MasterCard

Facebook Inc said it is adding a new feature to its messaging app that allows friends to send and receive money through it.

Users can tap or click a dollar icon in a new chat window to send money to their friends, after they link a Visa or MasterCard debit card issued by a U.S. bank to their accounts.

International payments systems Visa and Mastercard are to continue operating in Russia following a new agreement with Moscow, media reports suggest.

Russia's daily Kommersant argues that most arrangements were made around the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

Visa and MasterCard will continue operating in Russia, the companies’ representatives told journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2014 on Friday. 

“We are ready to work in Russia,” said CEO for Visa Russia Andrew Torre and MasterCard Russia Director General Ilya Ryabiy, quoted by ITAR-TASS.

Russian lawmakers have adopted regulations which oblige US-based credit card companies Visa and Mastercard to pay billions of USD if they wish to operate in Russia.Under the new legislation, a Russian-based system will also take charge of cashless transactions from this year.

International payment systems Visa and Mastercard have unblocked cards of Russian bank "Northern Sea Route" (SMP), according to a Sunday media statement of the bank.

According to the press release, as cited by ITAR-TASS, MasterCard Inc approved a decision to resume services for clients of SMP Bank overnight and Visa Inc followed suit on Sunday morning.

Visa and MasterCard stopped processing transactions for holders of cards, issued by Russia's bank Rossiya, the bank said.

"The management of Rossiya understands the difficulties of clients in the current situation and will do all it can to solve them," the bank said in a statement.