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I've got to say, the 'Pension' card from Sberbank isn't just for pensioners, despite what the bank reps might tell you. I mean, it's no secret they don't want to give away freebies, so I'm guessing there's an order from the top to keep it that way.

Pension Card MIRWhy do I need it?

Let's face it, we're being actively pushed to use the 'MIR' payment system. On the one hand, it's nice to have something of our own, but on the other hand, I'm often abroad, and 'MIR' hasn't exactly taken off there.

But slowly but surely, people are being encouraged to use these cards - for example, direct payments from the Social Insurance Fund are only possible on 'MIR' cards. And soon, benefits and other payments will be announced only on these cards too.

Since I was planning a long maternity leave, and in my region, the rules for direct payments from the Social Insurance Fund had already come into effect, I needed a 'MIR' card. But I wasn't about to give up my Visa card, so I started looking for the cheapest (read: free) option. And in Sberbank, that option was only available with the pension card.

Pension Card MIRI'd heard horror stories about how hard it is to get this card, how they just won't give it to you or make you jump through hoops to get it. None of those options appealed to me, so I was hoping for a freebie.

So, I decided to order the card online from Sberbank. But being the cautious person I am, I sent a question through their chat to confirm that the card would be suitable for maternity benefits and whether I could get it. I'll explain why I did that in a minute. The bank's positive response (which, of course, it would be, since there are no age restrictions in their rules, and pensions come in all shapes and sizes) was just what I needed to show to the bank rep who was trying to tell me I couldn't get the card. And that's exactly what happened. When my card was ready and waiting for me at the bank, I armed myself with my phone and the bank's response, and headed out to pick it up.

Pension Card MIR I'll never forget the look on the bank teller's face when they found my Pension Card MIR and handed it to me. They said, 'Sorry, we can't give you this card, it's only for pensioners, and you're clearly not of retirement age.' I was like, 'Recommended to get the MIR card, but a different one?' They said it would be even more convenient, and I could use it to make contactless payments in stores. The application process was super quick, just hand over your passport. Yeah, right. I pulled out my phone and showed them the screen, where the bank had already approved me for the card. I was like, 'I want this card, not any other one.' The teller was stubborn, but I was too. I asked to call the hotline for a consultation, and she reluctantly agreed. When she came back, she said she'd checked with her supervisor and they'd make an exception and give me the card. But our conversation had already taken a turn for the worse. I was ready for it, though.

Now, about the benefits:

The card is free to get, no fees at all. There's no annual maintenance fee. The SMS notification fee is way lower, almost half the price. Contrary to what the bank teller said, you can actually use the card for contactless payments. You can use the card with mobile payment apps, like Samsung Pay. Online stores like Wildberries, Ozon, and even Aliexpress accept the card without any issues.

Pension Card MIR There are some downsides, though.

First of all, you can't use the card abroad. That's a limitation of the MIR payment system as a whole, not just this card.

Secondly, I've noticed one weird thing with this card - it sometimes doesn't work in the 'Perekrestok' store. I use it through the app, and it usually goes through, but sometimes it fails. One of the cashiers told me it's because of social cards, but I'm not sure if that's true. The fact remains that it doesn't always work in that store. But you can always transfer the money to another card and it'll be fine.

Mir Pension CardVerdict: I've gotta say, the more they push Mir on us, the more I want to get my hands on those sick benefits - sick leave, maternity leave, government payouts, the works. And the best part? You don't have to pay a dime for the Mir Pension Card. Plus, you can still use your regular cards. If you're not planning on traveling abroad, you can just have the Mir card as a backup and not have to pay a thing. And the question of how to deal with Pierrochka is a breeze, and it's all free - on top of the Mir card, you can even open a virtual Visa or Mastercard in the Sber app.

I hope this review was helpful.

Thanks for reading)