\nThe first bank I ever signed up with was probably this one. Back then it was the only bank in my town, so it made sense. Even at that time the terms and service weren’t terrible—there were a few downsides, sure, but nothing wild. These days I can’t even stand having my salary routed through it, but I’m stuck with it.

\nMy mom told me to get my own card when I moved to another city for school. I was stunned to find out that pulling cash from an out‑of‑network ATM slapped on a fee that sometimes eclipsed the amount I was actually withdrawing. This was back in 2007‑2008, and most transactions didn’t even spit out a receipt (they printed one automatically, no option to skip). Nobody at the bank warned me about that when I received my first student card. The contract was buried in fine‑print that basically said, “If you have questions, ask us; otherwise read everything yourself.” I work in a similar setup now, and I know most folks don’t bother digging through that jargon unless they suspect a rip‑off. These days almost every bank rep spells out the important bits when they hand you a card or product, and the same info ends up printed on the envelope (just got that with Ozon Bank). I’m not sure how other ATMs handle it now, but the network is everywhere and there are plenty of cards from other banks, so the commission issue isn’t as big a deal, especially with the fast‑payment system smoothing things out.

\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDealing with Sberbank staff is a mixed bag. Some folks are genuinely helpful and even polite, while others seem to be there just for the bonus. That’s why I try to avoid them altogether. Not long ago I lost my wallet with every card inside. I had an old salary card (I wasn’t getting a paycheck on it because I was on maternity leave, but it was still active) and a “world” card for benefits. Guess what? You can replace a card for free, but only one of them; the other one costs you. In my other bank, T‑Bank, they re‑issue both debit and credit cards for free.

\n\nAfter the loss, something weird happened. I was at home, minding my own business, when I noticed about 300 rubles had been taken from my debit card (the app showed a smaller amount at first, but it turned out to be 450 rubles). The card had a zero balance, so it went into the red. Was it a glitch or fraud? I headed to the branch because the app’s support is basically a dumb AI—no real people to help.

\n\nThe staff didn’t get what was going on at first and kept telling me to check with my employer. Finally, one of the ten employees managed to explain: because the card is a salary card, free maintenance only applies if your salary actually lands there. Since I lost it and the card details changed (oddly, the benefits card wasn’t affected), the bank stopped treating it as a salary card. After a year of inactivity they slapped a fee without caring that the account was negative. No one ever told me I needed to submit new card details or fill out any paperwork. I didn’t even get a paper confirming I had a new card on the same terms—just “here’s your card, take it.”

\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnd that wasn’t even the only time. They handed me a card with no paperwork—no envelope, nothing. I can check a lot in the app, but the fact that the card was just a plain black plastic freaked me out. I used it once, then closed the account and tossed the card. Everything felt vague, especially since there were no clear terms between me and the bank. I kept getting statements almost daily. The weird part? Even after I blocked it, the card still showed up in the app like nothing happened. Looks like that nonsense will stick around until I finally cut ties with the bank. And the fees show up even at my own ATM, so you really have to read the fine print. Sometimes pulling cash just isn’t worth it.

\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nBut even getting my own account details printed at Sberbank is a hassle. They’ll give you the info if you request it again for the same card, but the first time they just don’t hand it over. So I end up downloading the statements and printing them myself—no paper, no ink saved? Or are they just trying to make a buck wherever they can? It’s a mystery. I’ve figured out how they make money: if you think stores are pushing products on you, this bank will ask you the same question a hundred times and keep calling back. Honestly, I wish I could block these scammers with a simple promise. If you show up in person, you might face a line that stretches a meter during rush hour, or maybe only three people are there, but you still end up waiting about twenty minutes until they call your number on the electronic board. And even then, it’s not always clear what the issue actually is.

\n\n \n \n \n\nThey call me all the time, mostly just pushing offers I don’t need. They don’t even ask if the product is convenient for me; they just dump info straight into my ears, first checking if they got the right name. They keep pitching a savings account – I actually used one ages ago, my very first, not counting the real piggy bank I had. I dropped it completely after seeing a monthly return of 0.00 rub., not even a kopek.

\n\nThese days I only keep it as a salary account, and even that’s because my employer forces it, not because I want to. It’s odd that a lot of people got moved over to VTB and weren’t given the option to switch elsewhere. One upside was a lower interest rate when I took a three‑year loan. They could’ve offered an even better rate at the same T bank, but my husband didn’t want to deal with the paperwork.

\n\nOn the plus side, the AI‑driven UI looks gorgeous when you log in, and the cards are almost sleek—depending on what’s actually available. The downside is that everything changes so often with each update that it’s easy to get lost, especially if you’re trying to walk someone else (say, your grandma) through the app. One version has a feature, the next version doesn’t. They did add my favorite “achievements” section, which, like Steam, does nothing useful. And they seem intent on gathering as much personal data as possible—from your car’s license plate (if you have one) to biometric info—yet the security isn’t exactly rock‑solid, given the data‑leak headlines.

\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThanks are everywhere now where they’re accepted, and they’ve actually helped me cover things like pharmacy meds or a pair of shoes at Curry’s. It’s handy that they can be swapped into rubles if needed, but building up a balance can be a pain if you don’t use them often. There’s a modest monthly cashback too. The rate isn’t stellar – for example, everything here only gives 0.5 % back, while Ozon Bank and T‑Bank hand out a solid 1 %. Just remember you’ve got a month’s worth and use it when you need it, especially if other banks don’t offer that. In that sense it’s actually a plus. You can also sort transactions – like view only credits or only debits for any period – a filter not every bank has. Pretty handy.

\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBottom line, I have no clue when this bank will sort itself out, but I’m not interested in dealing with them at all. They seem to do everything they can to quietly rake in profit and scare off both current and potential customers.

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