A Year with Yandex Bank: Great Value for Money and More

I've been using Yandex Bank for a year now and I'm really happy with it. I just paid the fee and got a 2% cashback, so I'm writing this right away.

One thing that caught my attention is how Yandex Bank handles payments. In the 'All Payments' category, they consider it a payment, not a transfer. And I did it on a whim, without expecting anything in return. Why? I've gotten similar surprise cashbacks from Yandex Bank pretty regularly. I've been tracking my rewards and I've noticed that I've gotten cashbacks from various categories, including utility bills.

The mobile app is really intuitive, and I didn't have any issues getting used to it. I've been using it for a while now, and I've found it to be really user-friendly.

As a Yandex Plus subscriber and Yandex Market customer, I decided to try out their financial services and opened an account. Yandex Plus gives you certain perks and preferences for financial services, both in terms of appearance and substance. Financially, Yandex Bank is very similar to OZON Bank, whose credit card still brings me joy.

Over the past few years, Yandex Bank has been acquired by the ecosystem's structure, now known as such, to serve this system.

One of the pleasant surprises was the cashback, which was actually quite high compared to the rest of the financial sector.

The thing I didn't like was that the rewards weren't in rubles, but in points that I could spend on Google subscriptions and Google Market products. As a user of those services, this arrangement worked for me. Unfortunately, I didn't take all the screenshots, so I'll have to provide some info in text form. I've been tracking my rewards, and I've noticed that I've gotten points from various categories, including utility bills. In October 2025, I got 10% off pharmacies, and another +10% (but not more than 500 points) through what they call the 'Referral Bonus'. So, that's 20% in total. Every 10 days, you get the chance to earn extra income from purchases. After the period's over, you're offered a new perk to choose from.

You can see how much I've accumulated. Just the other day, I bought some medicine, and I already got back around 400 points, which I've since spent on vitamins. By the way, what surprised me was that I was actively spending them in early October, but I still managed to accumulate some. Here's how my bonus balance looked today.

This amount I got in just October. That's quite a sum, considering it's only the 7th of the month. By the way, I forgot to mention that, according to the rules, bonus points are credited within 21 days. In practice, it's almost immediate. Not always, but regularly. So, I can spend them literally a couple of hours after the next payment. The amount of returns can reach up to 10,000 points.

I've never seen a bank with a ceiling of over 5000 in any category, let alone 3000. This one's got a wide range to choose from. Be on the lookout for promotional offers, though - they usually specify a limit, like 'up to 500' or 'up to 1000'. If you're offered a cashback deal that combines with monthly categories, be prepared for a certain limit.

About six months ago, I got a credit card called 'Super-Split' with a 100,000-ruble limit. It's more like a payment plan, though. There are options for paid periods - over two months - and free ones - up to two months. Thanks to other reviews, I noticed that my split's two-month free period somehow got moved to six paid months. Apparently, when you open a Super-Split card, you get a six-month bonus. Once that's over, your split automatically turns into a paid one. So, be careful - switch to the free option or check your payment method to avoid getting charged.

About six months ago, I got a payment sticker for my phone to use with my virtual debit card. It's 53x30mm, which is twice the size of those issued by other banks.

Next up, I got a regular plastic card for my virtual debit card. I'm not sure what the point is of getting it in the mail. I'll give a shoutout to Yandex Bank for charging me cashback when I pay with QR code - something that other banks don't do, and I'm assuming it's because they're treating it as a transfer. This used to be a problem because I didn't have a physical card, but even now, it works like a charm. Just open the app, scan the camera, and you get the same result as paying with a card. It's especially useful for iPhone owners who have NFC turned off. Another plus in the bank's favor.

I went into the mobile app to check out some screenshots. Looks like I'll be able to feel the credit card in my wallet soon enough. I clicked the "order" button, chose my address, and voila!

Kudos to the Yandex Bank team for quickly developing and refining their ecosystem.

Those payment and transfer limits to myself and other banks are a nice touch.

Withdrawing cash is possible at any bank, but it comes with a 2% fee. Not the highest commission, so I'll give the bank another plus for that.

I do want to note that there's also some negative feedback towards Yandex Bank, but I'm not going to dwell on that. You can check out some of the criticisms here.

Yandex Prize Wheel

Yandex Market

I've noticed that the mobile app has a more comprehensive functionality than the browser version. I used to notice it a lot, but now it's almost unnoticeable.

I've got to say something about the savings feature. It's called Savings. Initially, the interest rate was a couple of percentage points higher than the market rate, even for a current account. Now it's almost on par.

The current account, also known as the savings account, is called 'Kubushka'. The interest is accrued daily, not at the end of the month. It's super convenient that you can set up automatic top-ups from your debit card. I've set a limit of 'not more than 10,000' on the payment, and the money lands on my card during the transaction itself. So, I can keep my card empty and still earn interest on the debit balance.

I highly recommend it.