TalkBank Black – My Take on the New Loyalty Program
add_circle Pros
- No monthly fees – the account stays free, no hidden charges.
- Cashback on every purchase piles up quickly.
- Debit‑card balances earn a solid 3‑4% APR, better than most banks.
- No call‑center drama; everything’s done right in the app.
- The app looks sleek and runs faster than my old banking app.
- Point tracking is a breeze with a clean dashboard.
- Card arrives fast and activation is super simple.
remove_circle Cons
- A bunch of promised features are still just placeholders, so it feels half‑baked.
- My points just stopped coming, and then a weird compensation pop‑up showed up.
- No phone support – you’re stuck with chat or email, and they can be slow.
- The loyalty rules are vague, making it tough to map out that 16 k reward.
- No push notifications for point milestones, so you have to keep checking the dashboard.
- Support can be sluggish when things get busy.
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Editor's Summary
I jumped on TalkBank Black the moment the new loyalty program dropped—my friends were buzzing, so why not? After two months of stacking points, the app feels way smoother than my old Sberbank card. The free service and solid cashback are sweet, but a bunch of promised features are still just placeholders and a weird point‑earning glitch gave me a headache. That odd compensation pop‑up and the empty screens make me wonder if this is a game‑changer or just a letdown.
Specifications
I signed up for TalkBank just as they were rolling out the new loyalty program. I didn’t spend ages picking a card—my friends were raving about it, and I normally follow their lead. I was pretty curious about the perks they were touting.
I’d been using a Sberbank card for ages, but I wanted to try something different, so I ordered the TalkBank Black. The difference isn’t huge, but it does feel a bit more convenient, even though a few features haven’t launched yet. The app still has some placeholder screens, but everything feels a lot smoother overall.
I spent about two months racking up points, aiming for that 16 k reward after the six‑month window. I was checking the dashboard every day, watching the numbers inch forward, hoping they’d hit the target. Then, out of nowhere, things went sideways—I couldn’t figure out how to keep earning, and a strange compensation pop‑up showed up. Honestly, it felt like a mess.
I reached out to TalkBank support for a clear rundown of the new rules. To be honest, their first replies were pretty underwhelming and almost made me want to toss the card. They put me on hold for a minute, then shot back a generic template that raised more questions than it answered. [screenshots from support]
A bit later, support got back to me quickly, laying out in plain English how to earn bonuses now and how the purchase compensation works. They even attached screenshots, so I could see exactly where to tap in the app. I started using the card for my everyday buys and didn’t run into any of the issues people were complaining about on the forums. [screenshots of purchase and compensation]
At this point I’ve already earned roughly half of the compensation amount, and I’m just waiting for the purchase categories to unlock. I’m watching the next update closely, hoping those new categories will give my earnings a nice bump.
All in all, the TalkBank Black works fine, but the loyalty program still feels a bit rough around the edges.