VTB Mobile is a new virtual mobile operator 

On September 25, 2021, a new virtual operator VTB-Mobile began operating in Russia. This operator does not have its own mobile towers, so it works on Tele2 equipment. Communication services are available not only to clients of the bank of the same name; anyone can connect to the network, but in this case there are a number of price restrictions. Active clients of the bank have access to a free “Basic” package, which includes 3 GB of Internet, 150 minutes of calls and 50 SMS messages per month.

Tariff designer "VTB-Mobile"

Anyone can connect to the new network, regardless of whether they are bank clients or not. Now the starter package can be obtained at five VTB Moscow offices. At the same time, the basic package of services is provided completely free of charge until the end of the month of connection.

VTB Mobile subscribers can independently choose the desired service package using a special designer. Internet packages of 3 GB, 10 G and 20 GB, and communication packages of 150, 500 and 1000 minutes are available for connection. In all cases, 50 SMS messages are automatically connected to the subscriber. At the same time, the basic tariff, consisting of 3 GB of traffic and 150 minutes, is available to active clients of the bank free of charge. All calls within the network are free and unlimited.

The free “Basic” package is available for clients with a VTB multicard who make purchases of 5 thousand rubles or more per month. Otherwise, the cost of a basic set of services is 200 rubles.

Pleasant bonuses for subscribers

Each mobile communications company has some distinctive features, special “tricks” that distinguish it in the market. Let's talk about such features of VTB Mobile and figure out who they are suitable for.

1. Unlimited communication

There is complete unlimited calling within the operator's network. You can call VTB Mobile subscriber numbers as much as you want: it doesn’t waste your minutes.

You can talk without restrictions even after the packages of minutes have run out. The main thing is that you have a positive balance during the call.

This will be convenient for those who make a lot of calls to family, colleagues or friends. You can get VTB Mobile SIM cards as additional ones and communicate unlimitedly using a free tariff plan.

2. No roaming in Russia

If you travel around Russia a lot and are not ready to fly into the red every time due to roaming, this “trick” is for you. When traveling around the country, your packages will be valid in full, and the cost of services will not change.

There is no need to add additional options or choose a special tariff plan - everything is included in the basic tariff.

Of course, now most operators are switching to this format. But for those who travel a lot or go on business trips within the country, the bonus is still pleasant.

3. Favorable international roaming

For subscribers who travel abroad with a VTB Mobile SIM card, the bank offers special roaming conditions.

When leaving for other countries, you can buy service packages for 14 days of vacation:

• 1 GB of mobile traffic for 1000-1500 rubles;
• 30 incoming minutes for 100 rubles;
• 30 outgoing minutes to Russia for 300 rubles.

The exact list of packages and prices depend on the country you are traveling to.

For example, when traveling to France, you cannot connect to an Internet traffic package, and when on vacation in the USA, you cannot connect outgoing minutes. In Greece, 1 GB of Internet costs 1,000 rubles, and in Turkey - 1,500 rubles.

Unlimited Internet in all countries costs the same - 350 rubles. per day. Payment for it is charged only on those days when you use traffic.

Tariff designer "VTB-Mobile" in Moscow

For now, only residents and guests of Moscow can test the new connection. To receive a starter package, you should go to one of the VTB Bank offices at the addresses listed on the official website. There are several options for providing communication services to choose from.

It is worth considering that the table indicates the client’s monthly payment if he is a member of the loyalty program and pays for purchases with a VTB multicard in the amount of 5 thousand rubles per month. If this condition is not met, then you must pay the full cost of the services, which is plus 200 rubles in addition to each specified price.

Top up your phone via ATM

You can also transfer money to Beeline, Megafon or the account of any other operator using VTB ATMs. To do this you need:

1. On the bank’s website, find the “Branches and ATMs” section.
2. Find a suitable device among the proposed list (or on the map).
3. Go to the machine and insert the card with which the payment will be made.
4. Enter your PIN code.
5. Select the “Payments and Transfers” section (depending on the ATM firmware, the name may be different, but similar).
6. Select the option to top up your mobile phone account.
7. Indicate the recipient's phone number.
8. Enter the payment amount.
9. Confirm the operation.

Additional options for minutes and traffic packages

For an additional fee, you can connect a number of additional options that will allow you to communicate with family and friends without restrictions.

• Messengers – 50 rubles per month;
• Social networks – 50 rubles per month;
• Video hosting – 200 rubles per month;
• Geoservices – 50 rubles per month.

In addition, for just 50 rubles a month you can connect to a music service and listen to music without restrictions.

The operator offers favorable conditions for the provision of telecommunications services in roaming. There are special options that allow you to significantly save on the Internet and calls when abroad. It is possible to connect to unlimited Internet in roaming for only 350 rubles per day.

Additional packages to the tariff

If the basic set of services is not enough, then additional packages are connected. Initially, the settings provide for automatic activation of such services.

• The cost of 1 GB of Internet is 50 rubles;
• The cost of an additional 100 minutes of calls is 50 rubles.

If necessary, such packages will be connected automatically until the time for tariff renewal approaches.

By the end of this year, it will be possible to connect to VTB Mobile in almost all Moscow offices. In October, residents of St. Petersburg will be able to use the services of the new operator. Already in 2020, the operator should appear in 15 large regions of Russia.

Prices for calls above packages

The operator provides a number of services that are not included in the subscription fee and are paid separately.

• Calls to numbers of other operators in Russia when the limit is exceeded - 1.5 rubles per minute;
• Calls to subscribers living in the CIS countries - 30 rubles per minute;
• Calls to European and Baltic countries – 49 rubles per minute;
• Calls to other countries will cost subscribers 69 rubles per minute.

If the subscriber does not have enough messages included in the subscription fee, then they are also paid separately. SMS messages within your home region and intercity will cost 2 rubles apiece. The cost of international SMS is 5 rubles per piece.

Payment security

Topping up a phone is not difficult, but this operation can become relatively risky if the client does not comply with basic security requirements:

1. Transfer funds only to verified numbers.
2. Every time before sending money, check both the phone number and card number of the sender.
3. If any suspicion arises, cancel the operation. If it is no longer possible to do this yourself, immediately call support and ask to cancel the transaction, if this is still possible.
4. No one needs to provide their card number and other details to top up their phone account.

How to connect to VTB-Mobile

At the moment, you can connect to the new operator only at the official offices of VTB Bank, located at the following addresses:

• DO "Kuznetsky Most", Moscow, st. Rozhdestvenka, 8/15, building 1;
• DO "Central", Moscow, Kuznetsky Most, 17, building 1;
• DO "Tverskoy" 24, Moscow, Tverskaya st., 6/1, building 7;
• DO "Sokol", Moscow, Leningradsky Prospekt, 77, bldg. 2;
• Moscow Region, Zhukovsky, Lomonosova St., 4.

It is planned that by the end of this year it will be possible to obtain a starter package at almost any VTB Bank branch in the capital. In addition, residents of St. Petersburg will be able to become VTB Mobile subscribers as early as October this year.

For the convenience of users, a special mobile application has been developed. You can download it from the official AppStore and PlayMarket stores. Next, install the program on your smartphone and log in to the system. In this application, you can independently manage your tariff plan and control the costs of communication services.

Pros and cons of VTB-Mobile

Despite the fact that the mobile operator has only recently started operating, subscribers have already seen a number of advantages. The advantages of this virtual operator include the following points:

1. Ability to independently customize your tariff package. Subscribers can determine for themselves how many minutes or Internet they need;
2. All calls within the network within Russia are free and unlimited;
3. The cost of calls and Internet throughout Russia is the same. The exception, as always, is Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;
4. Due to the fact that the operator works on Tele2 equipment, high-speed Internet is available to subscribers. At the same time, the speed on the 3G network reaches 42 Mbit/s, and on the 4G network it reaches 150 Mbit/s;
5. There is a loyalty program for VTB Bank clients who actively use the Multicard. In this case, a basic set of services can be obtained completely free of charge;
6. You can additionally activate unlimited access not only to social networks and instant messengers, but also to video hosting and music services;
7. Favorable conditions for the provision of services in the roaming zone. It is possible to connect to unlimited Internet for only 350 rubles per day;
8. Until the end of the first month from the moment of connection, all services are provided free of charge.

This operator also has disadvantages that should be mentioned:

1. First of all, it should be noted that for now only residents of the capital can use communication services, and you can get a starter package in only 5 of the company’s offices.
2. The downside is that subscribers who are not VTB Bank clients and Multicard holders need to pay much more for services.
3. The constructor is not very convenient; it does not allow you to connect a package without traffic or minutes. And for many it is important to simply use the Internet and do not need minutes at all.
4. No cashback or bonuses.
5. Additional packages of minutes and gigabytes are configured so that the connection is automatic. It is not comfortable.
6. The virtual operator does not have any hidden subscriptions or charges. The subscriber pays only for those services that he has activated independently.
7. The minutes, SMS and gigabytes included in the tariff are not carried over to the next month.

Summary

The banks' plans to redistribute the market with leading mobile operators have not yet been achieved. SberMobile planned to increase its subscriber base to 3 million clients in 3 years, but it has not yet managed to reach these figures. Currently, virtual MVNOs for banks are unprofitable projects that require a lot of investment. At the same time, credit institutions intend to change this trend by offering eSim directly within their banking mobile applications.

The audience of online banking applications for smartphones is much wider than that of applications of banking telecom operators, so such a step should lead to a positive effect. For comparison:

1. Sberbank.Online on Android has more than 100 million downloads, while SberMobile has an audience of only about 100 thousand users.
2. Tinkoff has a similar picture. The banking application for accessing the online account on Android devices has been installed more than 10 million times, while Tinkoff Mobile has only been installed 1 million times.

The only limiting factor for customers is the ability to connect a virtual eSim card in their smartphone. But this limitation is gradually becoming insignificant. Over the first 9 months of 2020, 2.5 times more smartphones with eSim support were purchased in the Russian Federation than in 2021. All new generation phones already provide this technical capability, so in a few years there will be no problem.

But not all Russian banks are positive about the inclusion of MVNOs in their ecosystem. Most likely it is a matter of time. Banks analyze client interests and notice that the request for communication is not among the priority areas. For them, free transfers between cards, online accounting and convenient invoicing are more relevant. However, there is an assumption that over the horizon of 10-15 years the difference between a mobile operator and a bank will be completely erased. Therefore, in the coming years there are all prerequisites for new players from among other leading banks to enter the market.

Sources:

1. SberMobile website.
2. Tinkoff Mobile website.
3. VTB Bank page about its mobile operator.
4. GPB Mobile website.

about the author

Klavdiya Treskova - higher education with qualification “Economist”, with specializations “Economics and Management” and “Computer Technologies” at PSU. She worked in a bank in positions from operator to acting. Head of the Department for servicing private and corporate clients. Every year she successfully passed certifications, education and training in banking services. Total work experience in the bank is more than 15 years. [email protected]

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FAQ

At first, subscribers of a new virtual operator have many questions.

How to switch to an operator with your number?

Subscribers of other Russian operators can switch to VTB Mobile with their current number. To do this, you should contact the company office with your passport. Before doing this, you need to make sure that the ported number is registered to this particular subscriber. In addition, there should be no debt to the old operator, otherwise porting the number will not be possible.

A day before the number is transferred, the subscriber receives an SMS message containing information about the exact time of registration in the VTB network.

How to use the connection for free?

To do this, you must be a Multicard holder and actively use it. If a subscriber has spent more than 5 thousand rubles over the past month, then next month it will be possible to use mobile communications for free, but within the framework of the basic service package. It includes 3 GB of internet, 150 minutes and 50 SMS messages.

How to use Multibonus from VTB?

Accrued bonuses can be used to pay for additional communication services. You can view the number of available bonuses in your personal account.

How to top up your account?

You can top up your account in several ways, here everyone chooses the most suitable option for themselves.

1. Through the VTB-Mobile mobile application. In the settings, find the section for payment of services, then enter the bank card number and confirm the operation.
2. On the operator’s official website, log into your personal account and make a payment.
3. Payment is also available through VTB Bank ATMs.

After paying the subscription fee, you will receive a notification about the amount and balance received in your account. If necessary, all financial information can be found in the mobile application.

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I follow news on the mobile services market. Always up to date with the latest events

What is VTB Mobile

VTB Mobile is a virtual mobile operator, or MVNO. This is the name given to operators who do not have their own infrastructure and rent it from other mobile communication companies.

Tele2 provided its towers for the project. Now there are more than 20 virtual operators working on its platform, including all “banking” ones.

VTB began the first conversations about launching its mobile network back in 2016 - at the same time as Sberbank and Tinkoff Bank.

As planned, VTB Mobile was supposed to make maximum use of online channels for promotion:

• Offer the sale of eSIM after virtual SIM cards enter the Russian market;
• Attract new clients through the online application and through the official website of the bank;
• Provide convenient online management of all services.

The final decision to launch an MVNO was made in 2021, when more than 50% of VTB clients began using the bank’s mobile application.

VTB Mobile has its own network code, its own SIM cards and dedicated number capacity. The list of services, tariffs and connection conditions does not depend in any way on the “parent” company. In general, this is a typical MVNO project - except that it is aimed primarily at clients of the Eastern Pacific Bank.