Actually Work with Russian and Belarusian Residents if Your Company’s in the EU, US, or UK?

Yes – as long as the person isn’t sanctioned individually and you’re paying for services that aren’t specifically restricted.

Right now, no sanctions ban you from working with Russian and Belarusian residents just because they hold Russian or Belarusian citizenship or live there.

How Closely Do Regulators Watch Sanctions Compliance?

You’ve probably noticed banks suddenly updating terms or blocking accounts overnight – that’s sanctions at work.

We won’t block access unless the law requires it. We built Mellow so companies can work with people worldwide safely, quickly, and easily. Our job is lowering your risk, not adding to it – especially in places with tricky banking systems and tangled regulations.

Changes to Mellow This January

We’re not going to break the law or put you at risk. Instead, we’re helping companies keep working with their people in a way that’s safe and straightforward.

We’ve partnered with several organizations so you have other ways to get your money.

What's Changing at Mellow

Self-Employed Individuals

Individuals from Belarus

Individuals from Russia

Individual Entrepreneurs

How Sanctions Work and Why We’re Changing the Rules

Why We're Making These Changes

Why an Entity Outside the UK, US, and EU Won’t Shield You from Sanctions Liability

Why Hiring Contractors Outside the UK, US, and EU Won’t Shield You Either

Why Cryptocurrency Isn’t an Option

Can You Actually Work with Russian and Belarusian Residents if Your Company’s in the EU, US, or UK?

How Closely Do Regulators Watch Sanctions Compliance?

Q&A

Changes to Mellow
This January