In 2023, the share of cardholders in Russia reached 92%. This suggests that people increasingly prefer non-cash payments.
For those who are in the tank, we remind you that a bank card is a piece of plastic issued by a credit institution. The cardholder can use it to access their own finances. The card can be a credit or debit card, and plastic can be ordinary, "gold" or "platinum".
So, let's look at how you can use a bank card:
1. Let's start with a regular debit card, which probably everyone who reads this text has. "Debetovka" is a compact wallet that allows you to pay anywhere where there is a terminal. You can also store large amounts of money on it without worrying about someone stealing it. On the other hand, the card is the same wallet. And we do not put our wallets in a prominent place, do not leave them in public places, and generally try to "shine" less with them, since pickpockets do not doze off and improve their skills following the development of new technologies.
2. You can store the most expensive items on the card — your salary. For this purpose, there are special salary cards to which the organization transfers funds. The company itself chooses the bank where to open a salary project. But with a strong desire, the bank can be changed, since "salary slavery" was abolished in 2014.
3. The card itself can become a long-term investment. A branch of Russian Sberbank in Kazakhstan has issued a limited series of Visa Infinite Exclusive credit cards. The cards are made of hammered gold of the highest quality with 26 diamonds inlaid and supplemented with mother-of-pearl coinage. The card is both a means of payment and a piece of jewelry art.
However, such a card will not fit into an ATM, and it is scary to take it out of the house. Therefore, to use the card in terminals or ATMs, an additional Visa Infinite plastic card is issued in a similar design with a link to the client's single account.
4. It is forbidden to transfer your bank card to third parties. However, there are prepaid cards designed for making transactions for paying for goods or services, as well as issuing cash. This card does not require an account and is not registered. For example, you can give it as a gift or give it to anyone. Most often, it is used as a gift card. Plus, you don't need to fill out questionnaires or visit a bank branch to get a prepaid card. The bank also has the right to issue top-up prepaid cards.
Of course, there are a number of disadvantages: since the card is anonymous and the bank does not contain any information about the holder, the user will not have access to the mobile bank. You can check your balance directly through the bank's call center.
5. You probably met gift cards in retail and service companies. You can buy a card from the store you like as a gift with a certain amount of face value — 1,000, 3,000, 5,000 rubles, etc.But there are some limitations here — you can only use the card in the store where it was purchased. Banks also offer a gift card, which can be used to pay in any store you like, where they accept bank cards for payment, including on the Internet. It is enough to purchase a card and top it up with the amount you want to give as a gift (usually the maximum amount of replenishment of gift cards does not exceed 15 thousand rubles). Also, when paying by card, the bank's partners may offer discounts and additional privileges. The bank may charge a commission for issuing this card. It is worth remembering that plastic has an expiration date. After it expires, it will be extremely problematic to return unused funds.
6. Modern people love independence. In the world of burning vouchers, it is not always possible to wait for the salary to arrive. For this purpose, there are credit cards that can replace consumer loans and loans for urgent needs. The main advantage of credit cards over loans is the possibility of using the loan without reporting to the bank about its intended use, the possibility of permanent renewal of the credit line (the maximum loan amount set by the bank for this client) after repayment, as well as a grace period that allows you to use borrowed funds without interest, provided that the debt is repaid on time.
7. Debit card holders can issue additional cards in their own name, as well as to other persons, such as family members. Trusted persons are not account holders, so they cannot control the availability and use of funds on the main card. They only have the right to dispose of the funds placed on this account. For each additional card, the account holder can enter a limit on spending funds from the main account. You can also limit the number and types of operations performed on the additional card. The latter, issued as a backup in the name of the main cardholder, allows you to divide expenses by some criteria, for example, by different categories of purchases.
8. According to the law, children can open a bank account from the age of 14. The first product is a debit card: in fact, it is a pass to the world of banking services. For example, VTB Bank's "Student Social Card" allows its holders to use a number of advantages: preferential transportation, discounts when paying for goods and services in stores, as a pass to the territory of an educational institution, when paying for meals at schools, and benefits for visiting museums and theaters.
If parents decide that the child needs a card at an earlier age, they can always issue an additional card, which was discussed above. It is important that the parent can set restrictions on card purchases and control where and how much money the child spends. And, most importantly, put restrictions on purchases on the Internet, it is easy to transfer money to the child through a mobile bank. There are also cards for young people.
9. To attract customers, banks are ready to refund part of the purchase price to the card account. Paying with such a card for a service in partner organizations of the bank, you get a percentage of the amount spent on the account, which can be up to 10%, more often 1-3%. At the same time, the higher the status of your bank card (Gold or Platinum), the greater the cashback. Remuneration is usually credited at the end of the month in a single payment, but there are also card products that are credited every Friday (MTS-Bank has such a debit card, it is called "MTS Money Weekend").
10. There are also co-branded cards developed by the bank together with any organization or business company to increase customer loyalty. Some of the most popular cards are joint cards with major air carriers (Aeroflot, S7, etc.), as well as with gas stations, retail and service companies, and mobile operators. These cards usually have a bonus program that allows you to earn points or miles. They can be used to compensate for purchases in the future.
11. Now banks are actively launching installment cards that allow you to make purchases in partner stores without charging interest. Unlike credit cards, these cards have a grace period, which allows you to use credit funds for a longer period (up to 12 months) without paying interest. Each store provides its own term for which it is possible to buy goods in installments.
Recently, Home Credit Bank introduced an "Installment Card", which provides installments for any non-cash transactions for a period of three months. You must make a monthly payment to the card account, which is divided into equal payments for the duration of the installment plan. These cards do not include cash withdrawals, only non-cash purchases.
12. There are savings cards for those who are particularly thrifty. They provide for accrual of interest on the balance of own funds on the card account. On average, the amount of accruals ranges from 1% to 7.5% and may depend on a number of conditions. For example, to get an increased percentage of accrual, you need to keep a non-reduced balance on the card account or have a certain amount of spending operations for a calendar month. Unlike deposits, the accumulated funds can be withdrawn at any time, without waiting for the card to expire.
13.For fans of online shopping, there are virtual cards. Usually, instead of a piece of plastic, the bank provides the client with the banking details that will be needed for online payment. Also, at its discretion, the bank can issue a plastic card that contains the necessary information for performing operations (card number, expiration date, three-digit security code, etc.). Please note that cash withdrawal on such cards is not provided.
14. Using a bank card or bank account, you can transfer money to an electronic wallet. This computer program allows you to store electronic money, as well as make non-cash payments on the Internet with their help. As a rule, you can transfer money from an electronic wallet to your bank card or current account, or receive it in cash from a money transfer system that the electronic payment system cooperates with.
15. According to Euromonitor International, in 2023, the volume of credit and debit card payments in the world exceeded the volume of cash payments for the first time. People are starting to abandon paper money in favor of plastic, but there are still many places that do not accept cards. This is especially true in the regions.
In the near future, people who continue to use cash in principle may encounter institutions that accept only bank cards. So, in the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Narcology, you can only pay with a bank card. The cash register itself does not exist in the institution.
All of the above features of bank cards are most likely known and tested many times by our readers. But the most advanced may need a few more ways to use plastic.
16. The card can be used as a knife. You can cut cheese, sausage or pizza in this way safely. Moreover, almost every office worker has such a device. In order for the products to be cut neatly and in the right proportions, you can sharpen the card on any stone.
17. Women are amazing creatures who can be quite creative in their pursuit of beauty. Even a bank card can become one of the assistants in achieving the cherished goal. Some people use a plastic rectangle to draw "arrows" on their eyes. Others use it in depilation as a scraper. Some people use a bank card to mix several colors of nail polish on it and then apply the result to their fingernails or toenails.
18. In the movies, the characters lock themselves in the toilet and share prohibited substances with a bank card. And not just in the bathroom. And not just movie characters.
19. Repairs are very, very expensive. However, if you approach your organization correctly, you can significantly reduce your expenses. You should not save on building materials, but you can save on tools. Oddly enough, a bank card makes a surprisingly good spatula. Flexible material leaves no seams or bumps, and smooth curves seem to be created for the final processing of seams.
20. Winter is coming, which means that the map will be useful as a car scraper. Thin ice on the windows will give up under the pressure of the banking instrument.
For those who are in the tank, we remind you that a bank card is a piece of plastic issued by a credit institution. The cardholder can use it to access their own finances. The card can be a credit or debit card, and plastic can be ordinary, "gold" or "platinum".
So, let's look at how you can use a bank card:
1. Let's start with a regular debit card, which probably everyone who reads this text has. "Debetovka" is a compact wallet that allows you to pay anywhere where there is a terminal. You can also store large amounts of money on it without worrying about someone stealing it. On the other hand, the card is the same wallet. And we do not put our wallets in a prominent place, do not leave them in public places, and generally try to "shine" less with them, since pickpockets do not doze off and improve their skills following the development of new technologies.
2. You can store the most expensive items on the card — your salary. For this purpose, there are special salary cards to which the organization transfers funds. The company itself chooses the bank where to open a salary project. But with a strong desire, the bank can be changed, since "salary slavery" was abolished in 2014.
3. The card itself can become a long-term investment. A branch of Russian Sberbank in Kazakhstan has issued a limited series of Visa Infinite Exclusive credit cards. The cards are made of hammered gold of the highest quality with 26 diamonds inlaid and supplemented with mother-of-pearl coinage. The card is both a means of payment and a piece of jewelry art.
However, such a card will not fit into an ATM, and it is scary to take it out of the house. Therefore, to use the card in terminals or ATMs, an additional Visa Infinite plastic card is issued in a similar design with a link to the client's single account.
4. It is forbidden to transfer your bank card to third parties. However, there are prepaid cards designed for making transactions for paying for goods or services, as well as issuing cash. This card does not require an account and is not registered. For example, you can give it as a gift or give it to anyone. Most often, it is used as a gift card. Plus, you don't need to fill out questionnaires or visit a bank branch to get a prepaid card. The bank also has the right to issue top-up prepaid cards.
Of course, there are a number of disadvantages: since the card is anonymous and the bank does not contain any information about the holder, the user will not have access to the mobile bank. You can check your balance directly through the bank's call center.
5. You probably met gift cards in retail and service companies. You can buy a card from the store you like as a gift with a certain amount of face value — 1,000, 3,000, 5,000 rubles, etc.But there are some limitations here — you can only use the card in the store where it was purchased. Banks also offer a gift card, which can be used to pay in any store you like, where they accept bank cards for payment, including on the Internet. It is enough to purchase a card and top it up with the amount you want to give as a gift (usually the maximum amount of replenishment of gift cards does not exceed 15 thousand rubles). Also, when paying by card, the bank's partners may offer discounts and additional privileges. The bank may charge a commission for issuing this card. It is worth remembering that plastic has an expiration date. After it expires, it will be extremely problematic to return unused funds.
6. Modern people love independence. In the world of burning vouchers, it is not always possible to wait for the salary to arrive. For this purpose, there are credit cards that can replace consumer loans and loans for urgent needs. The main advantage of credit cards over loans is the possibility of using the loan without reporting to the bank about its intended use, the possibility of permanent renewal of the credit line (the maximum loan amount set by the bank for this client) after repayment, as well as a grace period that allows you to use borrowed funds without interest, provided that the debt is repaid on time.
7. Debit card holders can issue additional cards in their own name, as well as to other persons, such as family members. Trusted persons are not account holders, so they cannot control the availability and use of funds on the main card. They only have the right to dispose of the funds placed on this account. For each additional card, the account holder can enter a limit on spending funds from the main account. You can also limit the number and types of operations performed on the additional card. The latter, issued as a backup in the name of the main cardholder, allows you to divide expenses by some criteria, for example, by different categories of purchases.
8. According to the law, children can open a bank account from the age of 14. The first product is a debit card: in fact, it is a pass to the world of banking services. For example, VTB Bank's "Student Social Card" allows its holders to use a number of advantages: preferential transportation, discounts when paying for goods and services in stores, as a pass to the territory of an educational institution, when paying for meals at schools, and benefits for visiting museums and theaters.
If parents decide that the child needs a card at an earlier age, they can always issue an additional card, which was discussed above. It is important that the parent can set restrictions on card purchases and control where and how much money the child spends. And, most importantly, put restrictions on purchases on the Internet, it is easy to transfer money to the child through a mobile bank. There are also cards for young people.
9. To attract customers, banks are ready to refund part of the purchase price to the card account. Paying with such a card for a service in partner organizations of the bank, you get a percentage of the amount spent on the account, which can be up to 10%, more often 1-3%. At the same time, the higher the status of your bank card (Gold or Platinum), the greater the cashback. Remuneration is usually credited at the end of the month in a single payment, but there are also card products that are credited every Friday (MTS-Bank has such a debit card, it is called "MTS Money Weekend").
10. There are also co-branded cards developed by the bank together with any organization or business company to increase customer loyalty. Some of the most popular cards are joint cards with major air carriers (Aeroflot, S7, etc.), as well as with gas stations, retail and service companies, and mobile operators. These cards usually have a bonus program that allows you to earn points or miles. They can be used to compensate for purchases in the future.
11. Now banks are actively launching installment cards that allow you to make purchases in partner stores without charging interest. Unlike credit cards, these cards have a grace period, which allows you to use credit funds for a longer period (up to 12 months) without paying interest. Each store provides its own term for which it is possible to buy goods in installments.
Recently, Home Credit Bank introduced an "Installment Card", which provides installments for any non-cash transactions for a period of three months. You must make a monthly payment to the card account, which is divided into equal payments for the duration of the installment plan. These cards do not include cash withdrawals, only non-cash purchases.
12. There are savings cards for those who are particularly thrifty. They provide for accrual of interest on the balance of own funds on the card account. On average, the amount of accruals ranges from 1% to 7.5% and may depend on a number of conditions. For example, to get an increased percentage of accrual, you need to keep a non-reduced balance on the card account or have a certain amount of spending operations for a calendar month. Unlike deposits, the accumulated funds can be withdrawn at any time, without waiting for the card to expire.
13.For fans of online shopping, there are virtual cards. Usually, instead of a piece of plastic, the bank provides the client with the banking details that will be needed for online payment. Also, at its discretion, the bank can issue a plastic card that contains the necessary information for performing operations (card number, expiration date, three-digit security code, etc.). Please note that cash withdrawal on such cards is not provided.
14. Using a bank card or bank account, you can transfer money to an electronic wallet. This computer program allows you to store electronic money, as well as make non-cash payments on the Internet with their help. As a rule, you can transfer money from an electronic wallet to your bank card or current account, or receive it in cash from a money transfer system that the electronic payment system cooperates with.
15. According to Euromonitor International, in 2023, the volume of credit and debit card payments in the world exceeded the volume of cash payments for the first time. People are starting to abandon paper money in favor of plastic, but there are still many places that do not accept cards. This is especially true in the regions.
In the near future, people who continue to use cash in principle may encounter institutions that accept only bank cards. So, in the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Narcology, you can only pay with a bank card. The cash register itself does not exist in the institution.
All of the above features of bank cards are most likely known and tested many times by our readers. But the most advanced may need a few more ways to use plastic.
16. The card can be used as a knife. You can cut cheese, sausage or pizza in this way safely. Moreover, almost every office worker has such a device. In order for the products to be cut neatly and in the right proportions, you can sharpen the card on any stone.
17. Women are amazing creatures who can be quite creative in their pursuit of beauty. Even a bank card can become one of the assistants in achieving the cherished goal. Some people use a plastic rectangle to draw "arrows" on their eyes. Others use it in depilation as a scraper. Some people use a bank card to mix several colors of nail polish on it and then apply the result to their fingernails or toenails.
18. In the movies, the characters lock themselves in the toilet and share prohibited substances with a bank card. And not just in the bathroom. And not just movie characters.
19. Repairs are very, very expensive. However, if you approach your organization correctly, you can significantly reduce your expenses. You should not save on building materials, but you can save on tools. Oddly enough, a bank card makes a surprisingly good spatula. Flexible material leaves no seams or bumps, and smooth curves seem to be created for the final processing of seams.
20. Winter is coming, which means that the map will be useful as a car scraper. Thin ice on the windows will give up under the pressure of the banking instrument.
