Hello!
I recently found myself in need of a wallet that accepts more than just the usual suspects like WebMoney, Yandex Money, and PayPal. It's been about six months since I first looked into AdvCash.
To use the wallet, you need to be at least 18 years old. That's a standard requirement for most financial services.
Registration
Signing up is a breeze. Just click the corresponding button at the bottom of the homepage.
You'll be taken to a registration page where you can choose whether you're signing up for personal or business use. I registered my wallet for personal use.
The registration form is pretty standard - name, surname, email address. Make sure to enter real information, or your wallet will be severely limited.
After that, you'll receive an email with your registration details.
Account Verification
After standard registration, your wallet won't be fully functional until you complete the three-step verification process. It's actually pretty quick and easy.
1. Identity verification
Just upload a scan or photo of your passport. You can also use a driver's license. I didn't encounter any issues.
2. Phone verification
Enter your phone number into a special field, and then you'll get an SMS with a verification code. Easy peasy.
3. Address Verification
You can use different methods:
Utility bill (gas, water, electricity)Phone bill (landline or mobile)Bank statementBank confirmation of an open account in your namePage from your passport with your addressTax office notificationVehicle registration certificate (both sides)
I chose to scan, or rather, take a photo of my passport's address page. After some time, I got an email saying my verification was declined. To complete verification using this method, you need to take a full photo of the passport's address page, so that everything on the document is visible.
Address and passport verification take a relatively short time, in my case, it took around 2-3 hours. Not bad, if you ask me.
Personal Account
You log in to your personal account through the standard login form. It's quite intuitive.
Due to my internet connection's specifics, I always get this window when entering my details. Don't worry, it's just a minor annoyance.
You get a verification code via email immediately. Nice touch, if you ask me.
The personal account page looks like this:
When you log in, you'll see your recent transactions, and on the left-hand side, you'll find a list of your wallets. By default, you've got three: a ruble wallet, a dollar wallet, and an euro wallet. If you want, you can create more and choose the currency you need.
I've got to say, one thing that's missing from this payment system is a mobile app. That would be a nice addition, in my opinion.
Replenishing your account
There are plenty of ways to do it. When you top up using your phone number, the commission is 13%. The minimum top-up amount is 60 kopeks.
Replenishing your account is super quick – you'll get the SMS confirmation in just a few seconds. It's a convenient feature, if you ask me.
The commission rates for other top-up methods are way more favorable:
Withdrawing your funds
You can withdraw your money in various ways – for example, to any bank card:
Or to a web wallet:
Transfers within the AdvCash system are commission-free:
For deposits and withdrawals, I usually use exchange services or e-wallets with favorable rates for this payment system.
AdvCash Card
I recently ordered a card as a replacement for one with less favorable terms. I was pretty excited to check it out. However, as of October 9th, 2017, it's not available for Russia, Ukraine, or Kazakhstan.
Currently, according to our issuer's rules, we don't offer cards to users outside the European Economic Area (EEA). As Mastercard and our card issuer's policies may change over time, we can't guarantee card availability in a specific country at a specific time. For the latest information, please contact our support team.
I wouldn't give up on this card for several reasons. Fingers crossed that it'll be available eventually.
Transaction notifications
There are two types of notifications: email and phone number. The latter is paid:
You'll receive SMS notifications about completed transactions on your phone number, but only if your phone is verified and your balance is positive. Each SMS costs $0.1 or the equivalent.
Security Settings
By default, when you sign up, only intelligent identification is enabled. I've mentioned this before, but it triggers every single time for me.
You can also enable other features for free.
My Experience
To be honest, I don't have any complaints about this system so far. I had to reach out to customer support only once, and they responded promptly and helped me resolve the issue.
Compared to other electronic payment systems, Advanced Cash does have some drawbacks, like the fact that if you accidentally send money to the wrong person, there's no way to reverse the transaction.
Despite that, I'm still using AdvCash and plan to continue.
Pros and Cons:
One of the things I like about AdvCash is that the interface is super easy to use and understand. Funds are also credited to my account quickly when I top up.
Another plus is that verification is fast and hassle-free. Some e-wallets have really low fees for transfers, which is a big plus in my book.
Lastly, the security system is top-notch, which gives me peace of mind.
However, there are some downsides to using AdvCash. For one, there's no mobile app, which would be a nice feature to have.
Another con is that the fees for depositing and withdrawing are pretty steep for most popular methods.
Lastly, you can't get a refund if you make a mistake with a payment, which can be frustrating.
One thing I'm not looking forward to is the possibility of not being able to get a card for this payment system.
Thanks for reading!
Check out my review of Yandex.Dengi
And here's my review of the Megafon card