Cashless payments, payment for services via the Internet, shopping without leaving home, accrued salary - all these advantages are provided by bank cards. Kinds bank cards are very different, therefore, their differences should be understood. Opening a bank account in our age is very simple: just come to the bank, conclude a contract and receive a personalized card, which can later be used to pay for any services. In addition, banks often offer various bonuses to make life even more comfortable!

How bank cards appeared

Since the last century, the presence of a bank account has been considered a sign of a rich person. Indeed, in order to start it, a considerable initial amount was required, which the bank kept. In the 50s, the first bank card appeared, which, in fact, is a sign that a person is regular customer and keeps his savings in this financial institution. Later, this idea was developed, and in our time, any citizen can afford to get a bank card without any risk. Now, having a bank account does not mean that a person has a lot of money, and fraudsters will have to work hard to steal all the funds and data from it, because each card has a unique chipset built into it, and the account owner knows the code word for data encryption. IN last resort the card can simply be instantly blocked from the moment the disappearance of funds on it is detected. In general, this thing is convenient in our time - bank cards. The types of bank cards are now very diverse, and for people who decide to get one for the first time, it can be difficult to decide which card is right for them. This is what should be dealt with.

Main types of cards

In essence, no matter what banks say and no matter what advertising company they push regarding cards, by and large there are only two types of cards:

1. A debit card designed primarily for storing money and making purchases.
2. A credit card that gives you the right to pay even when on it zero balance borrowing money from a bank.

What is the specific benefit for each type of card? You should start with the fact that it all depends on your wealth and the purposes for which the cards are needed.

Maps for personal use

A debit card is great for:

• Cashless payment in stores.
• Payment for purchases through the online store.
• Storing a large amount of money electronically.
• Get paid directly to your bank account.
• Savings on exchange rates.

If you are a person who is quite frugal with money and likes to save it for a specific purpose, then you should no longer shove money on mattresses and be afraid of night hunters for other people's wealth, nowadays it is enough to have a smartphone and a bank card in order to fully protect your funds. A debit card is, in essence, a key to your electronic accounts, which is very convenient to take with you on any trip. Also, many companies give their employees initial bank cards for payroll, which is also very convenient.

Credit card or spending without limits

What are the advantages of a credit card? For the most part, it is just one thing: a credit card is indispensable when, for some reason, funds are urgently needed, and the card has a zero balance. In this case, you can borrow from the bank and pay for the desired purchase or services. In essence, every month a person takes a mini-loan, and then gives the money to the bank from his salary. When issuing a credit card, the client undertakes to provide the bank with truthful information about his income.

What is an overdraft?

Customers often hear this word from bank employees. And of course, it introduces a little confusion. So, don't stress.

Overdraft cards are just another name for credit cards, where an overdraft is a negative balance on the client's account. In fact, the bank allows the client to go into negative territory up to a certain amount, if his own funds for some reason it is missing on the map.

The limit on spending is set at the conclusion of the contract, while it is important for the bank to know the level of income of its client.

Important! The higher the level of the client's card, the lower the percentage of the loan he can afford.

Which is better: Visa or MasterCard?

These two payment systems often flash before our eyes, despite the fact that, in addition to them, there are others. Nevertheless, when concluding a contract with a bank, you should decide which payment system the bank cards will be linked to.

Types of bank cards are not critically different when it comes to choosing payment systems. In particular, it is only a matter of currency conversion and where the client most often visits. For example, an ordinary Sberbank bank card is accepted almost everywhere, paying for any services abroad, the client does not have to worry about whether he has a Visa or a MasterCard.

Nevertheless, there are differences between them, namely:

1. Currency Conversion: Visa converts through the dollar, as it is its main currency, MasterCard - into euros. Thus, in order to avoid double conversion in Europe (from euros to dollars and then back to euros), it is better to take a MasterCard with you, but if you are an ardent fan of America, then Visa will do.
2. In the segment of simple cards, among the services provided, Visa still wins, which can easily pay for online purchases, while MasterCard Standard does not always allow this, although, for the most part, it all depends on the bank providing services. Nowadays, many even entry-level cards are accepted, including on the Internet.
3. Premium status cards provide a variety of benefits, most often depending on the connected services. For example, the holder of a Visa card when traveling abroad can automatically be insured free of charge, receive free medical care, various discounts from bank partners and use your bonuses at their true worth. MasterCard offers its customers a flexible system of bonuses, participation in various programs and assistance with purchases, and in some countries, discounts on housing and car rentals.

When purchasing a card, you should ask what kind of partners the bank has abroad, what bonuses should be expected based on the data received and personal experience, choose the appropriate card.

Prepaid cards

Banks often allow one owner to hold several cards at once, while one of them can be issued to the owner himself, while the other - to some family member or even be anonymous.

A good example of a prepaid card is Gift card, which can be used once, and after its use, just throw it away. Transport, social, salary or even game cards are all types of this kind of plastic. They are absolutely anonymous, their scope of action is most often limited to one service.

Very virtual cards from various payment systems are widespread: Qiwi, WebMoney, Yandex.Money, which are also common only for a certain range of services.

Prepaid cards can also be used for a limited time, they have a fixed amount for any needs, often they can only be paid in certain places.

Card design

To issue a card, a citizen of the Russian Federation needs to come to the bank with his passport and conclude a contract for issuing a card. If you are applying for a bank loan, you must also provide proof of income.

It happens that a person wants to get a premium class card, that is, he claims to receive a Visa Cold or Platinum, but it should be remembered that banks do not issue such cards to customers with a missing financial history in a bank or those who have credit history negative.

Often, the production of a personalized card takes about a week in general, after which the cherished plastic personalized bank cards fall into the hands of the client.

Types of bank cards may differ by age categories of the client. For example, a Sberbank youth bank card is issued to all persons from 14 to 25 years old. At the same time, there are no special restrictions on the map.

You should also clarify at the bank office how much the monthly or annual bank service costs, what interest per annum for storing certain amounts awaits you, and what services are connected to the card.

Mobile bank

To find out some information, it is not at all necessary to call the office every time. Now every self-respecting bank has mobile app, by setting which, the user himself controls his expenses, saves amounts for the necessary purposes, sees how many bonuses he has accumulated for purchases, creates automatic payments and, best of all, an automatic notification is sent to the phone about each operation.

For example, a father of a family who has one bank account and several cards: one is issued for him, the second for his daughter, the third for his wife, can easily monitor the expenditure of funds. Or, when issuing prepaid cards for someone, the owner can also see where the money from the card was spent.

Bonus system

Nowadays, various cashback services are also very popular when shopping in online stores. It's always nice to get back some percentage of the purchase! Now it’s even easier to do this: many banks offer to activate cashback right when applying for a card, without intermediary services, and when buying goods in partner stores, a small part of the amount spent is automatically returned to the card.

Also, for those who like frequent flights, there is a system of accumulating miles, as a result of which you can save up for a small trip to any city in Europe. International bank cards are often useful when there is no way to change money, and besides, making purchases abroad in the same stores as at home, or dining in the same restaurants, you can get bonuses from the bank.

The advantages of bank cards do not end there. IN modern world a person can profitably do what he loves, receiving pleasant bonuses from his bank for this.

plastic card is a payment instrument through which its holders can make non-cash payments for goods, works and services or receive cash.

In this definition, I would like to note three main points.

Firstly, a plastic card is only a means of access to the funds on the holder's account, through which he carries out the above operations (with the exception of electronic money cards). It contains certain information, with the help of which, as well as an individual code (PIN code), the holder accesses the funds in his account.

Secondly, a plastic card is a means of making payments, and not a means of payment itself. In other words, the card does not replace the money itself (legal tender), nor does it replace or duplicate the function of money as a means of payment. It is only the instrument through which money performs this function.

Thirdly, the card is not a monetary surrogate. As noted above, the card contains only certain information about the account, and not cash. By itself, it has no value (except for the cost of plastic).

The whole spectrum plastic cards points can be divided into types depending on the selected criterion. But I would like to highlight the main ones:

1. Depending on the operations carried out during the issuance and circulation, plastic cards are divided into banking And non-banking(trading).

Bank cards It is assumed that when they are issued and in the process of circulation, banking operations will be carried out: opening accounts, settlement and cash services for participants in settlements, currency exchange and other operations.

Non-banking (trading) are cards issued by legal entities for payment for goods (works, services) that belong to them on the basis of ownership. In Belarus, these are Beltelecom, metro, Internet cards.

2. There are various settlement mechanisms for transactions made using cards. However, in general terms, there are two main types of cards - debit And credit.

Using debit card, the client must ensure the availability Money on the account, the amount of which determines the limit of funds available for settlements. When making a transaction using a card, the amount of funds in the account also decreases. If all the funds on the account have been spent, then in order to resume operations, the client must again replenish his account. In some cases, it is allowed to exceed the limit of funds available for transactions by a certain amount, which must be repaid within a certain period (the so-called debit-credit cards, or cards with the possibility of overdraft).

Using credit the card holder does not deposit funds into the account in advance. The implementation of settlements on the operations of the holder is carried out at the expense of a loan provided to him by the bank. In this case, the limit of funds available for settlements is related to the amount of credit provided. Within a certain period, the holder must repay the resulting debt to the bank, after which the loan is renewed.

3. Depending on who is the owner of the account, there are corporate And personal cards.

Account holders corporate cards are legal entities. Such cards are issued to employees of a legal entity to pay expenses related to its business activities and business trips.

Account holders personal cards are individuals. In addition to a personal card, cards can be additionally issued to family members of the account holder (so-called family cards).

4. Another classification of plastic cards is related to their technological features.

Plastic identification cards. Being the simplest, plastic cards usually contain the name of the manufacturer and his trademark, as well as the name of the owner and his identification code. This data is printed or raised in relief on the front of the card. The reverse side of the card may have space for the owner's signature. Such plastic cards are commonly used to identify club members, regular air passengers, and so on.

Magnetic cards. They have the same appearance as ordinary plastic cards, except that they have a magnetic stripe on the back of the card. The magnetic stripe can store about 100 bytes of information, which is read by a special reader. The information contained on the magnetic stripe matches the entries on the front of the card: name, account number of the cardholder and expiration date of the card.

Magnetic cards are commonly used as credit cards (such as VISA, MasterCard, EuroCard, Amerikan Express, etc.), bank debit cards, ATM cards, and telephone credit cards.

Memory cards. They look like normal ones, except that they have a built-in chip. The card chip also contains a storage device. All "smart" features of the card are supported by the reader (a device that can read from and write to the card's memory). Although memory cards are better protected than magnetic ones, their level of protection is not very high, so they are used in applications that do not require a significant level of information protection, for example, to pay for telephone conversations.

Optical memory cards. They have a larger capacity than memory cards, but data can only be written to them once. These cards use worm technology (write once - read many times). Such cards are typically used in applications where it is necessary to store large amounts of data that cannot be changed, such as medical records.

Smart cards. Externally, smart cards are similar to memory cards, however, the smart card chip contains "logic" (microprocessor), which makes these cards intelligent, in English "smart". A smart card is actually a small computer that can perform calculations like a personal computer. Some smart cards also contain a magnetic strip to make them compatible with the magnetic card system.

A smart card has a higher cost, but it has a number of fundamental advantages:

The card is guaranteed to be protected from counterfeiting, which means from financial losses for its owner and the bank.

All necessary information the status of the cardholder's account is recorded on it, which means that when making a purchase with a card, there is no need to contact the bank to confirm the balance of funds on the account.

When servicing with a card, an identity card is not required from the owner.

Access to information on the account is necessary, as a rule, no more than once a month.

In addition to using cards as a means of payment, their unique security and the prospect of increasing opportunities make it possible to provide a range of services, including remote access to an account, receiving statements, performing financial transactions with electronic signature and so on .

5. Depending on the information recorded on the storage medium, the following types of cards can be distinguished.

Cards containing information allowing the issuer to identify the holder. The above information, as a rule, includes the card number, the name of the owner, the expiration date of the card, information about the PIN code. In some cases, additional information may also be recorded. TO this species cards include magnetic stripe cards.

Cards with full account operations. These cards contain information that allows you to identify both the holder and the amount of money available to him during the operation. A card with a full account of transactions allows the holder to carry out transactions without contacting the processing center immediately at the time of their completion, but it is necessary to have electronic means of information processing (payment terminal, ATM).

After the transaction is carried out through the payment terminal, the issuer tracks each transaction carried out by the cardholder and maintains a complete account of the movement of funds on the account. As a rule, these are smart cards or chip cards.

Electronic money cards. Electronic money is the obligation of the issuer to the holder in monetary terms, stored electronically on a technical device.

6. From the point of view of the settlement mechanism, bilateral And multilateral systems.

Double-sided cards originated on the basis of bilateral agreements between settlement participants, where cardholders can use them to purchase goods in closed networks controlled by the card issuer.

In contrast to this multilateral systems who lead national associations bank cards, as well as companies issuing travel and entertainment cards, provide cardholders with the opportunity to buy goods on credit from various merchants and service organizations that recognize these cards as a means of payment.

The cards of these systems also make it possible to receive cash advances, use machines for withdrawing cash from a bank account, etc.

In settlement systems using plastic cards two operating modes can be used: online And off-line , and both magnetic stripe cards and smart cards function in these modes.

off-line - an operating mode in which payment terminals and ATMs are not in interaction with the source of the central computer of the system at the time of the transaction. In this mode, authorization is performed by settings inside the terminals or supporting devices.

Cardholder information is not accessed in a real environment (that is, the current information is not viewed during the time the transaction is being performed).

Online - an operating mode in which payment terminals and ATMs are in interaction with the central computer system and have access to the database for authorization, request or change of information about the cardholder. The current information about the cardholder is accessed during each transaction.

There is also such a thing as a scratch-card. scratch card- a plastic card with an area painted over with an impenetrable coating (Scratch-stripe), under which there is a PIN code (personal identification number) with a unique set of numbers for each card, and which must be erased to activate the card. Cards with a Scratch strip are primarily Internet cards, phone cards, as well as bonus (gaming) cards, etc.

There are differences in the use of cards in systems based on paper technology or in electronic systems. In "paper" systems, the holder puts his signature on the merchant account or other document prepared by the merchant, which is a confirmation of his permission to debit his bank account. Then the trading account is sent to the card issuer as a basis for paying the corresponding amount to the merchant and debiting the money from the cardholder's account.

In an electronic system, the cardholder communicates directly with the issuer through a terminal. Instead of signing on the account, he enters a secret combination of numbers using the keyboard, which, if typed correctly, is an authorization to debit his bank account.

Consider some more types of plastic cards.

Tourism and entertainment cards- These are "payment" cards. They are produced by companies specializing in servicing this area.

Private payment cards trade and service organizations. The use of these cards is limited to a certain closed network of trade establishments. The company itself provides the loan, and it also receives interest on loans. Since the 1970s, there have been widespread bank private cards, with the help of which you can make purchases in certain stores at a discount, but the issuance of cards, the issuance of credit for purchases and settlements for the payment of trading invoices is carried out by the bank party to the agreement. Sometimes cards of this kind are issued for members of certain professional groups or individuals connected by common interests. They are called "club" cards.

Cards for purchase through terminals at retail outlets (POS-cards). Cards of this type also belong to the category of debit cards. They are "linked" to the cardholder's checking or savings account and do not automatically provide credit. The POS card functions as a bank check.

Check Guarantee Card. This card is issued to the holder of a current bank account to identify the drawer of a check and guarantee payment on a check. The card is based on credit line, which allows the account holder to use an overdraft loan (that is, the occurrence of a debit balance when paying a check for an amount exceeding the balance on the current account of the bank client). At the same time, the bank guarantees the merchant the receipt of money by check within the established limit in the event that the required amount is not on the drawer's account.

In economically developed countries more than one billion payment cards are in circulation, the plastic business is developing steadily, including with the transition to various forms credit cards for consumer spending. The use of electronic payment facilities both in terms of the number of transactions and their volume in last years increased sharply. A number of innovative payment options are emerging, such as card pre-authorization instead of pre-payment, depositing funds on the card instead of online access to the account, non-personalized payment cards, the ability to make card-to-card payments and other tools aimed at overcoming barriers to large-scale cash replacement. The main goal of the payments industry is to create conditions under which consumers will not need to have cash. These conditions include the growth of the card acceptance network, the expansion of the possibilities of card products and the reduction in the cost of transactions.

As world experience shows, the development of a system of non-cash retail payments is one of the most important areas banking business at this stage. An important step towards the transition to cashless payments is the creation of the Single European Payments Area (SEPA).

The European Payments Council asked European banks to speed up the transition to the international EMV standard, since by the time of the transition to a single payment area, any merchant in the SEPA zone will have to accept and service the card of any buyer according to a single standard. The European Central Bank expects that the creation of SEPA will reduce the cost of card transactions, with savings to be in favor of retailers and ordinary cardholders. In addition, the potential economic efficiency (about 0.09 percent of GDP) can be achieved by combating the shadow economy, which is cash-oriented in its structure.

If you are over 14 years old and you have already received a passport, then you can apply for a plastic card at Sberbank. payment card. Especially for young people aged 14 to 21, Sberbank offers the Youth card. It has a number of features. First of all, the low cost of annual maintenance and individual design.

Features of the salary card of Sberbank
For enumeration wages on the map are used debit cards. The most popular types of Sberbank salary cards are considered entry-level cards: Sberbank-Maestro and Visa Electron. If you have a debit card and need to receive a salary on the card, contact the accounting department of your company.

A bank card for pensioners is issued free of charge. If you need a card Sberbank Visa Electron, then you will have to pay 300 rubles for opening a card and the same amount for the subsequent annual maintenance. Sberbank payroll cards are issued to employees free of charge.

Not many Sberbank cardholders know that you can get an additional card for any card. Annual maintenance cost additional card significantly lower than the main map. For example, additional social card Sberbank - Maestro "Social" provides for a fee of 150 rubles per year.

The Sberbank Maestro "Momentum" card is issued free of charge and it fully justifies its name "Momentum", since you can get it literally 15 minutes after the contract is signed. This is an entry-level bank card, payment system Maestro and it is intended to pay for services and goods in Russia.

Bank cards are most often used to carry out various payments through an ATM. Using a card at an ATM, you can top up your phone balance, pay utility bills, pay a traffic police fine, transfer money to another card, etc.

Each card at the end of its validity period must be returned to the bank and received in return new card. On banking language this is called a card reissue. Reissue of the card can be paid and free.

Sberbank issues a variety of cards, taking into account any needs of its customers. There are cards with which you can save on purchases of railway and air tickets, receive various bonuses and discounts when buying goods, save on gas stations.

The pin code is used to perform card transactions through an ATM or other devices, for example, when paying for goods in a "real" store or withdrawing cash from an ATM. In order to pay for a purchase in an online store, instead of a pin code, you will need to provide card details and a unique "password" - the CVV2 code.

The bank card number is located on the front side of the card and usually consists of 16 digits. It is considered a payment requisite, as well as a pin code, and therefore try not to disclose it to unauthorized persons. After replacing the card, its number will change, but the account number of the card remains the same.

Sberbank offers a range of bank cards, including those without annual service fees. For people receiving various kinds of social payments and benefits, the bank has a special Maestro card"Social".

The Visa payment system is not much different from MasterCard. Cards of both systems have almost all the features of modern bank cards. But since the Visa payment system first appeared in the United States, the dollar is used for its calculations.

The "Visa electron" bank card is one of the most popular Sberbank cards, since it has a relatively low annual maintenance cost and enough great opportunities. Such a card can be used to receive salaries, scholarships, various social benefits.

Plastic payment card "Corn" has a number of differences from other bank cards. You can get it in any salon of the Euroset company quickly and completely free of charge.

To perform various operations through an ATM and bank terminals, you need to specify the pin code of the card. Four digits (sometimes more) must be typed accurately and no more than three times in a row. Try to memorize them well, because after three wrong attempts your card will be blocked.

Loans do not have to be received in cash at the bank's cash desk. It is much more convenient to issue and receive a Sberbank credit card instead of cash. Having a credit card makes it much easier for you to pay your monthly installments.

The world of bank cards can be roughly divided into two main types: credit cards and debit cards. Credit cards are issued by the bank when applying for a loan. You use debit cards to receive salaries, pensions, scholarships, various social benefits, etc.

If you no longer need the card, it must be closed at the bank in accordance with the rules specified in the agreement. An open, active card can cause debt to the bank.

Each card has a number on the front. However, this is the card number, but not the account from which various monetary transactions. If the card is lost or replaced again, the card number will change, but the bank account number will remain the same.

If you forget this code, you will not be able to use the card. You will have to issue a new card and get a different pin code for the card. Before using a bank card, it must be activated in any convenient way. For example, you can request the card account balance through an ATM.

Banks spend great job in search of solutions for the safe use of cards. A virtual bank card is one such solution. Together with the main card, you issue an additional, virtual card. Just like the main map, virtual card has its own details and works "in pair" with a real card.

Everyone knows that bank cards replace cash. This is the main advantage of the modern financial world. Using the card, you can easily book a hotel room abroad, buy an air ticket without leaving your office, and much more.

You can check the balance of a Sberbank card different ways, including you can find out the balance of money on the card account using SMS via phone.

In case of loss or theft of a bank card, it is urgent to block it. How to block a Sberbank card via phone.

Information updated: 10.02.2020

The payment system is an important parameter of a bank card, it determines where and how it will be used. It is indicated by a logo, usually located in the lower right corner of the card. In this article, #AllLoansOnline will tell you about how bank card payment systems work and about the features of the most popular systems in Russia.

Many features of the payment system, such as the technical device or regions of presence, may affect how you use the card. Often the system offers its customers various additional features and bonuses. The reliability and security of your payments depends on its work.

Generally speaking, a payment system is a set of rules, processes and equipment through which money is circulated between people and organizations. This complex should provide uninterrupted, safe, reliable and efficient money transfer processes on common terms for all participants. Most often, such a system is independent - does not belong to any financial institutions- and is engaged only in conducting monetary transactions.

In a narrower sense, this term is often understood as a system for the circulation of bank cards. This system includes the cards themselves various kinds, tools for their release and maintenance, and rules for their use. The payment system can work independently of other organizations or through intermediaries - most often, banks act in their role.

According to the volume of distribution, payment systems are divided into international and local. International covers several countries at once and cooperates with many organizations within these countries. Local usually does not go beyond one country or one organization.

From the history of bank card payment systems

The first payment card system was Diners Club, which appeared in 1950 in the USA. In the same year, the system issued the first ever credit cards. At the same time, the company was not a bank, but a kind of club, which included people interested in the idea of ​​​​paying their expenses at any time without cash on hand.

The first Diners Club credit cards were used to pay for meals in restaurants. They were paper and were, in fact, a document confirming the solvency of the owner. Once a month, club members received statements on accounts paid in this way, which then had to be paid.

Actually bank cards appeared later, and initially unified system for their release and maintenance was not. Each bank issued its own cards, which could only be used within it. Long Island Bank, a small New York bank, was the first to issue its bank cards in 1951.

The first interbank system was the Interbank Card Association (future MasterCard), which appeared in 1966. At the same time, American Express in the USA, Eurocard in Europe and JCB in Japan are actively developing.

In parallel, technologies for making payments and storing information about them developed. The cards themselves turned from paper to plastic, magnetic stripes appeared on them, and later - electronic chips that store account information. Computer systems began to be used to process transactions. The development of the Internet has made it possible to carry out all real-time transactions online.

In the USSR, their own payment systems based on bank cards almost did not develop. Foreign cards were available only to a very narrow circle of people and were not used everywhere. VAO Intourist and Vnesheconombank were responsible for accepting and servicing the cards. In 1988, Vnesheconombank became the first Soviet bank to issue a card in a foreign payment system. By the end of the 20th century, Visa and Europay (subsequently included in MasterCard) were the most active in our market.

The first domestic system of bank cards was STB, which was created by Stolichny Bank in 1992. However, it was not widely used and is no longer used. In 1994 appeared gold Crown which has become more popular. Now it is better known for money transfers, and bank cards are less common in it.

In 2012, the PRO100 system appeared, which was developed by Sberbank based on MasterCard technologies. The cards of this system were supposed to combine a payment instrument and an identity document. An attempt to create such a tool was not very successful, and, despite a certain prevalence, by 2017 the system was curtailed. It has been replaced by a system.

Members of the system

At the heart of any payment system is a processing center - an organization or its subdivision, which provides technical interaction between the participants of this system. Typically, these centers are big banks. For example, VTB also has them. In order for the processing center to work in the system, it must obtain permission and a license from it. In Russia, the center must also undergo additional checks by the FSB.

Other important participants are issuers - organizations that issue and service cards, and acquirers that organize the acceptance of cards for payment. In our country, banks usually become issuers and acquirers. The issuer is obliged to issue cards, open and maintain accounts linked to them. The acquirer organizes the acceptance of card payments and service at ATMs.

The same bank can be both an issuer and an acquirer at the same time. For interaction between different banks settlement and clearing centers are being created. All of these organizations need equipment and permits from the payment system to conduct their respective operations.

Finally, the system includes bank card holders - individuals and legal entities that use them. The issuer who issued it always remains the owner of the bank card. It also includes organizations that use the services of acquirers to accept payment for their goods and services using bank cards.

All participants are controlled by the head office. It sets general rules participation in the system, organizes the development of technologies used in it, owns the rights to the trademark.

The work of payment systems in Russia is determined by the federal law No. 161-FZ "On the national payment system". Their work is supervised by the Central Bank. All information about the systems operating in the country is entered in a separate register.

Principle of operation

When using the card - for example, when paying for purchases - the holder confirms the operation, and the acquirer reads the card information and sends a request to the processing center. The center processes the request and, if it finds such a card in the system, sends the information to the issuer. The issuer checks the status of the card account and, if there is enough money on this account, blocks the required amount on the account and sends the corresponding request through the processing center to the acquirer. He confirms the fact of payment, informs the cardholder and the store where the purchase was made.

Later, a list of completed payment transactions is created, which is transmitted through the acquirer to the processing center. It generates a register of payments and sends messages to issuers, acquirers, and the clearing house. Based on message clearing center sends a request to the issuer, which writes off the payment amount and transfers it through processing to the acquirer, and the acquirer - to the organization in which the purchase was made. The acquirer and issuer inform their customers of successful transactions.

Other transactions are organized in a similar way, such as money transfers between cardholders and cash withdrawals from an ATM. Now all these operations work in real time and fully automatically. From a request for payment to a withdrawal of money, it can take from a few seconds to one day.

Within the payment system, all transactions are carried out in one currency. The issuer and acquirer can use any currency. If the issuer and the acquirer work in the same currency, then there is no need to additionally exchange money. If they use different currencies, then the amount of the payment or transfer is converted from the issuer's currency first into the system's currency, and then into the acquirer's currency.

For example, the cardholder in Visa system with a ruble account wants to pay for a purchase in Thailand. During the payment process, the amount that is debited from the account is first exchanged into dollars - the main currency in Visa - and then into Thai baht. The exchange rate depends on the conditions of the issuer and acquirer.

A separate entry is created for each card, which contains the name of the issuer that issued it, the type and status in the system, information about the holder, and other information. Each card is assigned a unique number by which it is associated with the record. The number is always printed or extruded (embossed) on the front side.

Systems are constantly working on the speed, reliability and safety of all operations.

Payment systems of bank cards in Russia and their features

The most common in our country are the international payment systems Visa and MasterCard. Cards of these systems are issued by almost all banks, they are most often issued and accepted almost everywhere. The national payment system MIR is less common, mainly due to the transfer of pensioners and state employees to it. Other systems - American Express, UnionPay, JCB and others - are found and serviced much less frequently.

Consider the features of each payment system separately.

Visa

Visa is the largest international payment system operating in more than 200 countries around the world.

The system was created in 1958 by a major American Bank of America. Then it was called BankAmericard. By the beginning of the 80s of the last century, it absorbed a number of other American payment systems and entered the world market. Then she changed her name to Visa. By the end of the 80s, the system came to the USSR. The first Soviet bank to join it was Sberbank. At the end of the 20th century, the system was one of the first to introduce chip cards (originally they were called smart cards).

Visa, together with other systems, has developed international standard EMV that installs single order card transactions.

IN early XXI century Visa has become the most popular payment system in our country. In addition, for a long time, it was Russian turnovers in it that accounted for almost half of the total volume in the Eastern European region of the system's influence.

The Visa payment system provides all the main types and categories of bank cards and uses a variety of tools to make payments on them. The main currency in the system is the US dollar. All cards are chip or magnetic chip cards. Contactless payment using PayWave technology is often available for them. To protect payments, the CVV2 security code and payment confirmation with a 3D Secure PIN code or SMS password are used.

Visa is headquartered in the United States, in Foster City, California. CEO company since 2016 - Alfred F. Kelly Jr. The main settlement center of the payment system in Russia is VTB Bank.

In Russia, almost all banks issue credit and debit cards of different status categories in this system. They are accepted for payment at all outlets where cashless payments are available, including on the Internet. The table shows the main types of cards in the Visa system and examples on Russian market:

Name	Card Status	Examples
	American Express One of the oldest payment systems in the world, it is widely used in the USA. American Express was founded in 1850, initially it was engaged in the transportation of valuable goods. She later switched to Money transfers and travelers checks. The system issued the first payment card in 1958, since that time it has been very actively involved in financial services. American Express came to Russia back in 1887, when it offered money transfers to residents of our country. In 1969, the USSR began to accept cards of this system for payment - mainly in shops and establishments serving foreign tourists. Currently, Russian Standard Bank is a key partner of American Express in Russia. The system focuses on the quality of its services, not popularity. Therefore, her cards are distributed among a fairly limited circle of people, mainly travelers and wealthy people. Benefits such as a travel insurance program, a discount program and a travel management service are available to all of its clients. Basically, AmEx issues credit cards of different status categories. The main currency in the system is the US dollar. The system also has its own ExpressPay contactless payment technology, but cards with it are not issued in our country. American Express is headquartered in New York. The General Director of the system is Kenneth Chenot, who has been working in his position since 2001. The settlement center of the payment system in Russia belongs to Russian Standard Bank. The table shows examples of American Express cards that can be issued in Russia: UnionPay A large payment system from China, operates in 157 countries around the world. The system appeared in 2002, it was created by National Bank China. Subsequently, it began to spread in the countries of East Asia, and in 2007 it came to Russia. In 2013, some banks in our country began to issue cards in this system - Gazprombank, Lightbank and Russian Standard were among the first. By 2016, in terms of turnover, the system reached the same level as Visa and MasterCard. Union Pay uses the same technologies as international payment systems. Credit and debit cards of all major status categories are available in the system. The main currencies are the yuan in China and the US dollar in other countries. UnionPay's contactless technology is called QuickPass, but cards with it are rarely issued outside of China. The Chinese payment system does not participate in international sanctions and therefore can work in Crimea. But there are very few outlets where such cards are accepted for payment in Russia. UnionPay is headquartered in Shanghai. The company's CEO, Shi Wenchao, has been with the company since its inception. Settlement center of UnionPay in Russia - JSCB "Bank of China (Elos)". The table below shows examples of Union Pay cards issued in Russia: Which payment system to choose? Which system you choose will determine where and how you can use your card. Each system has its own characteristics, such as contactless payment or its own discount programs, its pros and cons. This parameter determines the main currency in which some transactions will be carried out - for example, payment for purchases abroad. Typically, the systems in which the card is issued are always indicated on the offer page at the bank. If the card is available in several variations at once, then the desired one can be selected during the registration process. If you did not find the information, then you can clarify this issue in the bank's support service. Consider in what situations certain cards will be useful. The golden mean is a Visa or MasterCard card. It is quite versatile, it can be used to pay for purchases in any stores or to withdraw cash. It will be accepted for payment not only in Russia, but also abroad. At the same time, Visa is more suitable for the USA, and MasterCard is more suitable for Europe. MIR is more suitable for those who rarely travel outside of Russia. For comfortable use within the country, it has everything you need. You can also apply for a MIR card if you live or often vacation in Crimea - only the national payment system works there Cards of other systems will be suitable for narrower use. American Express is useful for travelers, and UnionPay is useful for those who work or rest in China. They can be designed as basic and as additional All the main conditions of the card - issuance, maintenance, the size of the limit for a credit card or interest on the balance of a debit card, as well as possible bonuses and cashback, depend, to a greater extent, on the bank that issued it. You can choose either a card with suitable conditions in the system you are interested in on our website. Questions and answers How is a Visa card different from a MasterCard? Both Visa and MasterCard provide credit and debit cards of various statuses. They can pay for purchases in any stores and on the Internet. Systems support high level security of operations. PayWave and PayPass technologies for contactless payment are compatible with each other. Differences appear only when traveling to other countries and issuing a premium card. In Russia, both systems retain approximately equal influence. Abroad, Visa is more active in the US, Australia, America and Southeast Asia, MasterCard - in Europe and Africa. The first system makes settlements in dollars, the second - in dollars and euros. Both payment systems offer different privilege programs for holders status cards. MasterCard has discount programs and special offers from partners in major cities peace. Visa has medical and legal support, concierge service, purchase protection and others. The higher the status of the card (gold, platinum, premium or elite), the more privileges are available. What is a security code Visa cards Or MasterCard? The security code is placed on reverse side bank card. It is three-digit for Visa, MasterCard and MIR cards, and four-digit for American Express. This code is used to confirm the authenticity of the card when paying for purchases via the Internet. The security code is not written on the chip or on the card strip, is not displayed on the receipt, and cannot be changed like a PIN code. How is MIR different from other payment systems? When used within Russia, the MIR card does not differ from international cards. It is accepted in many retail outlets throughout the country, including in the Crimea. Many MIR cards from major banks support contactless payment. The system supports its loyalty program with cashback for purchases from partners. WORLD does not depend on external factors- with a possible tightening of sanctions, the system will continue to work. Only MIR co-badged cards work abroad, which are issued jointly with international payment systems. Also, the system does not yet have its own program of privileges for premium card holders. Can a card work in two payment systems at once? Maybe. There are cards that are issued in two payment systems - usually international and local. Such cards are called co-badged. The processing center of each system that participates in the release defines the card within the system as "their own". A co-badged card can be distinguished by the icons of the two systems on the front side. For example, co-badged cards are issued by MIR jointly with Maestro, UnionPay and JCB. Can a state employee or a pensioner refuse a MIR card? From July 1, 2017, all budget payments (including pensions and salaries of state employees) are paid only to MIR cards. However, you can issue an additional card in a foreign payment system (for example, Visa) and transfer money to it. MIR cards for pensioners and state employees usually have free or inexpensive service, so you can keep any amount of money on the card. Also, you can not issue a MIR card if you receive budget payments to an account that is not linked to cards. You can transfer payments to such an account upon application to the FIU. After that, you will be able to freely draw up any cards on standard terms. Why does a chip card need a magnetic stripe? Both the chip and the strip are needed to store information on the card and interact with terminals and ATMs. The chip is more reliable than the strip and can store more information on it. Chip cards may support contactless payment. Payment systems are gradually phasing out magnetic stripes and replacing them with chips - this process is very active abroad. But in Russia, almost all cards are still magnetic-chip cards. Here, the strip is needed to work with ATMs of old models, which are many in the regions. Also without a chip, instant and gift cards are often issued. In any case, we advise you to have at least one Visa card or MasterCard, credit or debit, primary or secondary. In addition to it, you can issue a MIR card, preferably with free service- in case international systems impose new sanctions. So, the payment system is a rather complex complex, behind which is a large number of organizations, processes and technologies. But it is more important for the holder to find out in which system it is better to issue a card for their needs. It all depends on your goals or needs: You need a universal payment instrument that will be accepted anywhere in the world - Visa or MasterCard will do Are you afraid of sanctions, rarely travel outside of Russia or are going to visit the Crimea - a MIR card in one of the major banks will do Do you want to emphasize the status or use additional privileges when traveling - an American Express card will do Looking for an alternative to the usual payment systems or you need a card for settlements in China - you can get a UnionPay card In addition to the payment system, the conditions of the card you want to issue are also important. Our site will help you choose a profitable one or a card for your purpose. infographics Did you find answers to all your questions in this article?

Plastic bank cards have firmly entered the modern life of almost every adult Russian. There are a huge number of them, how do they differ from each other and what do we, users of these cards, need to know about them?

Debit cards

The very first and most important difference between plastic bank cards: they are debit and credit. Debit cards contain their own funds, but only non-cash ones - salary, pension, alimony, that is, an analogue of ordinary paper money.

Some debit cards come with - the ability to use the bank's money in debt if your own funds are insufficient. Most often, an overdraft is provided by payroll cards, and its size depends on the size of the salary of the cardholder. The overdraft amount is usually a percentage of salary or several salaries.

In addition to the permitted overdraft on the card, a (technical) overdraft may occur when the expenses on the card exceed the allowable limit. It can happen to both debit and credit cards.

Credit cards

is an analogue consumer loans. The bank issues a loan for a certain amount, the client uses the card to pay for his purchases.

Unlike credit and overdraft cards, credit cards have a grace period, usually around 50 days. If you return the spent money to the bank within grace period interest will not be charged.