The best credit card - Tinkoff, Sberbank or Alfa-Bank?

The interest rate for using credit card funds is one of the key indicators that bank customers pay attention to. Most credit organizations in advertising their products indicate very attractive interest conditions, although a closer examination of the information turns out that in reality things are somewhat different.

Credit "Sbercard" from Sberbank offers, at first glance, an incredibly favorable percentage - from 9.8% per annum, but if you read the tariff conditions more carefully, it turns out that this rate only applies to purchases in the "Health" category (list of MCC codes available on the website) and when paying for orders at Sbermegamarket. The rate of 9.8% is a promotional offer valid until 12/31/2021, but it is likely that it will be extended. All other transactions are subject to a rate of 17.9%. In general, the conditions are clear and even very attractive.

On the Tinkoff Platinum card, the interest rate ranges from 12 to 29.9% per annum for purchases, from 30-49.9% for cash withdrawals (a considerable commission is also provided for this operation, but more on that later). The rate is determined for each client individually and depends on his credit history.You can finally find out exactly what the rate will be only after issuing a card. There is information on the bank's website that the percentage can be revised downward if the cardholder proves to be a reliable and responsible borrower.

Credit card "100 days without interest" appeared in the product line of Alfa-Bank for a long time and has a lot of fans. The interest rate on it is from 11.99% per annum for purchases and from 23.89% for cash withdrawals. It is interesting that the maximum interest rate is not specified in the bank's tariffs, and the bank determines the exact interest rate for each client individually, taking into account his income, credit rating and other factors.

Analyzing the data on the interest rate for the three compared cards, we can conclude that the Sbercard offer looks not only more profitable, but also as transparent as possible. On the card from Tinkoff, although the interest is quite high, at least their boundaries are defined, but the offer from Alfa-Bank with their rate of 11.99% and without specifying its maximum size looks rather vague.

The size of the approved credit limit for Sbercard can be up to 1 million rubles. To determine it, only the quality of a person's credit history is taken into account. In the process of using the card, the limit on it can be increased or reduced at the discretion of the bank.

Tinkoff Platinum has a credit limit of up to RUB 700,000. What exactly it will be for each specific person is determined by a special program that analyzes the totality of available data on the amount of income and the quality of credit history.

The credit limit on the "100 days without interest" card is up to 1 million rubles, but its final size will depend directly on the list of documents provided by the client. Only with a passport, you can count on a limit of no more than 100,000 rubles, if you additionally provide a second identity document, then the maximum limit can increase to 200,000 rubles, and in order to receive a limit of up to a million, you will need to additionally confirm your solvency. There is no doubt that the bank will also analyze other data available about the potential cardholder. In terms of the maximum limit, Sbercard and 100 days without interest look a little more attractive than Tinkoff Platinum.

Using borrowed funds and not paying interest on it is quite realistic if you have a credit card. So, "Sberkarta" has a grace period of 120 days, during which interest is not charged. The Alfa-Bank card contains information about the duration of the grace period in its name - it is 100 days.

Tinkoff Platinum has a standard grace period of 55 days for any purchases, but if you use the card to repay loans from other banks, you can not pay interest for 120 days. The card can be used for installment purchases with partner companies. In this case, the interest-free period can be up to 12 months.

If we consider standard purchases, for which credit cards are most often used, then Sbercard has the most favorable grace period.Tinkoff has the shortest grace period for standard purchases.

Separately, I would like to note that Sbercard offers not only the longest grace period, but also a unique approach to its definition. There will be a different grace period for spending each month. So, you can pay off the debt for purchases made in November 2021 until the end of February 2022, and for purchases in December 2021 until the end of March 2022. That is, every month the grace period is renewed and this happens regardless of whether the debt of the previous one is repaid. This makes Sbercard truly unique, because for other credit cards the grace period begins to operate from the moment the first purchase is made, and for each subsequent one it becomes less and less.

The minimum credit card payment is subject to mandatory payment regardless of whether the grace period is currently in effect. If it is not paid in full and within the time limits set by the bank, then the grace period automatically terminates, and interest is accrued on the amount of the debt in full. The minimum payment is set at % of the debt, which can be fixed or set by the bank individually.

As can be seen from the table, each bank sees the ideal amount of the monthly payment in its own way, but the offer from Sberbank looks the most attractive and transparent.

All three cards that have become participants in the comparison are issued free of charge, but the conditions for their further service are different. So, "Sberkarta" will not require additional costs, even notifications about transactions on it are free. A credit card from Alfa-Bank is serviced for 0 rubles. only the first year, plastic from Tinkoff will cost 590 rubles annually, notifications on these cards are also paid - 99 and 59 rubles per month, respectively. Against their background, Sbercard looks much more advantageous.

Traditionally, it is considered that cash withdrawal from a credit card, if possible, is on extremely unfavorable conditions for the plastic owner. Let's see how things are with the compared cards.

You can withdraw the availability from the Sbercard within the limits of 300,000 rubles, of course, if the credit limit established for it allows it. In the first 15 days after the card is issued, cash withdrawals can be made without paying an additional commission, then it will be 3% of the amount, but not less than 390 rubles.

On the "100 days without%" card, the cash withdrawal limit is also limited to 300,000 rubles. But this credit card has one serious advantage - you can withdraw up to 50 thousand without any commissions. If the amount is more than 50 thousand, then you will have to pay a very impressive 5.9% commission.

For a Tinkoff credit card, the cash withdrawal limit is set for each client individually, and the commission for such an operation will be 2.9% + 290 rubles. The conditions for withdrawing cash for each of the cards have their own characteristics, but for the majority, those offered by the credit card “100 days without%”, for which a rather large amount can be withdrawn without commission, will be more profitable.

To receive a Sbercard, you need to meet a few simple conditions - to be between 21 and 65 years old and permanently registered. You can fill out an application for a card at the bank office or through the Internet bank. Existing Sber customers receive an answer about the possibility of obtaining a card and the size of its credit limit within a couple of minutes, the rest are promised to be answered within one day.From the documents you need only a passport.

Anyone who is over 18 years old, has a registration, and also actually lives and works in a city where there is a branch of Alfa-Bank can issue a “100 days without%” card. The bank also imposes a requirement on the level of income, which must be more than 5,000 rubles, requires the provision of a contact phone number of the borrower and a landline phone number of his employer. Of the documents, the minimum required is a passport and a second document of your choice. In order for the amount of the approved credit limit to be higher, you need a certificate of income. An application for a card can be filled out on the website or at a bank branch, and received both at the office and by courier in any convenient place.

Tinkoff promises to deliver the card today if the application is submitted before 20:00. The application is filled out on the website. It must contain passport data, contact phone number of the client and his employer, income level. The more information a potential borrower provides about himself, the more likely he is to receive a positive decision and approval of the maximum credit limit. The age of the borrower is from 18 to 70 years.

In general, the conditions for providing all three cards are similar, the only difference is that Sbercard can be obtained from the age of 21, and the rest from the age of 18. But whether banks are really ready to lend to such young people or is it just a publicity stunt is hard to say for sure. If we talk about the required documents, then only Alfa-Bank openly says that it wants to see a certificate of income to apply for a credit limit of more than 200,000 rubles.

It is important to make mandatory payments on a credit card within the time limits strictly indicated by the bank.This is necessary both to maintain a positive credit history and to avoid penalties. Delay in mandatory payment on a credit card "100 days without%" threatens with a fine of 20% per annum, which are charged on the entire amount of debt on the card. The same conditions are provided for Tinkoff Platinum. But the penalty for late payment on Sbercard is 36% per annum on the amount of the overdue principal, which is almost twice as much as that of competitors.

In order to compare not only credit card tariff data, but also take into account the opinions of those who have experienced the benefits of this plastic, I would like to pay attention to the reviews of real people. It is difficult to judge how objective they are. I also immediately want to note that most often those who are dissatisfied with something share their experience of using credit cards, and among the dissatisfied, the majority do not differ in the necessary level of financial literacy.

Analyzing the information on the popular site Otzovik, it can be noted that the cards of all banks have rather low ratings. But if you carefully read the reviews of those who gave the card a low score, it becomes clear: the person simply did not fully understand the conditions and did not have experience using credit cards. Financially savvy people tend to value credit cards more realistically. If you look at the number of reviews, the Tinkoff Platinum credit card becomes the leader. Sbercard is still far behind, but only because it appeared at the end of the summer of 2021 and is not yet known to everyone.

According to the results of the comparison, Sberkarta can be called more attractive and rightfully the best. According to it, the interest is the lowest, and the grace period is not only the longest, but also renewable every month, regardless of whether the previous debt has been repaid. The card is also beneficial in terms of the minimum payment, terms of service and credit limit.

The main advantage of the "100 days without%" card is the ability to withdraw up to 50,000 rubles in cash without paying a commission. The penalty for delay on it is lower than on the "Sbercard", but is similar to the amount of the penalty for "100 days without%". A credit card from Tinkoff, although very popular, judging by the number of reviews about it, is not as profitable as the bank presents it in its advertising.