Tarjeta Clásica and AIS Card: Why Fonmoney No Longer Offers These Options
As of June 8, 2026
If you used to send money to Cuba via the Tarjeta Clásica or AIS card, you may have noticed these options are no longer available at Fonmoney. This is a deliberate decision, not an oversight. Here's what's behind it — and which channels remain open for you.
What these cards were
The Tarjeta Clásica and the AIS card are Cuban prepaid cards. Funds deposited became digital balance for the recipient. Both ran through Fincimex — an entity within the state-owned conglomerate GAESA.
What changed in 2026
In May 2026, the United States expanded its sanctions against Cuba through Executive Order 14404. On May 7, GAESA was explicitly added to the sanctions list. The order also introduces secondary sanctions, which can affect foreign financial institutions.
Tarjeta Clásica and AIS were processed through the Fincimex/GAESA apparatus — exactly the channels now at the center of the sanctions. The severity became visible in early June: the bank partner behind Visa and Mastercard transactions in Cuba shut down its operations.
Why we made a clear call
Our principle is simple: your money should reach your family through a clean, compliant channel. Routes that run through listed entities no longer meet that standard reliably. Rather than continuing to offer a product whose processing has become uncertain, we take it off the market. That protects your transfer.
The channels still open to you
Sending money to Cuba remains possible. Fonmoney Cuba offers five options:
- BANDEC Tropical card (USD): top up the anonymous prepaid card with a balance in real US dollars, no Cuban bank account needed. Arrives in 1–3 business days.
- MLC card: credit on your recipient's MLC card in 1–3 business days.
- Bank transfer to an MLC account: to BPA, BANDEC or Banco Metropolitano in 1–3 business days.
- Cash delivery: your family receives USD or CUP in cash at home, in 2–5 business days.
- Cubacel top-up: mobile credit that arrives within a few minutes.
Which option suits your recipient is explained in our guide Tarjeta Clásica discontinued: how to send money to Cuba today. What you pay and what arrives, you see from the start.
Bottom line
Tarjeta Clásica and AIS are no longer part of the Fonmoney offering because their processing relied on sanctioned entities. This is not a retreat from Cuba — it's a decision in favor of clean channels. You can still support your family: through cash delivery, bank transfer, or Cubacel top-up.
More background
- Sending money to Cuba despite the new sanctions – what Executive Order 14404 actually means
- Visa and Mastercard suspended in Cuba – why your transfer isn't affected
- Exchange rate in Cuba: How much arrives? – how sending channel and rate shape real value
Sources & further reading
- U.S. Sanctions Target Cuba's Military Regime, Elites — U.S. Department of State
- Executive Order Authorizes Secondary Sanctions on Companies Doing Business in Cuba — Davis Polk
- Estados Unidos sanciona a American International Services, vinculada a Fincimex — 14ymedio
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