Best salary cards of 2024

How to choose a salary card

Since this is a salary card, you will be using it frequently. Therefore, you need to choose a product that is not only convenient, but also profitable. Let's figure out what to look for when choosing a card for receiving your salary:

1. First of all, pay attention to how reliable the bank issuing the salary card is. Find out how popular the credit institution is, how long it has been on the financial market, and whether it has many branches across Russia.
2. The second thing that should interest you is customer service quality. Read reviews about the organization, check if it has many ATMs and how conveniently they are located, and contact customer support.
3. Look into the banking service terms. In particular, you should care about: monthly fees, cash withdrawal costs, and transfer fees.
4. Pay attention to additional features: cashback and interest on account balance accruals, and contactless payment options.

Can you change your salary bank and how to do it

Previously, employees were forced to receive their salaries at the bank chosen by their employer. Now, however, they have the right to decide for themselves which credit institution will serve them. Let's discuss how to do this.

What the law says about this

According to Article 136 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to pay wages to the card of the credit institution specified in the employee's application under the terms determined by the employment or collective agreement.

How to change your salary bank

Any debit card from a Russian bank can be made into a salary card. It doesn't matter when you issued it or under what conditions you use it. To change your salary card, you only need to write an application addressed to your employer no later than 15 calendar days before the salary crediting date and wait for a decision on your request.

Note. 

In the application, you need to specify your full name, the account for receiving your salary, the name of the bank, correspondent account, and BIC.

Employer's liability for refusing to change the card for salary transfers

The employer is obliged to pay wages in accordance with the law, not based on their personal preference. In our case, they are obliged to transfer the money to the card we choose. Of course, this is unprofitable and inconvenient for many organizations, which is why they often refuse employees' requests to change their salary bank.

Such a refusal by the employer is illegal and is regarded by the law as non-payment of wages, and therefore is punishable by law. In particular, the following penalties are provided for this violation:

1. For individual entrepreneurs: a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 RUB for a first-time violation, and 10,000 to 30,000 RUB for a repeated violation.
2. For organizations: from 30,000 to 50,000 RUB and from 50,000 to 100,000 RUB, respectively.
3. For directors or accountants: from 10,000 to 20,000 RUB and from 20,000 to 30,000 RUB, respectively.

TOP best salary cards of 2022

Sberbank "SberCard"

Main service conditions:

• card issuance cost — free;
• annual maintenance cost — 150 RUB per month or free with a SberPrime subscription;
• cost of transaction alerts via third-party ATMs — 99 RUB or free with a SberPrime subscription;
• cash withdrawal commission — free up to 300,000 RUB per day, more with a SberPrime+ subscription;
• transfer commission — free up to 50,000 RUB per month, more with a SberPrime subscription.

The bank's loyalty program is as follows: for regular purchases, the bank awards you 1% of the spent amount, and for paying for goods in three selected categories — up to 10%.

Alfa-Bank "Alfa-Card"

Main service conditions:

• card issuance cost — free;
• annual maintenance cost — free;
• cost of transaction alerts — 99 RUB per month;
• cash withdrawal commission via third-party ATMs — free up to 50,000 RUB per month, thereafter — 1.99% of the transaction amount, but not less than 199 RUB;
• transfer commission — free.

Alfa-Bank provides cashback up to 50% of the purchase value.

MTS Bank "Discounts Everywhere"

Main service conditions:

• card issuance cost — free;
• annual maintenance cost — 99 RUB per month;
• cost of transaction alerts — 99 RUB per month;
• fee for cash withdrawals at third-party ATMs: 1.9%, but not less than 99 RUB;
• transfer fee: free via the Faster Payments System up to 100,000 RUB per month, thereafter 1%, but not less than 50 RUB.

The MTS Bank loyalty program is extremely simple — the bank awards up to 5% on purchases.

VTB "Card for Life"

Main service conditions:

• card issuance cost — free;
• annual maintenance cost — free;
• cost of transaction alerts: 79 RUB per month;
• fee for cash withdrawals at third-party ATMs: 1% of the transaction amount, but not less than 300 RUB;
• transfer fee: free via the Faster Payments System up to 100,000 RUB per month, thereafter 0.5-1% of the transaction amount.

Today VTB offers cashback of up to 30% on purchases.

T-Bank “Tinkoff Black”

Main service conditions:

• card issuance cost — free;
• annual maintenance cost — free;
• cost of transaction alerts — 99 RUB per month;
• fee for cash withdrawals at third-party ATMs: 2% of the transaction amount, but not less than 90 RUB;
• transfer fee: free via the Faster Payments System, free by card number for amounts up to 20,000 RUB per month, thereafter 1.5%, but not less than 30 RUB.

T-Bank awards from 1% to 15% for purchases in four selected categories. You can earn another 3% to 30% by paying for goods with the card at the bank's partner stores.