On March 6, 2022, GooglePay and ApplePay stopped working Apple Pay and Google Pay stopped working with Russian cards / Vesti with Russian maps. For many, this has become a tangible inconvenience. Previously, you could only carry a phone with you and pay with it, even in a large supermarket, even in a tiny stall at home. When the services were turned off, many out of habit forgot to take a card with them and found themselves unable to pay for something.
Demand creates supply, so they immediately began to look for a solution to the problem. For example, customers were offered payment by QR code. This feature appeared earlier, but with the shutdown of GooglePay and ApplePay, it began to develop by leaps and bounds. However, it has not only advantages, but also disadvantages for the user, which ones are described in detail in a separate material.
And then, one by one, banks began to issue payment stickers. Let's figure out what it is.
A payment sticker is essentially the same plastic card, only in a smaller format, with an NFC chip. The size depends on the specific bank. You can stick it on your smartphone or on anything that you always carry with you, or just put it, for example, in a phone case. But first, it's better to make sure that the material passes the signal.
The sticker works the same way as any other NFC chip payment. The card must be attached to the payment terminal, and the money will be gone. At the same time, if you have glued a sticker to a mobile device, the terminal can also read the phone chip. So it is better to place the sticker away from the chip and disable payment applications in the gadget itself, so that there is no conflict between them.
The sticker, like the card, has a number, release date and code, but they are not indicated on the sticker, so it will not work to steal these data. But it is better to monitor the security of the payment instrument itself. In case of loss, it can be blocked. Depending on the amount, sometimes you need to enter a PIN code ‑ everything is just like with a regular card. The sticker only works in the Mir system. But given that Visa and Mastercard have left Russia, this is quite expected.
For the terminal, the sticker is a regular card, so you can pay with it accordingly. And you can also use ATMs in which cards are attached, and not just inserted. So the sticker allows you to deposit money into an account or withdraw cash.
And also, since this is a regular bank card linked to an account, you can count on cashback and other bonuses from the bank with it.
In general, a payment sticker is not the most elegant, but quite an effective solution to pay with your phone again. At the same time, banks usually recommend that you additionally carry a regular card with you in case something goes wrong. However, if this happens too often, then there is no point in a sticker. So it's better to read the reviews first.
Now quite a few banks issue payment stickers. Probably, the list below may be incomplete by the time you read it, as more and more new financial organizations are offering stickers.
Sticker size: 5 by 3 cm. Tinkoff allows you to attach up to ten cards to one account. That is, you can issue several stickers depending on how many bank cards you already have. If you have already reached the limit, you will additionally be able to order up to three stickers.
You can do this in the application in the section "Open a new account or product". The courier will bring the sticker. It is available to current customers of the bank, otherwise you will have to order a Tinkoff card, and it will be delivered along with the sticker.
Alfa‑bank does not specify the size of the sticker, but the sticker looks small. It is made in a cute design with a seal. You can order a payment instrument regardless of whether you are a bank customer or not. The sticker can be delivered by courier or brought to the nearest office of the institution.
You can choose a standard design or a limited edition one with Soyuzmultfilm characters. A separate payment account is created for the sticker, it works according to the "Savings Cards" tariff. You can order a sticker in the application.
You can order one or more stickers in the bank's application. Pick up — at the client's office or at any pick-up point, or at the Boxberry and 5Post terminals.
The sticker can be issued at the bank's office. The sticker can be linked to an existing account or to a new one.
You can order and receive a payment sticker at a bank branch. It is released as a new card or an additional one to the existing ones.
The sticker is issued as a primary or additional card, that is, it is available to new and existing customers. You can order it at a bank branch.
You can order it as a new card or issue it in addition to the existing one. To do this, contact the bank's office.
Size: 5 by 3 centimeters. You can order at a bank branch.
The sticker is designed as an additional card to the main one. To do this, you need to contact the bank.
It is linked to a QIWI wallet. You can order online, the sticker will be delivered by courier.
It is linked to an electronic wallet. You can order online.
The sticker is linked to the settlement account in Modulbank. You can order a sticker on the bank's website.
