Debit cards with interest on the balance - bank cards with interest on the account balance

Rating of debit cards with interest on balance

Today we will look at:

Calculating interest on the balance is a way to ensure that savings generate income and have constant access to them. Popular Russian banks issue debit cards with an interest rate of 5–7% per annum.

Bank card	Charge amount	Where to get it
Tinkoff Black	6%	Accrued on balance up to 300 thousand rubles
“Benefit” from Home Credit	7%	Accrued on balance up to 300 thousand rubles
"Alpha Card with benefits"	6%	6% – the first two months. Next: 1% for monthly expenses of more than 10 thousand rubles. 6% for monthly expenses of more than 100 thousand rubles.
"Profit" from Uralsib Bank	until 6%	3% – up to 50 thousand rubles; 4% – 50–300 thousand rubles; 5% – 300 thousand – one million rubles; 6% – from one million rubles.
OpenCard from Otkritie Bank	7%	7% on the balance of the “My Piggy Bank” account (Accruals are applied with an average account balance of 10 thousand rubles). The MK opens independently in the application or online banking.
Ultra card from Vostochny-Express Bank	7%	Accruals are made with a monthly turnover of more than 10 thousand and an account balance of more than 10 thousand rubles.

By what criteria are cards evaluated?

The word “best” in the title of the material suggests that we will compare different offers and choose the most attractive ones. And this is only possible if we agree in advance on the criteria by which we will evaluate the cards.

Cost of service - how much you will have to pay for banking services.
Payment system. The most universal and attractive are Visa and MasterCard, because they can be used to pay when traveling and on foreign websites when purchasing online.
Calculation of interest on the balance. This is a nice way to increase your capital a little. It’s difficult to give exact numbers now. The Central Bank reduces the Bank of Russia decided to reduce the key rate by 25 bp, to 4.25% per annum the key rate, and financial institutions follow it, changing the conditions for cards. Therefore, we will simply note if such an option exists.
Cashback and bonuses. Some banks return part of the money spent in rubles, while others award it in points or miles.

The most profitable cards here will be cards with cheap or free service, interest on the balance and cashback, because receiving rubles is more profitable than points. The reliability of the bank and its position in the ratings were also taken into account.

But it’s worth remembering that the best debit card for you is always the one chosen for your income and needs. Therefore, read more about all these criteria in Lifehacker’s special material.

Details and secrets

To receive the maximum interest on the balance, you must fit into the criteria established in the agreement with the financial institution.

Find out what balance on your open account you will receive income on: minimum, average or actual. Most often this is the minimum balance. The bank will also set an additional clause: in order to receive a decent interest rate, the balance should not be less than the value established in the agreement (irreducible). What does this mean for the cardholder? And the fact that a high interest rate is only possible if you keep a certain amount on your card account. If at least once during the billing period this amount falls below the established minimum, there will be no accrual for this period, or the interest will become significantly less. When the funds actually available on the balance are taken for calculation, this is the most profitable option. Calculations are made daily, based on the funds deposited on the card. And the average balance is calculated at the end of the month as an arithmetic mean (the value of the smallest daily balances is added up and divided by the number of days in the current period).
Find out how much final interest will be charged. Banking agreements often limit this value. For example, the maximum amount from which income comes is 100–300 thousand.
Please clarify which category of clients can count on this option. Some banks pay interest on the balance exclusively to holders of salary or pension cards.
Monthly turnover on the card. Banks often offer favorable conditions in exchange for the active use of “plastic”. If you want to have income, you need to pay with your debit more often in order to spend the set amount per month.
Remember that one card can have several levels with different packages and “premium”. For premium cards, the interest on the balance will be higher. But such “plastic” will cost the holder more to maintain.

How to get a card?

Each plastic from SB is issued for a certain category of citizens. There are products offered exclusively to pensioners or salaried clients, borrowers or only students. There is also a public option. To get such a financial instrument, you need to act like this:

Go to the official website of SB and select the appropriate product.
Visit a bank branch and submit an application.
Confirm your identity using your passport. Additionally, another document may be required.
Receive an order.

The plastic is issued within half an hour, since it does not involve personalization of the client’s personal data. To simplify the procedure and save time, you can submit your application virtually. Here you will have to fill out an online form and wait for the Security Service manager to call to clarify the necessary information. The validity period of the issued card is determined taking into account what type of plastic the client ordered.

Which card should I choose?

The presented bank cards have different usage criteria. When choosing, in addition to the amount and conditions for calculating interest on the balance, pay attention to:

Availability of cashback: its size, in which categories increased payments are possible, ways to transfer bonus points into real money.
Will it be possible to withdraw and deposit funds to the card without interest? When choosing a financial product from a particular bank, find out if there are “native” ATMs nearby. Find out how much you will have to pay if you withdraw cash in other places.
How much will you have to pay for a year of using a debit card? Banking organizations are ready to service the card for a nominal fee or completely free of charge if the client meets a number of requirements.
Is it possible to pay contactlessly?

Compare the financial products included in the rating and the main tariffs for them.

Tinkoff Black from Tinkoff Bank

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	VISA, Mastercard
Service	0 rub. with a monthly minimum balance of 30 thousand rubles. and higher or if there are loans/deposits from 50 thousand rubles. If the criteria are not met – 99 rubles/month of card use.
Cashback amount	In certain subcategories – 5%; When paying for other goods and services – 1%. There are special offers from partner companies with returns from 3% to 30%.
How to remove	Interest-free: at “native” ATMs up to half a million per month; in other places - from 3 to 100 rubles. Less than 3 thousand - commission 90 rubles. If you exceed the limits, you will have to pay back 2% of the withdrawal (minimum 90 rubles per transaction).
How to top up	At ATMs, Tinkoff branches and partners - interest-free up to 150 thousand per month, otherwise - 2% of the withdrawal.

You can read more about the Tinkoff Black card in a separate article.

"Benefit" from HKB

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	VISA
Service	Free if you always keep 10 thousand rubles on the card, or for transactions of 5 thousand per billing period. For salary earners – 0 rub. Otherwise – 99 rubles.
Cashback amount	15% for payments in pharmacies. 10% – at gas stations. 3% if you pay with “Benefit” in catering establishments. 1% on any shopping with the card. There is an option to connect additional maximum cashback in subcategories for bonuses.
How to remove	Interest-free at local ATMs. In other places - interest-free five times a month, then - 100 rubles. for each individual operation.
How to top up	Interest-free online, through the app or in cash through HKB ATMs.

You can find out more about the Benefit from Home Credit debit card here.

"Alpha Card with benefits"

Available	0 rub.
Valid	Yes
Produced on the basis	Mastercard
Service	0 rub. the first two months. Then it’s free if the amount spent on all AB debits over the past month is more than 10 thousand rubles. or the amount of average monthly balances over 30 thousand rubles. Otherwise – 100 rubles. per month of use.
Cashback amount	The first two calendar months – 2%. Next: 1.5% when spending 10 – 70 thousand rubles/month; 2% – when spending more than 70 thousand rubles/month.
How to remove	Any ATM in the world is interest-free for the first two months. Then it’s free if the amount spent on all AB debits is more than 10 thousand rubles. or the amount of average monthly balances exceeded 30 thousand rubles. Otherwise – 1.5% (but at least 200 rubles per operation).
How to top up	You can deposit cash without commission through ATMs of AB and partners.

Rocketbank debit card

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	Mastercard
Service	Free card – service costs 0 rubles, even if you don’t use debit in some months.
Cashback amount	10% when paying in your “favorite” places, for other expenses – 1%.
How to remove	At ATMs up to 15 thousand rubles are free. per month (for a salary card - 300 thousand). Over the limit, the commission is 1.5% (but not less than 50 rubles).
How to top up	Free at ATMs and cash desks of Otkritie Bank and MKB terminals up to 300 thousand rubles. per month, over the limit - 1.5% (but not less than 50 rubles). From cards of other banks in the application free of charge from 5 thousand rubles. When replenishing below this amount, the standard commission is 1.5% (but not less than 50 rubles).

"Profit" card from Uralsib Bank

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	Mastercard
Service	Free for the first two months. Then it’s free if the minimum monthly balance is 5 thousand rubles. or the amount of purchases on the card is 1000 monthly. Otherwise, the service will cost 49 per month.
Cashback amount	Awarded in points: for every 50 rubles spent. – one point, but not more than 4000 points per month. Points can be exchanged for rubles, donated to charity, or spent on goods and services of bank partners.
How to remove	No commission at Uralsib ATMs. At cash issuance points of this bank, the commission will be 0.7%. No commission at ATMs and PVN of third-party banks: no commission for withdrawal amounts of 3 thousand and above. For an operation for a smaller amount you will have to pay 49 rubles. When withdrawing cash outside Russia, a commission of 1% will be charged (but not less than 110 rubles).
How to top up	Free through Uralsib ATMs. At ATMs of third-party banks, the commission will be 0.5% of the deposited amount.

OpenCard from Otkritie

Available	500 rub. debited after the first transaction on the card. When the purchase amount by debit exceeds 10 thousand rubles, the debited funds will be returned in the form of bonuses.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	Mastercard, VISA or MIR
Service	0 rub.
Cashback amount	For selected subcategories you can receive 3–11% if a number of conditions are met. For other purchases, 1% is returned if you spend at least 5,000 rubles/month on shopping.
How to remove	No commission at Otkritie ATMs and PVNs and AB ATMs. Limit – 200 thousand rubles. per day and one million per month.
How to top up	No commission at Otkritie ATMs and PVNs and AB ATMs.

CashBack card from Alfa Bank

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes
Produced on the basis	Mastercard
Service	Free if the monthly turnover on the card is more than 10 thousand rubles. or the minimum minimum balance is 30 thousand or more. Otherwise – 100 rubles. for a month of service.
Cashback amount	With monthly expenses of more than 10 thousand rubles. will return 7% for the gas station category, 2.5% from the account in a cafe or restaurant and 0.5% for other purchases. With monthly expenses of more than 70 thousand rubles. – 10%, 5% and 1% respectively. The first month is the maximum cashback.
How to remove	You can withdraw any amount from the ATMs of your “home” bank without commission. At AB cash points without commission from 100 thousand rubles. 1% when withdrawing a smaller amount. In ATMs and PVN of other banks it is free if spending on the card exceeds 10 thousand rubles. or the minimum minimum balance is 30 thousand. Otherwise, the commission will be 1.5% (but not less than 200 rubles).
How to top up	You can deposit cash without commission through ATMs of AB and partners (MCB, UBRIR, MDM Bank, Gazprombank, Promsvyazbank).

UltraCard from Svyaz-Bank

Available	0 rub.
Contactless payment	Yes (payWave; Samsung Pay/Google Pay/Apple Pay)
Produced on the basis	VISA
Service	0 rubles, if the turnover on the card per month is at least 10 thousand. Otherwise – 149 rubles. per month of use.
Cashback amount	From 7% to 10% depending on purchasing activity in selected categories. 1% for other subcategories when spending from 10 to 30 thousand rubles. If the turnover on the card is less than 10 thousand rubles/month, then no reward is awarded.
How to remove	Free at ATMs of Svyaz-Bank and partners. At ATMs of third-party banks - no interest up to 10 thousand rubles. per month at any ATM, over 10 thousand - 1% (but at least 180 rubles per operation) Cash withdrawal limit: 300 thousand per day and 600 thousand per month.
How to top up	Cash – at Svyaz-Bank branches or ATMs of SB and partners. By bank transfer from any bank accounts.

What is it and how does it work

Cards with interest on the balance are called profitable. Charges are provided not only for debits, but also for some credit cards (if you keep your own deposited money on them).

Advantageous offers allow banks to attract new customers and encourage them to actively use plastic. For the client, this is an opportunity to put money to work, while simultaneously using the additional advantages of the card - cashback, simple and fast options for depositing and receiving cash, and more.

As we found out above, the conditions for calculating interest on the balance vary greatly among different banks. But the main thing is that you will not lose previously accrued interest, even if you have to withdraw all the money at once.

You will use the profitable debit card like any other plastic card, pay during real shopping, pay for services not only in cafes, gas stations, pharmacies, but also make online purchases.

An income card can be a salary card. Banks offer “plastic”, which works on the basis of common payment systems. The card has several levels of protection. And most modern debit cards have a contactless payment function.

What if you choose a deposit?

Debit cards with passive income opportunities are in good demand. This is the prospect of receiving a fairly large percentage, and there is no need to deposit funds for a certain period. You can use your savings at any time, and the money accrued for previous periods will not be burned.

Advantages of cards with interest on balance:

Decent annual rates. There are bank cards that offer returns of up to seven percent, which is almost comparable to a deposit.
There is constant access to savings - you can easily withdraw, make a purchase, or transfer to any account.
Additional privileges from the financial institution: shares from partner companies, cashback, bonus programs, the opportunity to use other financial products on preferential terms.
Debit funds are insured by ABC according to the same parameters as deposits (only for licensed financial institutions).

In what ways are debit cards inferior to deposits?

Not all banks issue free debits. You will have to pay to receive a card and its annual maintenance; sometimes this costs the entire accrued income and even more.
Interest rates for the bulk are lower than for deposits.
To get a favorable interest rate, you will have to meet several criteria.
Banking organizations set a limit on funds on which interest can be charged on the balance.
“Plastic” is more often stolen, counterfeited, and money is written off using fraudulent schemes.

Advantages of deposits:

More favorable interest rates per annum, which means your money will work more efficiently.
Funds on deposit are more protected from fraudsters.

Weaknesses of deposits:

Penalties for early cash withdrawal. Up to and including cancellation of the contract and non-accrual of interest.
Established limits on the deposit amount and one-time replenishment (when the deposit is replenished).

The comparison shows that both storage options have pros and cons. The choice remains with the client depending on his goals, purchasing power and the amount of funds from which he wants to receive passive income.

World MasterCard offer from Touch Bank

Touch Bank offers interest-bearing debit cards. World MasterCard is a multi-currency option. Citizens can keep their funds in four currencies at once.

Interest is calculated daily for each currency separately and transferred to the account. There is a rate set for a ruble account 6,5%

, for others -
0,5%
.

Other terms of use of World MasterCard:

free service;
there are no limits on withdrawals and deposits;
free use of Touch Bank functionality;
cashback amount – up to 3%
of the cost of purchases from your favorite categories,
1%
for other products;
free interbank transfers;
participation in loyalty programs;
monthly SMS notification – 60 rubles
.

We answer questions

Is it possible to receive both cashback and interest on the balance using one card?

Yes. There are a lot of such offers, study the bank’s conditions.

What is more profitable – a deposit or an income card?

By opening a deposit, you will receive a return of 1–2% more. But the bank will also set stricter conditions. Your access to funds will be limited for a set period of time.

When is interest calculated on the balance?

Typically, account income is calculated either daily or once a month. Interest will be paid once a month.

Will it be possible to withdraw all the cash from the income card? Will interest be paid?

Yes, it is possible to do this. Accruals on the balance are made for the period when the requirements of the contract were met. Just remember to follow the interest-free withdrawal limits set by the financial institution. Accruals on the balance will resume when it again meets the criteria specified in the agreement.

Will it be possible to turn an income card into a salary card?

Most often, yes, it is beneficial for bankers to attract “salary earners”; conditions are always more favorable for them.

Is interest on the balance calculated on any amount?

No, not always. Typically, the bank sets a minimum limit on funds on the card, as well as a maximum amount. Interest will be calculated from it. Usually it is 300 thousand rubles, less often – up to a million.

Will the money on the income card be insured by the state?

Yes, the deposit insurance agency guarantees a return of up to 1 million 400 thousand rubles.

Insurance

Bank deposits worth up to 1.4 million rubles are insured by the state. This means that if something happens to your bank, the money will be returned to you (subject to certain conditions). But not everyone knows that the insurance system also applies to the money on the card (as to any deposit). But money from the card is more likely to be stolen by scammers.