In Russia, some service centers and private technicians have offered to flash Samsung smartphones to enable Samsung Pay’s contactless payments. This practice has been discussed in depth by a major business publication, highlighting how users sought compatibility with local payment methods.
Following the initial rollout of the corporate payment framework, Samsung restricted Samsung Pay to Visa and MasterCard issued by Russian banks. The service continued to work with Mir cards under certain conditions, but only if the phone had Russia-specific software installed. In practice, this meant that a device needed firmware configured for Russia to ensure Mir card support could function alongside the standard Visa and MasterCard options.
By 2022, Samsung halted official smartphone deliveries to Russia, ensuring that all new devices sold there were intended for other markets. As a result, Mir card support was not available by default on these devices, creating a need for firmware modifications that could change the device region code to Russia. This workaround allowed Mir card transactions to be accepted, albeit through non-official means and with varying levels of risk and reliability.
Industry observers noted that after the Galaxy S23 series launched in 2023, firmware changes became increasingly common in the market. Small repair shops and independent technicians, often advertising through local marketplaces, began offering region-code changes as a service. The price for these modifications varied widely, reflecting differences in expertise, device models, and the perceived risk involved. For example, in major cities such as Moscow, the service could be priced around a few hundred dollars, while in other cities the cost could be substantially higher due to demand and willingness to pay for lane-level workarounds.
Reports described the method as involving personal computers and consumer software tools used to flash the handset with a different regional configuration. Popular utilities discussed in user forums included tools that facilitate the modification of firmware or device identifiers, along with step-by-step instructions that accompany the software. These tools and instructions were widely available in various online communities, which sometimes lowered the barrier to entry for technically inclined users seeking to enable Mir card functionality on newer devices.
There was commentary noting Samsung’s broader market presence and the enduring popularity of the brand in Russia. While the brand has remained in the spotlight for several years, the concurrent evolution of domestic payment ecosystems created a unique interplay between official product availability and user-driven customization. This dynamic, in turn, spurred conversations about regional accessibility, consumer choice, and the trade-offs involved in using unofficial firmware modifications to enable certain payment features.