Tele2 virtual card – how to get and use?

In 2013, the alternative telecom operator Tele2, following Megafon, released branded online payment cards. According to some data, almost 13% of clients used them in the first year alone. In 2021, probably due to the financial difficulties of the issuing bank, the issuance of virtual cards was suspended. However, Tele2 promises that the service, so popular among subscribers, will certainly be returned in its previous form.

Description of Tele2 MasterCard

Virtual Tele2 MasterCard is an online card for payments on the Internet. It does not have a physical medium, but nevertheless has the same characteristics as standard plastic:

• 16-digit number, which is based on the Tele2 subscriber’s phone number;
• validity period;
• owner's name;
• code of authenticity (CVC).

The card issuer is Tavrichesky Bank (St. Petersburg). It is issued in the transnational payment system MasterCard, which is accepted by online stores in 210 countries.

Important!

A distinctive feature of the Tele2 virtual card is its single balance with the subscriber’s telephone account. It is issued for six months. It can be reissued in the future without restrictions.

Who can become the card owner

If you intend to turn your phone into a kind of bank plastic, you need:

• connection to a prepaid tariff;
• you must be a non-corporate customer;
• experience in the Tele2 network for at least 60 days.

There are restrictions on purchases. The minimum you can spend is 1.00 rubles, the maximum is 15,000 rubles. When purchasing anything, always take into account the mandatory commission. The good news is that you can transfer money from a Tele2 virtual card to a bank card. It is also positive that the product is well protected from fraudsters. No purchase can be made without entering the CVC2 code in a special window. In this case, it remains active only for an hour after receiving it and is only good for one purchase. In the hands of scammers, such a card will be useless. Attention: the balance of the virtual payment instrument is always equal to the size of the telephone balance. SMS notifications are sent to the owner’s phone about any transactions with the card.

Advantages of Tele2 MasterCard

Virtual Tele2 MasterCard has a number of advantages over classic cards:

• It is easy to use and replenish. The card works like a standard bank card on a plastic carrier. You don't have to worry about losing it or forgetting your PIN code. It’s easy to remember the card number, since it is based on the subscriber’s phone number. Tele2 MasterCard is easy to top up: just add money to the number.
• Its design is not difficult. To receive a card, you do not need to visit the provider or bank office, write applications, or wait. You just need to submit a request using the USSD command or through your personal account on the Tele2 website. It is released instantly, already active and ready for use.
• The money on the card is safe. A one-time CVC code for online purchases is sent to your phone via SMS. It is only valid for 1 hour. If you enter the wrong CVC 3 times in a row, the card will be blocked, so it is impossible to guess the code and steal the funds.

Virtual Tele2 MasterCard provides holders with almost unlimited opportunities on the Internet. Any store or service will accept it. You can use it to pay traffic police and housing and communal services fines.

Personal impressions

We checked it in practice. In terms of quality of work, the technology is in no way inferior to a regular SIM.

The connection is clear, without wheezing or sticking. Internet is fast. Exactly the same as working with a physical SIM card. Here is the result of measuring speed in Speedtest (checked directly at Myasnitskaya):

When calling, do not forget to select which number you are calling from. The default is the main one that you had before connecting.

To find out which number you were given, enter the USSD command *201# in the Phone application. Or just call a friend and ask what popped up for them.

Switching between numbers occurs quickly in the Settings -> Cellular menu. To change the operator for Internet traffic, at the very top, select Cellular data and the desired SIM card.

In the Cellular Tariffs section, you can turn on and off the particular phone you are using.

And yes. This SIM card does not work on Apple Watch.

PS There are no more eSIM cards. According to rumors, there were only 15 of them in all of Moscow. Whether this is true or not, you can no longer get a card right now.

iPhones.ru

Not without its sins, but it works well.

Application of the card

Tele2 MasterCard is used only in conjunction with a telephone. Before purchasing, the subscriber sends a request to receive a one-time CVC code. It is valid for an hour and then expires.

To pay online for services and goods, you need to enter the number, year and month of expiration, and CVC code. The owner's name is not always required, but if necessary it is indicated in Latin letters.

Virtual cards are used to receive goods in any online store around the world. It, like regular bank plastic, is accepted by payment services when paying fines, debts, loans, government services, etc.

Using the card, it is convenient to transfer money from your phone to the phone of another subscriber of any operator. Since the Tele2 MasterCard balance and the number are the same, it is enough to top up the personal account of the desired person using virtual plastic.

For purchases in Play Market, AppStore and PayPal online stores, you can add the card to “Favorites”. In the future, when paying with it, you will not need to receive a CVC code every time.

Important points (or answers to frequently asked questions)

• It is not possible to cancel a payment once it has been made. The only option is to communicate with the management of the online store, where your situation will be reviewed by writing an application. But the Tele2 operator cannot return/cancel the payment. Even if the paid funds are returned, the commission is not returned to the subscriber.
• Replenishment of the virtual balance is also available by debiting from any of your plastic cards.
• The procedure for changing your number will block your current Internet card.
• If your phone is lost/stolen, contact support by calling 611.
• Cash withdrawals from a cell phone account are not available.
• Receiving a detailed statement of the movement of funds is available through your Personal Account.

How to get a Tele2 MasterCard

The card is provided to private subscribers using voice tariffs for the mass market with an advance payment system. The number must be older than 2 months. The service is also open to those who switched to Tele2 from other operators.

There are 4 simple ways to apply for a virtual Tele2 MasterCard.

USSD command

Using a USSD request to *338#. This mobile portal works specifically for card management. In the menu that appears, select “1”. In response, you will be asked to send confirmation for activation.

The same can be done with the shortcut command *338*1#.

SMS

Via SMS to number 338 with the word “Card”, “Karta” or “Card” . The subscriber’s further actions are the same: an activation request will come, which must be answered by sending the number “1”.

Application

Using the Tele2 MasterCard application. It is available for downloading and installation on mobile devices running iOS and Android OS from Play Market brand stores.

You need to register in the application: enter an invented code (a number that will later be used for authorization) and a phone number. A confirmation code will be sent in response; it should be indicated in a special field. This completes the design of the card.

The application was created specifically for managing the virtual Tele2 MasterCard. Through it you can view card details, order one-time CVC codes, find out about your balance, and request details.

On the site

You can apply for a card on the website mycard.tele2.ru. The system will require you to log in to the subscriber’s personal account using the number and code from the received SMS message. After authorization, a proposal to issue a card will appear on the main page. When you click and agree to the terms of service, you will receive a confirmation and activation request on your phone.

Bonuses

Together with Tinkoff Bank, the promotion began in 2021 and is still valid to this day, the end date has not been set. According to its terms, clients receive a fixed bonus of 500 rubles.

To do this, you need to buy goods or pay for Tele2 communication services through the bank’s payment services. These include the application, online banking, SMS transfers. The promotion also includes cash withdrawal operations in the amount of 500 rubles or more. The bonus is credited to your Tele2 mobile account within 5 days.

In addition to a one-time remuneration, the client receives bonuses for each purchase - guaranteed 1%, and for purchases from partners - up to 30%.

Card management

The easiest way to manage a virtual card is from the mobile application. It will show your balance, details, and history of recent transactions at your fingertips. If the application is not available, the subscriber can use a set of short USSD commands.

To create a card or get its details you need:

• send a request to *338*1#;
• send an SMS with the word “Card”, “Card” or “Karta” to 338.

To receive a one-time confirmation code before each money transfer, you should:

• make a request using the command *338*2#;
• send an SMS message with the word “Code”, “Code” or “Kod” to 338.

The subscriber receives an SMS about all transactions involving money debiting and successful payment. You can check the balance on your card account by sending a USSD command to *104#.

Card blocking

There are 2 ways to block a card:

• via a request to the number *338*3#;
• via SMS message with the word “Block”, “Block”, “Stop” or “Stop” to 338.

Map details can be ordered in your Personal Account on the Tele2 website or in the application.

Where can it be used?

Like the Tele2 virtual card itself, its analogues were originally intended for paying for goods and services via the Internet.
However, there are nuances here too. So: Today you can pay by direct debit from your mobile phone balance for: items in online games, transport, housing and communal services, and much more. The number of Tele2 partners is growing regularly, and their full list is presented on the website. To pay, the user needs:

• Complete the purchase of goods on the seller’s website (not required for all goods and services) and receive a unique number.
• Register on the Tele2 website and open the partner store page.
• Fill out the form provided and confirm your consent to make the payment.

Credit and debit cards give you more flexibility. They are suitable for both virtual and real calculations. Moreover, the “plastic” of both banks is suitable for contactless payment and supports the cashback function (return of part of the funds upon purchase).

The Home Credit debit card has the following characteristics:

1. The account balance is accrued up to 7.5% per year.
2. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs of any banks, but free of charge - only 5 times a month.
3. Cashback – up to 10% of the purchase price when purchasing or ordering from partner companies of the bank and Tele2.
4. When paying for any mobile services via mobile or Internet banking, the refund is 10% of the amount spent.

As for credit cards, their differences are clearly reflected in the comparison table:

The process of paying with Tele2 credit and debit cards is no different from paying with cards of any Russian banks.

This is interesting: How to disable Tele2 autopayment from a bank card - we study point by point

Cost and tariffs of Tele2 MasterCard

The card has a limit on the amount of money that a subscriber can spend daily and monthly. Taking into account the commission, the amount should not exceed 15 thousand rubles. per day, 40 thousand rubles. per month. There is no minimum balance threshold at which the card is active.

The cost of issue and subscription fee for the Tele2 MasterCard service are zero. SMS notifications about the movement of money in the account are also free. For each transaction, a commission of 3% of the payment amount is charged. When purchasing on foreign online sites, there will be an additional overpayment for currency conversion.

The connection was not without problems

Since the service was launched only today, employees do not yet know how to quickly connect it.

To apply for a virtual SIM card, you need to come to the salon with a passport. And already at this moment the first problem arose.

To connect eSIM you need to scan the QR code that is set by the Tele2 program. For about 15 minutes the seller could not set up my tariff at all, but then the program skipped everything.

In general, it is curious that not all employees know about this technology. In technical support, only a senior specialist was able to tell me the address; other operators did not know what they were talking about and seemed to have heard the word “eSIM” for the first time.

Tele2 has a big minus for this. How can you even allow tech support not to know what they are dealing with?

Well, okay, that’s not about that now.

Important: you can connect eSIM from Tele2 with any tariff, but not lower than “My Online” for 400 rubles per month. It includes 15 GB of traffic and 500 minutes of calls. When registering, they prepare a physical SIM card for you to bypass the ban on SIM cloning

In fact, they don’t give you the card itself, they simply turn it off and configure it as an eSIM

When registering, they prepare a physical SIM card for you to bypass the ban on SIM cloning. In fact, they don’t give you the card itself, they simply turn it off and configure it as an eSIM.