Gazprombank

Russian Banks Force Advertising Consent During Card Issuance, Central Bank and FAS Push Back

Russian banks have been including pre-checked consents for advertising mailings in card application documents, making it difficult or impossible for customers to opt out separately. The practice was uncovered by Izvestia after reviewing client complaints, FAS decisions, and court rulings from 2026 involving Rosselkhozbank, VTB, Alfa-Bank, Gazprombank, and Ozon Bank. In several cases, consent was embedded directly into standard forms or the digital onboarding flow, such as automatic inclusion when logging into personal accounts at Ozon Bank. The St. Petersburg FAS office found pre-filled consents in VTB documents, while a Ufa court ruled that Alfa-Bank conditions prevented separate refusal of advertising. Moscow FAS issued a warning to Ozon Bank, and the Bank of Russia stated that pre-ticked advertising boxes are unacceptable. FAS emphasized that consent must be voluntary and given separately, with refusal having no impact on credit decisions.