Ranking of the best cashback cards

How to choose a card: the ranking

We have compiled a ranking to help you review banking products and choose the best option. The ranking focuses primarily on the cashback amount.

10 — #vsyesrazu Debit Card (Raiffeisenbank) — 3.9% cashback

Tenth place goes to the card from Raiffeisenbank. The name of the payment card, #vsyesrazu (All at Once), speaks for itself. Once you issue this banking product, you won't need to carry several cards—one for fuel, another for airline tickets. With the debit card from Raiffeisenbank, you can pay for everything at once.

A cashback of 3.9% can be received in rubles or exchanged for partner certificates in your personal account.

The card offers a monthly yield of up to 4% per annum.

9 — Citi Priority — the most rewarding debit card with up to 10% cashback from Citibank

By getting a debit card from Citibank, you will receive:

• Up to 10% cashback.
• Up to 5% on the savings account balance.
• 4.5% on deposits for new users.
• Travel insurance up to $200,000.
• Up to 4 business lounge accesses.
• Professional assistance from a financial advisor.

First year of maintenance is free. Whether you continue to use the payment card for free depends on you. To avoid maintenance fees, you must meet one of the conditions, for example: card spending from 75,000 RUB per month or a salary from 250,000 RUB.

Please note: Citi Priority is one of the few cards that offers cashback on currency exchange.

8 — OTP Maximum + Debit Card — up to 10% cashback

With the OTP Maximum + card, bonuses are returned in rubles. There is an increased cashback of up to 10% in categories such as "Flowers", "Sports Goods", "Books", and "Public Transport". Although interest on the balance (up to 4%) is accrued daily, it is paid out once a month. The maximum rate applies to balances from 50,001 RUB to 2 million RUB. You can withdraw cash for free at the bank's own ATMs, as well as use mobile and internet banking without commissions.

An SMS-info fee of 99 rubles applies, excluding the first two months.

Maintenance fee is waived if certain conditions are met. Otherwise, it is 299 RUB per month.

7 — New Autokarta from UniCredit Bank, combining 4 categories: public transport, taxis, gas stations, and carsharing — 10% cashback

We placed the new Autokarta in 7th place in our ranking, and we believe this is fair. The plastic card provides a 10% refund on taxis and transport, as well as up to 2.5% on the Click-account balance.

Free maintenance of the payment card is only available during promotional periods. Additionally, holders of the banking product can receive free technical and legal consultations.

When making purchases over 10,000 rubles in the previous month, you can rely on free fuel delivery, vehicle towing in case of a breakdown or accident, flat tire replacement, and unlocking your vehicle.

6 — Opencard (Otkritie Bank) — 11% cashback

Sixth place goes to the Opencard issued by Otkritie Bank. The advantage of this payment card is that you can change your cashback category using the mobile app (or internet banking) every month if you wish.

Please note: To incentivize users, Otkritie Bank awards 11% cashback to everyone in the first month of using the payment tool. Afterwards, it applies to those who meet the agreement terms.

The banking product has other advantages as well:

• free maintenance;
• fee-free top-ups from cards of other financial institutions;
• commission-free phone transfers to cards of other banks;
• discounts on tickets and hotel accommodation of up to 20% (when paying with bonuses on travel.open.ru);
• utility bill payments with zero commission.

Use the calculator to estimate your cashback amount. For example, if you spend 50,000 RUB per month, including 18,000 RUB in chosen categories, your annual bonus balance will be 27,600 RUB. Judge for yourself whether it's worth it.

5 — VTB Multicard — up to 15% cashback

Sravnim24 recommends!

VTB Everyday Card

Cashback: 30 ₽

Interest on balance: 0%

Overdraft: No

Cost: Free

Decision: 1 minute

Details

VTB offers favorable terms on its Multicard product. Free maintenance, up to 15% cashback with partners, and 1.5% on other purchases. Plus, it offers a 4.5% yield on savings accounts.

Each customer can customize the card by choosing the bonus category that suits them best. If you dream of travel, earn up to 1.5% in miles + up to 15% with partners. If you want to save on loans, get a loan rate discount of up to 1%.

The bank allows free ATM withdrawals within the established limit of up to 350,000 RUB per day. Cardholders can also make free phone-number transfers up to 100,000 RUB.

Bonus options can be changed once a month.

4 — Fora-Bank "All Inclusive Gold" — a card with up to 15% cashback with partners

All Inclusive Gold

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All Inclusive from Fora-Bank

Cashback: 40 ₽

Interest on balance: 8%

Overdraft: 0.1% per day

Cost: 99 RUB/month

Decision: 1 minute

Details

There are three types of such cards: MIR, Visa Gold, and Visa Platinum. Maintenance fees are waived with a monthly turnover of 15,000 RUB or more. Otherwise, Visa Gold and MIR holders must pay 99 RUB per month, while Visa Platinum users pay 199 RUB per month. Up to 11% cashback is provided on debit cards in selected categories, plus 1% on other purchases.

Cashback is capped at amounts up to 20,000 RUB per month. You can get up to 15% with partners, 2% at gas stations, and 1.2% on other purchases.

3 — MTS Bank "MTS CASHBACK" Card — get up to 25% cashback

We rank the MTS Bank "MTS CASHBACK" card in third place. This is a versatile product combining both debit and credit card features. There are no maintenance fees, but a reissuing fee of 299 RUB applies. Free cash withdrawals are available at any ATMs in Russia.

Cashback is available in standard and additional categories.

Standard:

• GAS STATIONS — 5%;
• pharmacies — 5%;
• other purchases — 1%;
•  with partners — up to 25%.

Accumulated cashback can be spent on gadgets at MTS stores, as well as to pay for mobile communications for yourself and loved ones.

2 — Tinkoff Black Debit Card with up to 30% cashback

Tinkoff Black Debit Card

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Tinkoff Black from Tinkoff Bank

Cashback: 20 ₽

Interest on balance: 5

Overdraft: Yes

Cost: Free

Decision: 1 minute

Details

In second place is the Tinkoff Black debit card. With this banking product, cashback is returned in rubles, not bonuses. You can get up to 30% back when shopping with the bank's partners. A 1% cashback rate applies to all purchases, alongside up to 15% in chosen categories.

New customers and those who refer a friend get 10% on the account balance. Free transfers and commission-free cash withdrawals are available, subject to a limit: you cannot withdraw more than 600,000 RUB per month for free.

The maintenance fee is 99 RUB per month, which is easily offset by cashback.

Note: The Tinkoff Black debit card can be ordered with custom designs featuring Rick, Morty, and Pickle Rick.

1 — Vostochny Bank Card No. 1 to Savings Account — up to 40% cashback

First place in our ranking goes to Card No. 1 from Vostochny Bank. Customers can earn up to 40% cashback on online store purchases by clicking the relevant link in the "Cashback for online shopping" section. The bank also refunds a percentage on cashless transactions. Cardholders receive up to 5% cashback in the "Pharmacies", "Movies", and "Gifts and Souvenirs" categories, plus 1% cashback on all other purchases.

Maintenance fees are waived if the customer meets at least one condition outlined in the rules.

Card issuance is free of charge. The card also comes with free SMS banking.

Cashback terms: what you need to know

Debit cards with a cashback function have become a trend in the banking sector. By issuing such cards, financial institutions commit to returning a portion of the money spent on goods. Cashback can apply to all goods or specific groups. Certain categories offer elevated cashback rates, allowing users to get a significant part of their spending back.

How it is calculated

Cash-back crediting timelines are regulated by the bank itself. Some institutions credit "bonuses" instantly, others the following month, and still others within two months. Some institutions have limits.

Debit cards with cash back differ significantly from payment systems that provide bonuses and discounts. While accumulated points can be spent on specific purposes, cashback can be spent at your discretion.

What is the benefit

The benefits of cash back for the client are clear. But what do the financial company and stores get out of it?

The client makes purchases, paying their full cost. The store pays interest to the bank, and the financial company pays the user. Thus, not only the client who gets part of the money back benefits, but also the store and the bank. The store gets an influx of customers, which can increase sales multiple times, and the bank gets interest from the store plus maintenance fees for payment instruments.

8 things to remember when using cash back cards

Cashback is a useful feature, but to make it profitable, you need to know how to use it.

1. Money back can be received when spending personal and credit funds.

2. Cash back is paid in rubles, points, bonuses, and sometimes certificates.

Some banks believe it is better to give less, but in rubles. Others have chosen to pay more, but in bonuses. The main disadvantage of the system is receiving increased cashback from partners, and not all of them are profitable for the user.

3. Presence of restrictions.

4. Not all banks allow cashback on all types of purchases.

Financial institutions use several approaches to crediting cashback. For example, you can get up to 1% back on all purchases, but you can get 10% to 20% back if you buy goods in specific categories, with gas stations being the most popular.

5. Due to a misconfigured POS terminal in the store, you might not receive cashback.

There are cases where a client pays for a purchase, but there is no cashback. The reason is an incorrect MCC code, which classifies the seller's business activity during bank card transactions.

6. Banks also return money for online purchases.

7. Cashback is not available for all operations.

8. There are operations for which part of the spent funds cannot be returned.

Such operations include:

• cash withdrawals at ATMs;
• purchasing lottery tickets;
• topping up electronic wallets;
• loan repayments;
• paying for casino games;
• purchasing bonds;
• and others.

The complete list of such operations is provided by the bank where you are a client.

Cashback debit cards are a profitable banking product that helps save money. If you have any questions when obtaining a payment instrument, ask a specialist immediately or call the hotline phone number.