Megafon's virtual debit card allows you to pay for goods and services using your smartphone. And not just with its help, but directly from the subscriber account of the mobile number! The product is intended for those whose phones can make contactless payments in stores. The card is issued by the little-known bank “Round” under the Megafon brand.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the service, the card received few interesting characteristics in numbers. We have listed them in this small table.
| Characteristic | Conditions |
| Issue cost | for free |
| Maintenance cost, per year | for free |
| Cashback | from 0 to 5% |
| Interest on balance | from 6 to 10% |
| Cash withdrawal from an ATM | from 0 to 4.5% |
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However, faceless numbers do not fully reflect the advantages and disadvantages of Megafon’s digital map. To find out, you just need to read the full text of the review.
Pros and cons of a virtual bank debit card from Megafon
The product turned out to be ambiguous. In fact, the Megafon card is prepaid. She does not have her own account; it is played by the mobile phone account to which the virtual machine is linked
. You can get it throughout the country by making just a few movements through the mobile application. The card is convenient with favorable rates and the absence of a separate account. So now you definitely won't forget to pay for your phone.
| Advantages | Flaws |
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Alas, the card received openly reduced limits: you can spend only 60 thousand rubles per day, of which 5,000 rubles for cash withdrawals and 15 thousand rubles for transfers to other persons. Therefore, it is suitable for those who do not actively use cashless payments and do not make large purchases. You can only spend 100 thousand rubles per month on the card.
But the good news is that virtual plastic is completely free. Even the “Maximum” tariff will not cost a single ruble. You will only have to pay if you decide to issue a plastic card to increase the limits: in this case, you will need to pay from 49 to 199 rubles per month.
How to properly use a virtual card from Megafon
Megafon's virtual bank card is intended only for use with smartphones that can act as a means of payment. That is, with models that received an NFC chip.
In this case, you can connect it to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay, and then pay in stores with your phone. However, it is important to know some other nuances in order to get the maximum benefits.
We withdraw cash correctly
Mobile operators have never been famous for their desire to give customers cash from their phone accounts. And even with the advent of the map, this remains a problem. Megafon allows you to receive cash from a virtual card in several ways:
- Withdraw from an ATM. The amount of the commission will vary depending on the amount already received in cash in a calendar month. Up to 10 thousand rubles you will have to pay 2.5% (if you make purchases of more than 3,000 rubles in advance, it’s free). From 10 to 50 thousand – 3.5%. Anything over 50 thousand is subject to a 4.5% commission.
- Receive at a cash point. The commission will be 4.99%.
- Transfer to any other card and withdraw through an ATM. In this case, you will have to pay a 1.99% commission using MasterCard MoneySend.
- Transfer to an electronic wallet and withdraw from the card of this wallet. The commission will be 8%.
As you can see, the most profitable way to get cash
– first withdraw up to 10 thousand rubles from an ATM, having previously spent 3,000 rubles on purchases. After that, transfer to a card of another bank and withdraw from it.
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Is it available?
There is an opinion that the Megafon Visa online card is still being issued. You can find many articles about it; when you ask for its name in search engines, many different results are returned.
But in fact, as of 2021, the issuance of any Megafon cards related to the Visa system has been temporarily suspended. This applies to both online virtual products and physical ones. In particular, the issuance of the Megafon online Visa card was suspended in April last 2021 and has not been resumed since then. Nothing is known about the company's plans to return virtual cards to its product range in the foreseeable future.
For reference purposes, this map will be discussed further in the text, after which it will be suggested what can replace it.
Tariffs and conditions for a debit card from Megafon
Megafon offers three tariffs for connecting a bank debit card: “Lite”, “Standard” and “Maximum”. In the case of a virtual card, you don’t need to pay for any of them, they are all free. At the same time, all the advantages of each tariff are preserved.
Depending on the tariff, the virtual card is capable of:
- provide cashback in total from 0 (“Lite”) to 6.5% (“Maximum” 1.5% + paid additional category 5%);
- charge interest on the balance in the amount of 500 to 200 thousand rubles in the amount of 6 to 10%;
- work within service limits: up to 60 thousand per day and up to 100 thousand per month for any expenses, including cash withdrawals.
You can withdraw money from any ATM that has a contactless service module. To do this, just touch your smartphone to the module and choose to receive money. You can withdraw up to 10 thousand rubles per month without commission, but only if you have spent 3,000 rubles in advance. Further, the commission size will increase from 2.5% to 4.5%.
The card allows you to transfer funds to other plastic cards of any bank. For this you will have to pay 1.99% of the transaction amount. When replenishing electronic wallets, the cost of the operation will already be 8% of the amount, so be careful.
Last changes
Until April 26, 2021, there were no “Light”, “Standard” and “Maximum” tariffs. Cardholders enjoyed one convenient option. When reissued or issued, they will also have to choose a new tariff, but until the expiration date they can remain on the old one.
Alas, from May 1, 2021
Megafon has halved cashback for purchases of upgraded categories: if previously it was possible to get a 10% refund, now the client is entitled to only 5% of the purchase amount. A limit of 5,000 rubles has also appeared, which was previously somewhat less.
Also, not so long ago, the currency conversion rate was equal to the MasterCard rate. Recently, Megafon began to charge a commission of 3%, which made the card completely unprofitable for making purchases in foreign currency.
Criteria for the client
To receive a Megafon virtual debit card, the client must meet the following conditions:
- Be a Megafon subscriber;
- Have a smartphone and the ability to install the Megafon mobile application on it;
- Issue a card in the mobile application.
Megafon does not place any restrictions. The card is issued to a specific phone number, which can be obtained if you have a passport. You can buy it yourself from the age of 18, and in the presence of parents from the age of 14.
What to do if there is an erroneous payment
In case of errors when entering details or payment amounts, the client will need to contact the nearest branch of the Megafon network with his passport and transaction receipt. Find out his address by executing the command *123#. Cancellation of a payment at the request of the payer is possible only between Megafon subscribers. When paying to another network, only the recipient's network can make a refund. Transferring a payment is possible using the USSD service *105*0077#.
Additional features of the virtual card from Megafon
The Megafon virtual card, despite some limitations due to its features, has received a surprising number of additional features. With its help, you can easily get cashback of up to 6.5% and a return on the balance of up to 10% of the amount.
Interest on balance
Even the simplest “Lite” tariff allows you to receive a fairly large percentage on the balance: 6% of the amount stored in the account. “Standard” provides a return of 8%, and “Maximum” provides a return of 10%.
You must keep an amount exceeding 500 rubles in your account. In general, interest is accrued on funds from 500 rubles to 200 thousand rubles, but you can store an arbitrarily large amount on the card: the program will simply “cut off” excess money exceeding the threshold of 200 thousand and calculate the maximum interest.
Interest on the balance will be calculated daily from the amount stored in the account minus the first 500 rubles
. It is accrued once a month during the first 15 days from the end of the billing month. That is, for the money kept in the account in April, you will receive a reward until May 15.
To qualify for interest payments, you must purchase something using your card at least once a month. Otherwise, Megafon will not issue rewards.
Cashback: increased, regular and affiliate
Megafon's virtual card allows you to receive cashback for spending in stores and on the Internet. The size of the “standard” refund depends on the connected tariff:
- “Standard”: 1% cashback, up to 1000 rubles per month;
- “Maximum”: 1.5% cashback, up to 3,000 rubles per month.
The Light tariff does not provide refunds for regular purchases. In addition to the fixed cashback, there is also a refund for certain categories of spending. You can even connect cashback to the “Lite” tariff as an additional service with a return of 5% of the purchase amount. Each category is “purchased” separately: Megafon decided to issue them as additional paid services.
From May 1, 2019 to October 1, 2019, you can take advantage of the following categories of five percent refund:
- Movie;
- Museums;
- Supermarkets;
- Cafe and fast food;
- gas station;
- Taxi and car sharing;
- Entertainment (includes cinemas, theaters, museums and concerts).
All services cost 119 rubles per month and have a limit of 1000 rubles of return for the same period. In addition to the “Entertainment” category: it will cost 199 rubles and will allow you to return up to 2000 rubles per month. The service is valid for a calendar month: fees will be charged every first day. Therefore, it is not profitable to purchase additional categories in the middle or end of the month. Unless, of course, you are planning a large purchase in one of the categories.
The increased cashback is cumulative with the regular one. That is, when you connect, for example, the “Cinema” option on the “Standard” tariff when purchasing a movie ticket, you will receive both 5% of the additional service and 1% of the base refund. Total cashback can grow up to 6.5% if used correctly.
In total, you can get up to 5,000 rubles back for all categories and “regular” cashback. Therefore, there is no point in connecting many “increased” categories at once if you can only get this amount from the most frequently used spending sections.
By the way, for every 100 rubles spent you will receive 10 megabytes of traffic as a gift
. This traffic is stored for exactly one year and begins to be used after all megabytes from paid traffic packages or additionally purchased services are used up. Such a nice bonus for those who surf the net a lot.
It’s convenient that cashback is connected specifically to the phone number, and not to the passport data. So you can get as many Megafon SIM cards as you like, connect virtual cards to them and collect cashback in unlimited quantities. You can register up to five virtual and plastic cards for one number.
Megafon also has its own cashback service, which includes partner sites and stores. When purchasing goods and services from them, you will receive an additional refund, the amount of which depends on the specific partner. This cashback is not taken into account in the amount of 5,000 rubles per month.
Review of reviews on the card from Megafon
In general, there are quite a lot of negative reviews about the bank: unfortunately, the work of the bank’s servers leaves much to be desired, so for many clients, cards simply do not work at one time or another. Due to periodic system failures, users may not receive cashback or interest on the balance, which, naturally, no one likes.
However, there are also a lot of positives: despite the obvious shortcomings, users who successfully use the card note the convenience, fair compliance with limits and “free” benefits such as cash withdrawals or bonus megabytes. Also, some are pleased with free SMS banking and special protection against accidental subscriptions.
Answers to frequently asked questions about the card from Megafon
How to block a card?
Mobile operator Megafon offers three ways to block a virtual card:
- Call the toll-free number 5555 and speak with an operator. After a short conversation, your virtual card will be blocked.
- Option in the mobile application. You need to find the card you need and click on “Block”.
- SMS to free number 5555 with the text BLOCK. It only works if you have SMS banking enabled (and it is enabled because it is given as a gift upon registration).
Remember that blocking a virtual card does not terminate the agreement with Megafon. If you want to refuse services, you will have to write a statement. In this case, your phone number will no longer work and you will no longer be associated with the operator.
How to withdraw money?
You can withdraw money from Megafon’s virtual debit card using the methods proposed by the mobile operator:
- Through an ATM using the contactless payment module.
- Transfer to a bank card.
- Transfer to an electronic wallet.
- Receive at a cash point.
Remember that all methods are accompanied by the payment of commissions. With the exception of withdrawals through an ATM, if you have already spent 3,000 rubles in a month and have not withdrawn more than 10 thousand rubles during the same period.
How to top up?
Megafon's virtual card can be topped up in only two ways:
- Top up your phone number.
- Transfer money from a bank card to virtual card details.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to deposit money directly into it at an ATM.
A little life hack: if you use electronic wallets that allow you to pay for your phone without commission, but charge draconian amounts for withdrawing funds (for example, Webmoney), then you can save money. It is enough to pay for the phone using an electronic wallet, and then spend the money received from the card without commission.
How to pay by card?
The Megafon virtual card, despite the absence of a plastic carrier, can be used to pay for real purchases. To do this, just link it to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay, and then pay using your phone.
For online payments, the conditions are standard: it is enough to use the received details to attach a card for payment in online stores. Remember that card details can be compromised by fraudsters, and therefore carefully choose online stores for purchases.
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Safety
The protection of client funds on Megafon’s bank card is carried out in accordance with the standards of the international payment system MasterCard. All transactions on the card (expenditures and receipts) are accompanied by an immediate SMS notification to the subscriber.
Card details are transferred to the client strictly confidentially and are not stored in the application. However, the security code is always provided separately from other data. In case of loss of the phone, compromise of card data, or detection of transactions that the client did not perform, it is necessary to block the number.
