Visa and Mastercard Restart International Card Payments in Syria After US Lifts Designation
Visa and Mastercard carried out their first international card transactions in Syria after Washington removed the country from its state sponsors of terrorism list. QNB Group said it and Mastercard completed an end-to-end international card payment, while Visa tested a live transaction with Fransabank. The move signals Syria’s reintegration, though residual targeted sanctions kept legal and compliance risks for banks.