How to transfer a pension to a card

Why transfer pension payments to a card?

The benefits of transferring a pension to a bank card are not obvious to everyone, so let's start our discussion with this exact question. Why transfer pension payments to an account in the first place:

1. First, it is very convenient. In this case, retirees do not need to go to the nearest Russian Post branch and stand in line to get their money—the amount is automatically credited to a bank account.
2. Secondly, the risk of losing or having cash stolen is much higher. It is quite difficult to lose funds held in a bank account.
3. Thirdly, banks offer favorable terms for pensioners — higher cashback, interest on the balance, and so on, which makes using a card more preferable.
4. Fourthly, paying receipts with a card is much more convenient than without it. For example, a pensioner can simply scan a QR code and pay for housing and utility services in a couple of taps. Of course, if they have access to the mobile app.

Simply put, transferring a pension to a bank card significantly simplifies life for all Russians and, in particular, for older people. Moreover, to get cards at some banks, you do not have to visit a branch of the credit institution — everything can be done from home, provided you have Internet access.

How can you transfer your pension to a bank card?

Pension payments can be transferred to a bank card in two ways: through Gosuslugi or at a branch of the Pension Fund of Russia. This can be done both by the pensioner themselves and by their official representative.

Transferring a pension to a card through Gosuslugi

To transfer pension payments through Gosuslugi, you will need Internet access and a verified account on the portal. To transfer your pension to a card, you need to:

• go to the official Gosuslugi website at link;
• log in to your account;
• in the top menu of the site, select “Benefits Pension Privileges”;
• click on “Pension payment”;
• select “Acceptance of application for pension delivery”;
• click the “Start” button;
• select for whom the pension is assigned;
• specify the desired method of receiving money, in our case “Bank”;
• click the "Proceed to Application" button;
• verify the accuracy of the provided data;
• click the "Correct" button;
• confirm the contact phone number;
• click the "Correct" button;
• confirm the email address;
• click the "Correct" button;
• confirm the actual residential address;
• click the "Correct" button;
• specify the BIC or name of the recipient bank, correspondent account, and bank account number;
• click the “Next” button;
• click the "Next" button again;
• review the information and click the "Submit Application" button.

Transferring your pension to a card at a branch of the Pension Fund of Russia

The second way to transfer pension payments is to visit a branch of the Pension Fund of Russia in person. To do this, you need to choose the nearest office, book an appointment, and fill out the application.

You can also submit an application on the Pension Fund website. To do this, you need to register on the portal, log in to your personal account, and go to the "Pensions" section.

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What documents are required to transfer your pension to a bank?

To transfer your pension to a bank account, you will need the following documents:

• passport of the service recipient or their representative (in this case, a notarized power of attorney will also be required);
• pension certificate;
• A INSURANCE NUMBER (SNILS);
• information about the registration or place of permanent residence of the service recipient.

Best debit cards for retirees in 2024

Now you can get a pension card at almost any Russian bank. However, with the variety of offers available, it is difficult to choose a truly profitable one. Therefore, we have prepared a top 3 of the best debit cards for pensioners in 2022 for you.

Bank and debit card name	Maintenance cost	Cashback	Interest on balance
Sberbank "SberCard for Benefits and Pensions"	free of charge	up to 10 %	up to 3.5% per annum
VTB "Pensioner Card"	free of charge	up to 25 %	up to 7% per annum
Pochta Bank "MIR"	free of charge	20%	up to 5% per annum

Sberbank "SberCard for Benefits and Pensions"

Issuance and maintenance of this card are free provided that your pension or other social benefit is credited to the account. Otherwise, the monthly subscription fee is 150 RUB. You can also optionally enable transaction alerts for 40 RUB per month.

You can withdraw cash from the card for free only at Sberbank ATMs for amounts up to 300,000 RUB. You can transfer funds to other bank clients for amounts up to 50,000 RUB per month.

The bonus program here is standard for Sberbank — the bank awards up to 10% of the spent amount for purchases in selected categories. Sber also awards 3.5% per annum on the card balance.

VTB "Pensioner Card"

Issuance and maintenance of the "Multicard for Pensioners" debit card are always free with no additional conditions. Transaction alerts can be optionally enabled. The service costs 79 RUB per month.

You can withdraw cash from this card for free at ATMs of any credit institutions for amounts up to 350,000 RUB per day and 2 million RUB per month. Interbank transfers via the Faster Payments System are also available for amounts up to 1 million RUB per month.

The bonus program here is standard — the bank awards up to 25% of the spent amount for purchases in selected categories. VTB also awards 7% per annum on a balance of up to 100,000 RUB.

Pochta Bank "MIR"

Issuance and maintenance of the "MIR" pension card are always free with no additional conditions. Transaction alerts can be optionally enabled. The service costs 99 RUB per month.

You can withdraw cash from this card for free at VTB and Pochta Bank ATMs for amounts up to 300,000 RUB per month, provided your pension is credited to your bank account. Interbank transfers via the Faster Payments System are also available for amounts up to 100,000 RUB per month.

The bonus program offers cashback of up to 20% of the spent amount for purchases in selected categories. Pochta Bank also awards up to 5% per annum on the account balance.

Answering frequent questions

To conclude the article, we will answer the most frequently asked questions on the topic.

Which card can I transfer my pension payments to?

According to the law, you can transfer your pension to any Russian bank. However, the card receiving the payments must be operated by the national payment system "Mir".

Can I transfer my pension from one bank to another?

If the service terms at another bank seem more profitable to you, you can transfer your pension there. To do this, you need to contact the new credit institution to issue a debit card and then submit an application to the Pension Fund of Russia to change the account details for receiving payments.

How soon will the Pension Fund transfer my pension to the card?

As a rule, it takes from one to several days to get approval from the Pension Fund of Russia. Therefore, it is better to transfer your pension in advance so that the next payment arrives on the card on time.