Oct 3, 2026, 12:00 PM@wordstitcher @randahl sadly there is not alternative to payment cards (debit/credit) you would be able to user globally not even in EU itself only. And digital euro is far far far away in future. The rest is somehow replaceable, this not, yet.
Oct 3, 2026, 12:12 PM@jan there are banks in the EU issuing non-US flag payment cards, and systems that, if the EU banks wanted, could work without cards from VISA/Mastercard (because they don't need the physical cards anymore and are mostly interoperable already): Wero, MB Way, Bancomat, Bizum, etc.
People need to go to their banks and refuse, en masse, to have US-linked cards. I've already contacted by bank and told them the second some other bank makes those cards widely available, my money (and all the business) goes there, never to return again.
@wordstitcher @randahl
@jt_rebelo @jan @wordstitcher @randahl
The EU banks are already working on the needed systems. I've met people from the UK's City of London, who are working on the contracts for creating this. The City operates internationally, so won't be tied to any single power block.
And the EU countries are realising that even when Trump is voted out, the USA will still want the un-balanced power-relationships that only benefit the USA.
Oct 3, 2026, 2:13 PM@BillySmith unfortunately they are taking their time to make things interoperable with a physical card (with apps it already works, with online payments too, even if fragmented).
As for not trusting the US? After Trump got elected (the very next day) me and some friends started leaving US tech, products and services. I ended the transition by March 2025, our companies and personal contracts, pooled, meant a loss of at least 3M€/year for US companies. Personally, I have paid around 180€ for US products or services since November 6th 2024 (because of contracts ending in March 2025).
And we're not going back even if Trump and his ilk go away. Not until the USA pays for all they've done and they show us, in no uncertain terms, that they have reformed themselves (major political, legal and judicial changes). Just like with russia, it isn't going to be "business as usual" right after the madmen go away, at least not for me and many others.
@jan @wordstitcher @randahl
@jt_rebelo @BillySmith @jan @wordstitcher @randahl impressed!
Oct 3, 2026, 8:27 PM@jt_rebelo @BillySmith @jan @wordstitcher @randahl
We are working on EU-solutions for OFAC sanctioned people as we speak and start with the solution space in legal and technical terms.
If you go to the upper right part of our website-(not on mobile but on desktop) you see a QR code. This is a SEpa INST QR code generator which can be the basis for any payment - done via SEPA-EU (and ECB exclusively).
There is much more to tell. Mail us at legal@hrif.eu and See also https://hrif.eu/en/?s=sanctions
@BillySmith @jt_rebelo @jan @wordstitcher @randahl
Voted out or dies. The good thing about old dictators is they might die soon without external help.
Of course we can also hope a stroke and total paralysis as his own body is the only prison he's likely to ever face.
Oct 3, 2026, 5:44 PM@martin_t right now, J. D. Vacuous takes his place if he croaks, and he is Peter Thiel's lap dog. The Orange Romulus Augustus' death doesn't stop the oligarchy from keeping the power. They have to be voted out, ousted to never even think about taking office anywhere. If not, things will get even worse.
@BillySmith @jan @wordstitcher @randahl
@jt_rebelo @martin_t @BillySmith @jan @wordstitcher @randahl JD will be worse. No random discombobulation factor, sole control by Thiel.
Oct 3, 2026, 5:04 PM@jt_rebelo we need this in #Canada as well
@jt_rebelo @jan @wordstitcher @randahl Not yet available in UK, sadly.
Oct 3, 2026, 9:58 PM@jt_rebelo @wordstitcher @randahl one thing is bank issuing cards and merchants accepting them is completely diferent thingy, never heard of cards you are speaking about neither seen them accepted by merchants. ;-)
Oct 3, 2026, 10:09 PM@jan Dankort and BankAxept in the Nordics, or Multibanco-only (SIBS) cards in Portugal, for example, do exist and are accepted by most of the respective country merchants (they also have online payment options, and Dankort even works in conjunction/as a Visa/Mastercard card abroad and in merchants that don't accept Dankort). As I said, the interoperability is the weaker point today, the fact that banks continue to issue Visa/Mastercard cards is a close second.
The Baltics and the Nordics are preparing backup solutions to Visa/Mastercard and totally off-line payments, but they are also taking more time than they should.
@wordstitcher @randahl
Oct 3, 2026, 1:43 PM@jan @wordstitcher @randahl Even if in the "worst case" I had to keep one US card for travel, until there's a truly global alternative, I'd still be making 95% of my transactions with a European card. So that's fine.
But I wouldn't underestimate what Europe can do: we're a much bigger market than the US.
Oct 3, 2026, 2:57 PM@txtx @jan @wordstitcher @randahl hopefully these cards will be available in other jurisdictions as well.
@Rickd6 @txtx @jan @randahl
It's coming. The US is not going to control money for much longer. Their debt is enormous and they're a poor investment risk.
I use Interac in Canada for transfers and some payments. Cards are so last century. Everything is digital now. We can do better. Debit cards services must be expanded. Every bank has one.
But we must get our data off US servers first, or none of this will mean a damn.