Today, banks offer a large selection of social cards. They can store scholarships, allowances, pensions, transfer interest on deposits. It is only necessary to make out in the proposed conditions in order to choose the best bank for service.
Social card
This banking product was originally intended to receive and store various social benefits: scholarships, pensions, benefits. But today, the functions of this payment instrument go beyond the standard. Pension bank card replaces its holder with a compulsory medical insurance policy, travel document and payment instrument. Placing photos on the back of the plastic suggests that in the near future it will replace the pension certificate of citizens.
Decor
A pension card is issued upon a written application from a client who has provided a passport and a pension certificate. Typically, such programs use cheap cards - Electron, Cirrus, Maestro. Release and maintenance of plastic is free. The card is valid for 3 years. You can get a pension card immediately at the department after the conclusion of the contract. This is not a registered plastic, so you won’t have to wait long for its release. SMS-informing and Internet banking services are connected for free. Through online banking, any payments are made: from replenishing the phone to paying fines and utilities.
In some cases, a pension bank card is used as the account to which credit funds are transferred. But not all banks provide overdrafts on such payment instruments. Social card services are usually entrusted to large financial institutions. Their income in this sector may amount to several percent of revenue. But the main reason why banks strive to service social projects is that this area brings a small but stable income, increases the confidence of regulators in a financial institution.
No fees are charged for withdrawing funds from "native" ATMs. But there are internal limits on credit institutions. For example, in Sberbank the daily limit is 50 thousand rubles. For withdrawing a larger amount from the account, you will have to pay 0.5%.
Pension cards of banks unload employees, reduce the cost of customer service, issue passbooks and increase the turnover on accounts by servicing the social "plastic".
How to choose a bank?
The funds are credited to the account without commission. But this rule applies only to social benefits. For the transfer of funds between individuals a fee will already be charged. These conditions are the same in all banks. Therefore, when choosing a financial intermediary should focus on other criteria.
Firstly, a card must be opened to the account to which the social payment is transferred. Otherwise, to receive a pension, you will have to stand in line at a bank branch. The same problem is faced by people who receive payments through the Russian Post.
Secondly, the ability to issue additional cards to the account is of great importance. If the pension card is used as a “common boiler”, then all family members must have access to funds. In this case, one card will not be enough.
Thirdly, you should ask in advance about the number of ATMs in the city. It makes no sense to draw up a payment instrument in a large bank if there are no ATMs of this credit institution or its partners in your city. Non-cash payment of goods in any case will be free. But for the withdrawal of funds will have to pay a commission.
If the social payment is not immediately spent, but accumulated in the account, then it makes sense to inquire about the size of the interest rate on the balance of funds. Most banks provide this service. But subject to fixing a certain amount on the account for at least a month.
Sberbank Terms
Sberbank's pension card enables holders to receive an additional 3.5% on the balance of their own funds. At the request of the client, you can issue additional plastic for 150 rubles and pay the same amount for annual maintenance. In case of PIN code blocking or card loss, you will have to pay 30 rubles.
Logging into Internet banking without first connecting an SMS informing is not possible. The password for authorization and all transactions is sent as an SMS message. After registration, the first time you log in, you need to change the password. After that, you can manage the account to which the pension card is connected. Interest is calculated on the balance of own funds in the account at a rate of 3.5% per annum. Payment is made once a year.
Social retirement cards have two serious drawbacks. They are valid only at ATMs of third-party institutions. That is, going abroad with such a payment instrument will not work.
Service Packages
Sberbank's pension card can be serviced according to one of these tariff plans: “Full” and “Economical”. In the first case, each operation must be confirmed by a one-time password, which will come in the form of an SMS message to the specified phone number. It will also indicate all the information about the movement of funds in the account. The monthly subscription is 30 rubles. The “Economical” package does not provide for informing customers about completed operations, but messages with the 3D code necessary to confirm the operations will be received.
"Bank of Moscow"
In addition to Sberbank, a few other institutions in the country produce social “plastic”. A pension card at the Bank of Moscow is issued for 10 days. With the help of Visa Electron, you can participate in auction programs for goods, medical care, receive benefits for travel in the subway, land transport and railway.
Senior citizens may not take a medical policy when visiting a hospital. All their data is already driven into the card. Holders of plastic can receive a loan in the form of an overdraft for 2.5 months in a maximum amount of 98% of the average pension and repay it from all incoming payments.
Russian Agricultural Bank
This credit institution issues a free MasterCard Country category card immediately upon visiting the branch. The balance of the account is charged 7% per annum. You can withdraw money through ATMs of Promsvyazbank and Alfa Bank. The holder is informed about the transfer of amounts to the account in the form of an SMS message.
As part of the Pension package, it is planned to issue up to eight additional cards of the local payment system or MasterCard Worldwide. Participants in the program can be citizens of the Russian Federation who receive a pension or any other social benefits. The account is opened in Russian rubles.
ACTIVE BANK
The institution’s pension card can be used to receive payments from (non) state-owned FIUs. The remaining savings will be charged 5% per month. Holders receive information about the receipt of funds to the account in the form of SMS notifications. The cost of this service is 30 rubles. per month. You can manage funds around the clock, paying for goods at retail outlets and via the Internet. You can withdraw cash without commission only at "native" ATMs.
Other offers on the market
The pension card of the Khanty-Mansiysk Bank enables holders to accumulate an additional 4% per annum on the balance of funds. Directly through ATMs you can pay utilities and telecommunications services, taxes.
Holders of PrivatBank social plastic receive an account balance that exceeds 3 million rubles, 7% per annum, but you need to pay 1% for withdrawing funds through the cash desk. A card can be issued only at the office upon presentation of a passport, pension certificate and a certificate from the social protection authority.
Conclusion
Each person selects the best retirement card for themselves. The number of serving banks in the market is small, but the conditions for each are almost the same. Opening, servicing an account, crediting social payments is always free of charge. But for prompt reporting of all movements on the account, the connection of additional cards will have to pay a commission.