The Most Ridiculous Bonus Program I've Ever Seen

I've been using this bank's services for ages, but lately, I've been trying to cut ties. It's not about the bonuses, but this one thing has been really bugging me.

How it started. The first version.

Their bonus program has been around for a while. I've known about it since I started using their mobile app. It's all explained in the online bank, along with the rules and all the info. But the conditions keep changing, and it's a big deal.

Anyone with a UralSib bank card can join the bonus program. I've got a standard debit card, but I think it's available for credit cards and other payment systems too. The bank asks for your consent, and then they hook you up to the program.

About five years ago, when I got my card, you could use the bonuses to pay for mobile phone services. It wasn't a huge deal, but it was nice to get some money back. You'd just earn a percentage of your purchases, and it would get credited to your phone bill. It was pretty cool.

You could also choose to get the bonuses on your bank card, but it was in its original form – as bonuses, not as cash. The exchange rate wasn't 1 bonus = 1 ruble, but it was some kind of ratio. You'd have to mentally convert the bonuses to rubles, but you could only exchange them for cash when you reached a certain threshold – around 1,500 rubles.

It seemed like a good deal, but it was hard to reach that threshold if you weren't spending a lot on your card. I was getting child support on my card, and I wasn't exactly raking it in. I'd transfer some money, but I wasn't using the card that much, so the bonuses were accumulating slowly.

Changes to the program

Then they made it impossible to top up your phone bill with bonuses, and you were stuck with just the online option.

The next change was that they started automatically converting the bonuses to rubles within the program. No more mental math for me!

But I didn't get to enjoy it for long. The conditions changed again.

What are the current conditions for the UralSib bonus program

Now you can't exchange the bonuses for cash on your card. You can only use them to pay for purchases you made last month. And there's a catch – the purchase amount has to be at least 1,500 rubles, and not more than the amount of bonuses you've accumulated.

For me, the simpler the rules, the more interesting it is. If I have to spend time figuring out the conditions, counting, and checking - my interest fades away. But since I've accumulated 1100 bonus points, 'the thrill was on' - I had 300 left, and I could treat myself to anything

Getting from 1100 to 1500 took almost half a year, if not more. And now, let's dive into the rules in more detail. I've got to give credit where credit is due - the information about the bonus program is easily accessible: in the mobile banking app, you can tap on the bonus balance (it's in the top left corner above the card balance), and you'll be taken straight to the program conditions. The interface and access to information were smooth sailing, unlike some other similar services - there, it's either a technical glitch or the info doesn't load, or just come back later, I guess.

So, to accumulate bonus points, you need to meet the condition: spend at least 10,000 rubles on your card within a month. Then you can expect 1% of the spent amount, which is a minimum of 100 bonus points. If it's more than 10,000 rubles, you'll get 100+ bonus points. If it's less than 10,000 rubles, the bonus points will pass you by. The amount spent is the main condition.

It's convenient that the total amount spent and how much more you need to spend to reach the minimum threshold are displayed right there. The estimated bonus size is also shown.

And now, let's talk about the bonus history. There are delays in processing operations, up to 2-3 days, but that's completely normal.

What you need to remember? Translations, top-ups, tax payments, and contributions don't count towards the bonus. It's just about the products and services. But even here, there are exceptions: paying your utility bills and getting a bonus for them won't work. Bonus rules also don't apply to internet and mobile phone payments. So, even if you spend more than 10,000 roubles, you won't get any bonus. There are other conditions. They're not mandatory, but if you meet them, the bonus will be calculated as 3% (not 1%) of your total expenses. You need to have a credit card debt or, for example, an auto loan of at least 30,000 roubles. That's a plus 1%. To be honest, I'm not sure if the bonus is worth it, or if I just hate feeling in the red.

And another 1% - if you have a premium package of services. But that's something for the wealthy. I'm still trying to imagine someone with a premium package and a credit card debt. I think one's a bit of an oxymoron. In general, neither 2% nor 3% was a concern for me. But with my monthly expenses of around 20,000 roubles, I slowly started accumulating my 'reward'.

And then - bingo! My bonus volume finally exceeded the required threshold of 1,500 roubles. I was looking forward to spending them and finally ending this epic saga of accumulating.

First disappointment. Not quite what I expected. 1,541 roubles is more than 1,500, but (!) I don't have any purchases in this month's required amount - so, a single purchase of between 1,500 and 1,541 roubles.

Less is more, and more is less, but just right - nope. That's a bit of a mismatch. We'll keep going.

Disappointment number two. I was getting frustrated. I spent another tenner a month. And then there's a catch. Rewards are credited on the 10th of each following month after meeting the conditions. And I'm expecting, at the start of the month, that at least 100 more will be added to my 1541 rewards. I'd already calculated how much I could compensate for (1600 rubles - that's what I needed). And then I realized that the rewards hadn't been added, but actually subtracted! How?! It's simple: they have an expiration date. And it's 12 months.

So, I didn't manage to use it within a year, and goodbye - the rewards are gone. And more than I should have lost, at that.

I was about to give up on the whole thing, but my curiosity and principle kept me going. I pushed on. I paid for something big to get the maximum and compensate for what was expired 12 months over. In the end, the purchases came out to 37,000+ rubles, and I got 370 rewards. I now had a total of 1748.

I was prepared. I had three purchases for 1664 rubles, one of which I wanted to compensate for. To do this, I had to log in to my account, find the list of all purchases from the previous month. Next to the purchases that matched the amount, there was a note saying 'compensate'. Finally, I saw the note I was looking for. I clicked on it.

At first, there was a message saying the operation was in progress.

But by the same day, I received an email saying the compensation had been successful and the cashback would be credited to my account. The cashback amount was equal to the amount of the compensated purchase. It took me just over a year and a half.