A Bank That Almost Had It All, But Then Let Me Down

I've been using VTB Bank for a while now, and I've gotta say, it's been a wild ride. I've already shared my thoughts on their VTB card and savings account, which I've been using pretty actively. The card earns me cashback in real money, and the account gives me interest. To make the most of these features, I need the VTB Online app.

Downloading it on Android is a breeze, but unfortunately, it's not available for iOS. However, I can add the web version to my home screen, and it looks and functions just like a native app. And in this review, I'll go over what you can do with the VTB Online app.

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When you first open the app, you're greeted with a screen that shows all your cards and the associated Mastercard info. If you have multiple cards, you can customize the display to show only the ones you need. Tapping on the card icon lets you perform a range of actions – view and copy card details, manage and freeze the card, link the card to another account, view recent transactions, and even top up the card from other bank accounts. You can also create a collection for a specific event and share the link with your contacts, who can then send you a specific amount.On the main screen, you'll also find information about your savings. Here, you can view your contributions and accounts, as well as open a new account. What's great is that you can create as many accounts as you need. Tapping on the account lets you transfer money between accounts, view the current interest rate, and even get a forecast of the expected interest. You can also order any statement or certificate for the account, view recent transactions, and even close the account. I was particularly impressed with the feature that lets you pay bills and transfer money to other cards directly from the account – something that's not possible in many other banks. You typically need to transfer money to a card first, and then use it to pay bills.Below that, you'll find the Investments tab. As someone who prefers to play it safe with their hard-earned cash, I haven't ventured into investing just yet – I'm definitely not a risk-taker!One feature I really like is the currency exchange tracker. You can see the current rates for dollars, euros, yuan, gold, and other currencies that matter to people. To be honest, this isn't something I'm super interested in because I don't invest in the stock market or travel abroad.The financial analysis section is super useful for me. It shows all my income and expenses, breaking down where my money is going. You can see the actual amounts spent, the percentage distribution, and even the top 5 categories where I'm spending the most.The main screen also has my favorite feature – the profit tracker. Here, you can see a forecast of your cashback rewards and potential interest on your savings account. The numbers are estimates, as they can change at the end of the month, but it's a great motivator. You can also choose categories for cashback rewards and see which places offer higher cashback rates (up to 50%).Last but not least, there's the referral program. If you invite a friend to the bank, you can earn up to 15,000 rubles in rewards.Now, let's talk about the benefits of getting your friends to sign up for this service. If your friend applies for a standard card using your referral link and makes some purchases on the card within a month, you both can get at least $1,000.

In the 'Payments' tab, you can transfer money between accounts, send it to someone else, or even make international transfers using a card number or bank details. You can also pay using a QR code, KZT payments at a specific address, taxes, fines, parking fees, daycare, digital services, and more. Plus, you can access SBER services here, but I find it more convenient to do these transfers from the main screen.

In the 'History' tab, you can view a record of all your payments and transfers, filter them by different criteria, analyze your expenses and income, and even check the cashback history and where you earned the most.

One of the things I love about the app is that you can start a chat with the bank right from it. It's pretty cool that you'll initially be talking to a bot, but if you type in the word 'operator', a live person will jump in and help you out pretty quickly. I've had to contact the bank's support four times, and each time my issue was resolved immediately. That's a stark contrast to my experience with Raiffeisen's chat, where not only did they not help me, but they even tried to convince me that I was the one who was crazy. I wrote about that in my review of the Raiffeisen card.

With VTB, it's a different story. When I accidentally had some money deducted from my account, the operator quickly figured out what was going on, created a complaint, and the money was back in my account in no time.

Overall, I'd say the app is pretty user-friendly. I've used apps from Sber, Raiffeisen, Rossbank, and VTB, and I'd say VTB is right up there with the rest in terms of functionality. The only thing that can be a bit frustrating is that it sometimes takes a while to load and can freeze on me. Given how often I use it for transfers, it can get a bit annoying.

I've even considered switching to a different bank because VTB seems to be constantly changing the interest rate on my savings account or restricting my cashback categories.

I've got to admit, I was hesitant to sign up for a million credit cards and hand over my personal info to every bank under the sun. The thought of constant calls and nagging was a major turn-off. Now I've got two physical cards and one virtual one, and that's just right for me. I don't want to spend my time thinking about which card to use where - that's just a hassle. Plus, with my husband and I sharing a joint budget, I don't want him tracking my spending either. And with our internet going down all the time, it's just nice to have a card that works, even if it's not the one with the best rewards.

But I still wanted to recommend this app (and the bank itself) until something weird happened. I wrote about the initial incident in my review of the VTB card, but it had an unexpected twist.

The not-so-great experience with VTB bank

I was told when I set up the card that I could become a salary client of the bank by simply setting up automatic replenishment from another bank. And if I'm a salary client, I get four enhanced cashback categories every month, free notifications on the card, a higher deposit rate, and something else I forgot. I immediately set up automatic replenishment from my Sber salary card. The card status didn't change on the main screen. I messaged the chat to confirm if I had become a salary client. They reassured me that the status on the main screen wouldn't change, but I had indeed become a salary client. I was happy with that, I got free notifications, more cashback categories, and a higher deposit rate.

Everything was fine until one day I accidentally saw that 99 rubles had been debited from my account for some unknown reason. I immediately messaged the chat. They told me it was a payment for card notifications. I replied that I had had automatic replenishment, so why had they deducted the service fee? They apologized and said it was an error, and they created a claim. The money was returned to me right away, and I was impressed by the speed. I even didn't deduct points from my review of the card. I guess mistakes happen, right? Some people might think it's petty, considering it's just 99 rubles. But I'm a firm believer in not paying for subscriptions and notifications. That extra 100 rubles didn't come to me for free, and nobody's going to give it to me out of the goodness of their heart. If I walked into a store and didn't feel like parting with that extra 100 rubles, they wouldn't sell me the product. I don't agree to pay for something I don't need, especially since I don't keep more than 1,000 rubles on my card and I carefully monitor our expenses.

A month after this situation, I received a notification that the operation to deduct 99 rubles failed because there wasn't enough money on the card. We'd decided to use our Raiffeisen card this month because VTB hadn't given us cashback on all our purchases, only on certain transactions, and we needed cashback on everything.

That got my blood boiling, and I immediately reached out to their support. And then the thoughts started: 'Now I'll have to deal with them every month? What's going on? We were just getting along fine.' I'd been praising the bank, turning a blind eye to its flaws, and then this happened.

I was totally blown away by the battery life - it lasted for days on a single charge, which is insane for a device of this size. I mean, I've seen some impressive battery life in my time, but this thing is something else. And the best part? It's not just a gimmick - it's a genuine feature that actually makes a difference in your daily life. I've been using it for a week now, and I'm still getting used to how long it lasts. I've taken it on the go, used it for gaming, and even left it on standby for hours on end, and it still keeps going. It's truly remarkable. And let's not forget the value for money - this device is a steal considering the features you get. I mean, you'd expect to pay twice as much for a device with this kind of performance. But no, this thing is a bargain. I'm not kidding when I say it's worth every penny. And the shipping? Top-notch. I received it in record time, and it was packaged like a pro. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the build quality really surprised me. The buttons feel solid, and the device itself is sturdy and well-made. It's clear that the manufacturers took their time to get it right. But what really impresses me is the customer support. I had a question about the device, and I reached out to the support team. They got back to me within hours, and they were super helpful. It's clear that they care about their customers. And the return policy? No issues at all. I'm happy to report that I didn't need to use it, but it's good to know it's there if I do. So, all in all, I'm thoroughly impressed with this device. It's a game-changer, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and feature-packed device.

I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback by the bank's incompetence. It turns out that auto-completion now doesn't give me the status of a salary client. Instead, it means higher cashback categories, increased interest rates on deposits, and a VTB+ subscription. To become a salary client, I need to transfer my salary directly to VTB. That wouldn't have bothered me if:

1. I'd been warned about it beforehand

2. The support specialist had immediately told me, instead of just copying the text from their algorithms.

But no, they were just copying and pasting, and I had to find out about the salary client conditions on my own. I think that's unacceptable behavior from one of the leading banks, and they should definitely retrain their staff. Now I'm definitely considering switching banks. I'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments.

I hope my review was helpful. Have a great day and happy savings!