A recently identified section within the YuMoney electronic payment service introduces cards designed to top up accounts for two major digital storefronts: Steam for PC games and the PlayStation Store for PlayStation console purchases. The discovery drew attention from the Telegram channel known as “Vokrugtechno.”
The newly reported approach appears to let users in Russia buy these cards directly through Steam, even when using Russian debit cards that are currently nonfunctional for such transactions. At present, the method seems limited to a single Turkish account via Steam’s purchasing system.
User limits accompany this option: a single card can fund up to 300 Turkish lira. The price points cited include 229 rubles for a 20 Turkish liras card, with a rough conversion context of 85 rubles per Turkish lira at the prevailing exchange rate. For PlayStation Store, the described cards are offered in Polish zloty for Polish accounts. For example, a 36 zloty card, which equates to about 690 rubles using the current exchange rate, is suggested to be paid at 999 rubles.
Since 2022, customers in Russia have faced official restrictions on using debit cards issued by Russian banks to purchase digital goods in Steam and the PlayStation Store. In response, many users have created Turkish accounts to benefit from favorable pricing differences presented in Turkish Lira. This workaround reflects ongoing price discrimination across regions as publishers experiment with regional pricing strategies and the accessibility of payment methods for international consumers. [Citation: Vokrugtechno Telegram channel]
By the start of 2023, there were significant price increases in several popular PC titles on Steam, with Turkish-based pricing for many titles rising by as much as three hundred percent for registered Turkish accounts. The shifts in pricing structures have led to a broader discussion about regional pricing ethics, currency fluctuation, and the practical impact on gamers who rely on cross-border payment solutions to access content. [Citation: Vokrugtechno Telegram channel]