My MTS Bank Card Experience: A Mixed Bag
add_circle Pros
- The card has been pretty reliable, with no major issues so far.
- The customer support team has been responsive and helpful when I've needed them.
- The rewards program is decent, with some nice perks for regular users.
- The card's security features are top-notch, with advanced encryption and alerts for suspicious activity.
- The mobile app is user-friendly and makes it easy to track my spending and rewards.
remove_circle Cons
- The fees are a bit steep, especially for international transactions.
- The interest rates are pretty high, so I have to be careful not to overspend.
- The card's acceptance network could be better, with some merchants still not accepting it.
- The rewards program has some limitations, with certain categories not earning as much as others.
- The customer support team can be a bit slow to respond to emails and phone calls.
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Editor's Summary
I've had my MTS Bank Card for a few months now, and I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it. The good news is that it's been pretty reliable, but there are some issues that have left me scratching my head. Let me break it down for you.
Specifications
I recently got my hands on the MTS bank card, and let me tell you, it's been a wild ride. I was initially drawn in by their ads promising a seamless experience, but things took a turn after the first cashback payout.
I signed up for the card on March 17, 2025, and the courier delivered it to my doorstep. The cashback offers were a major draw, and I thought I'd give it a shot. I disabled all notifications to avoid any surprise fees and didn't open a savings account, opting to test the card in a different way.
I'll be honest, the free trial period ended in September, and the system's been acting wonky ever since. It says my premium's expired, but then offers to choose categories for October - it's pretty confusing.
After a month of using the card, I tried to transfer my 200-ruble cashback to my MTS connection. It seemed to work, but the bank's always looking for ways to get you to spend more. Two months later, I had a decent amount of cashback and decided to use it. You can also spend it in the MTS store, but I didn't need anything.
The bank offers to cash out your cashback for events in the city, but the MTS Live options didn't impress me. I have two MTS SIM cards and a T2, and I mostly use the latter. So, it doesn't make sense for me to constantly top up my MTS balance.
It turns out you can't withdraw the cashback normally; it's only for spending within the bank's system. And even then, there's a 900-ruble monthly limit for topping up your MTS connection. If you accumulate more, you can use it the next month, but only if you have the premium. Otherwise, the excess goes to charity - not exactly what I had in mind.
After two months, I was pretty disappointed, and my enthusiasm waned. I spent some time figuring out where to use my accumulated cashback. I thought I'd use it for events, but the system said I needed to pay 50 rubles for the transaction.
I tried again, this time choosing an excursion, and even paid for it, thinking the cashback would be applied. But the system said the payment had gone through, and I was left with a 650-ruble bill - I didn't have enough on my card, so I had to redo the purchase.
I called the operator, and it took ages to connect. They said there was a system glitch and to call back later. I'm not looking forward to dealing with them again. I also tried transferring money from my MTS phone to my T2, but the system refused to let me do it.
So, after six months, I decided to use my accumulated cashback to top up my MTS connection, just to avoid losing it. But honestly, I didn't need to.
Overall, this debit card might be suitable for those who constantly use MTS and top up their balance regularly. If you're like me, using it sparingly, it's not worth it. So, it's up to you to decide if you need this card or not.
