The sensation didn't work. For the simple reason that out of the blue sensation are not born.
How did Sberbank debit cards turn into an overdraft?
In principle, such a separate type of cards as "overdraft" , does not exist. Any debit card can become an overdraft card. Need only good owner's will card and the consent of the bank servicing this card.
After all, what is an overdraft?
There is nothing good in this: on an overdraft bank charges interest like an account payable. It is unpleasant. But it is at least premature to talk about the total enslavement of the Russian population through an overdraft.
In the West, the overdraft rate is considered two monthly income client. If a citizen tries to exceed this indicator, then the bank puts a stopper. Established practice. And there is no enslavement.
Debit cards are convenient. But you need to control the balance of funds on your own accounts
Why did Sberbank refute the transfer of debit cards to an overdraft?
The press service of the main commercial bank of the Russian Federation, having caught murky fluctuations in the media environment, hastened to speak with soothing statements:
Sberbank's "communicators with the public" on this occasion gave quite clear explanation: debit cards are shown as overdraft cards in the online application only because it is necessary for the correct operation of banking software(we repeat, any debit card is potentially an overdraft card and this must be taken into account in the software).
The bank does allow an overdraft, but only a technical one. This occurs, for example, with certain types of foreign transfers. Since there is no fault of the cardholder in such an overdraft, the interest on it not charged.
Thus, the hype with the “transfer of cards to an overdraft” is not worth a damn. But after the "news" penetrated social networks, immediately experts appeared, analysts and owners of insider information, who drove the media wave and began to inflate the conspiracy psychosis.
One of them is that the application is malfunctioning today, so some cards began to be displayed as overdraft: the problems will be fixed soon, and the cards will again be displayed in the debit status - the conditions for their service have not changed. However, another Vedomosti employee at the call center was told that the display of debit cards as overdraft cards is necessary for the correct work with payments and transfers. At the same time, there were no changes in the terms of service, they specified there.
An employee of Vedomosti, whose debit card began to appear as an overdraft one, tried to pay for a larger amount than is available on his card - this was not possible, because the bank refused to make payments due to lack of funds.
Sberbank cards with permitted and unauthorized overdraft. What is the difference?
All Sberbank cards are debit overdraft cards, but they are divided into cards with an unauthorized overdraft, when the card cannot go negative, and with an allowed one, when the card can go negative when purchased, another call center employee said. A card with an unauthorized overdraft can go into negative territory only when the bank commission is debited: for annual service, mobile banking service, SMS notifications, if this service is paid. And for example, in the event of an arrest of accounts, the source of Vedomosti in the call center clarifies.
A credit card, unlike an overdraft card, has a revolving nature - you can be in the red for an infinite amount of time, fulfilling the terms of the contract, he continues. On cards with an overdraft, it is possible to go into the red only for a certain period - for a month, for example, or two. At the same time, a technical overdraft is possible on almost all debit cards, he notes.
The difference between a credit card and an overdraft card is that they shape different customer behavior, says a top manager at a major bank. In the case of a credit card, the client understands that this is not his money, and spends them more meaningfully, he continues. A credit card is different in that it provides for a minimum payment, a repayment schedule and, as a rule, it has an interest-free period, the banker lists.
And when an overdraft is installed on a salary card, usually in two salaries, a person does not always understand that he has gone “in the red” and is not using his own money, he explains. And he adds that when a salary arrives on a card with an already selected overdraft limit, it is automatically debited as repayment.
Sberbank cards with permitted and unauthorized overdraft. Sberbank rebuttal
The press service of Sberbank denied the messages that appeared on social networks about changing the terms of service for debit cards without notifying the client.
The bank explained that in the mobile application, some debit cards were always displayed as overdraft cards - this is a technical necessity for correct work with payments and transfers. Probably, some users paid attention to this only now, which caused the panic.
Sberbank recalled that only its owner can allow an overdraft on a card. The exception is technical debt, on which the bank does not charge interest.
An overdraft is a bank lending to a client's current account when there are insufficient or no funds on it.
Why did Sberbank debit cards become overdraft. The official response of Sberbank in the social network Facebook (Facebook).
We receive a lot of questions from you about the fact that we have changed the terms of service for debit cards and all cards have become overdraft. This is not true - you cannot spend more money on a debit card than you have. The exception is technical debt, on which Sberbank does not charge interest. Overdraft on the card can only be authorized by you, and not by the bank.
In the Sberbank Online mobile app, some debit cards were always displayed as overdraft cards. This is a technical necessity for correct work with payments and transfers. Probably, some users just now paid attention to this.
Sberbank debit cards have become overdraft cards. Commentary by German Gref
The head of Sberbank German Gref called "fake from beginning to end" messages in social networks about changing the terms of service for debit cards without notifying the client.
"All our future plans are connected with only one thing - with the simplification of our products, with the creation of more favorable conditions, and nothing like this was and is not in the plans. Donald Trump (US President - ed.) Calls this "fake news", this is 100% fake news," Gref said.
Sberbank debit cards have become overdraft cards - this is a technical necessity for correct work with payments and transfers.
The press service of Sberbank on Monday denied reports that appeared on social networks about changing the terms of service for debit cards without notifying the client. The bank explained that in the mobile application, some debit cards were always displayed as overdraft cards - this is a technical necessity for correct work with payments and transfers.
"This is a fake from start to finish. First: no one has changed anything ... This cannot be changed. It is impossible to change overdraft cards to debit cards - these are two different products. The same thing that you take and without your consent to replace a loan with a deposit, approximately from of the same series. It's impossible to do it if you don't want it yourself. It's an obvious fake, for some reason it's being diligently promoted," commented the president of Sberbank.
“There is absolutely nothing behind this, it’s all for nothing. Of course, someone supported this whole story on networks, a large number of mailings, but there are no real actions behind this. Nothing has changed either in our electronic channels or in our products not a week ago, not a month ago, not a year ago, no changes. It's just that someone saw the name overdraft in Sberbank Online, this name existed a year ago, and a month ago, and so on," he said.
"And then all the technical explanations ... in some situations, a debit card may turn out to be an overdraft card, and in the case when it turns out to be an overdraft card, then there is a gap in time, in operations - a so-called technical overdraft occurs, it is covered by the bank. Nothing will change , we do not plan any actions to somehow worsen the situation of our clients," Gref emphasized.
Sberbank debit cards are displayed in the mobile application as overdraft cards. Changing their status is a “technical necessity”, that is, you cannot spend more money on such cards than they have, the bank said
The message that Sberbank debit cards did not become overdraft, Sberbank distributed after numerous requests from customers. “We receive a lot of questions about the fact that we have changed the terms of service for debit cards and all cards have become overdraft,” Sberbank said in a mobile application. As clarified in Sberbank, only the client himself, and not the bank, can set an overdraft on the card.
At the same time, it was noted in the message that debit cards were always displayed as overdraft cards in the Sberbank Online mobile application. “This is a technical necessity for the correct work with payments and transfers,” Sberbank clarified for customers, adding that the bank is already thinking “how to fix this.”
The message that the terms of service have not changed is also on the Sberbank hotline. “The overdraft card status is necessary for the correct operation of the mobile application and does not imply credit obligations or debts,” the answering machine in the bank card section reassures customers.
The terms of service for debit cards of Sberbank provide for two types of cards - debit cards proper, which are used "for making debit transactions" and debit cards with an overdraft. With overdraft cards, according to the conditions, it is possible to perform “operations within the spending limit, including at the expense of credit funds (overdraft) provided by the bank to the client in case of insufficient or no funds on the card account.” According to the bank's tariffs for debit cards, an overdraft is provided only for cards of the Visa Infinite type, the annual maintenance of which costs 30,000 rubles a year. The overdraft fee for these cards is 20% per annum, in case of late repayment of overdraft debt or use of funds in excess of the limit, the rate increases to 40%.
The press service of Sberbank clarified that there were no changes in the status of debit cards. “No changes have been made to the conditions for servicing cards. No debit card loans are possible, although it may be displayed in Sberbank Online as "overdraft". In the Sberbank Online mobile application, cards are displayed as overdraft cards, which is necessary for the application to work correctly with payments and transfers.
On the Sberbank hotline, the correspondent was told that Sberbank debit cards are issued as overdraft cards, however, an overdraft is not connected to them. “The card may be displayed as an overdraft card, but it cannot be used,” the call center operator said.
At the end of last week, on the VKontakte page of Sberbank clients, as well as on the Banki.ru forum, client complaints appeared about changing the terms of service for debit cards due to the fact that “all debit cards have become overdraft”.
Sberbank customers began to complain that the status of their debit cards in the state bank's mobile application had changed to overdraft.
For several employees of Vedomosti, the status of the cards has indeed changed. An employee of the Sberbank call center told one of them that the application was malfunctioning today, so some cards began to be displayed as overdraft ones: the problems would be fixed soon, and the cards would again be displayed in debit status - the conditions for their service had not changed. However, another Vedomosti employee at the call center was told that the display of debit cards as overdraft cards is necessary for the correct work with payments and transfers. At the same time, there were no changes in the terms of service, they specified there.
On the VKontakte social network, on its page, Sberbank said that it was receiving many questions about the fact that the state bank had changed the terms of service for debit cards: “This is not true - you cannot spend more money on a debit card than you have. The exception is technical debt, on which Sberbank does not charge interest. Overdraft on the card can only be allowed by you, not the bank. An employee of Vedomosti, whose debit card began to appear as an overdraft one, tried to pay for a larger amount than was on his card - this was not possible, because the bank refused to make payments due to lack of funds.
All Sberbank cards are debit overdraft cards, but they are divided into cards with an unauthorized overdraft, when the card cannot go negative, and with an allowed one, when the card can go negative when purchased, another call center employee said. A card with an unauthorized overdraft can go into negative territory only when the bank commission is debited: for annual service, mobile banking service, SMS notifications, if this service is paid. And for example, in the event of an arrest of accounts, the source of Vedomosti in the call center clarifies.
A representative of Sberbank confirmed that neither payments nor transfers of funds with a zero balance on a debit card are carried out. In the Sberbank Online mobile application, cards are indeed displayed as overdraft cards, but this is necessary for the application to work correctly with payments and transfers. "The information disseminated on the Internet does not correspond to reality," he stressed. In rare cases, technical debt is possible - when an amount exceeding the available spending limit is debited from the card. “Of course, since the clients are not to blame for the formation of such debt, no penalties or interest are charged or charged,” Sberbank said. Technical debt occurs, as a rule, when paying for trips abroad and when transferring from card to card.
What is the difference
“What is called a credit card can be both a credit card and a debit card with an overdraft - there is no clear regulation on how to take into account cards with a limit,” says Yuri Gribanov, CEO of Frank Research Group.
A credit card, unlike an overdraft card, has a revolving nature - you can be in the red for an infinite amount of time, fulfilling the terms of the contract, he continues. On cards with an overdraft, it is possible to go into negative territory only for a certain period - for a month, for example, or two. At the same time, a technical overdraft is possible on almost all debit cards, he notes.
The difference between a credit card and an overdraft card is that they shape different customer behavior, says a top manager at a major bank. In the case of a credit card, the client understands that this is not his money, and spends them more meaningfully, he continues. A credit card is different in that it provides for a minimum payment, a repayment schedule and, as a rule, it has an interest-free period, the banker lists.
And when an overdraft is installed on a salary card, usually in two salaries, a person does not always understand that he has gone “in the red” and is not using his own money, he explains. And he adds that when a salary arrives on a card with an already selected overdraft limit, it is automatically debited as repayment. “It turns out that the client already constantly lives on borrowed funds. It may be good for the bank's income, but there is also social responsibility, since not all clients are financially literate,” the banker concluded.
Sberbank planned to introduce overdrafts on debit cards, one of the bankers recalls: this is how the state bank expected to earn on interest.
Relationships with banking structures have firmly entered the life of every person. We use lending programs, open deposit accounts, pay utility bills, receive wages on cards. Banking services greatly facilitate daily tasks and provide citizens with the opportunity to use new banking products.
What does overdraft card mean?
To understand what the profitability of a banking product is, you should study the general concept of the term "overdraft", what this service is.
Overdraft - short-term lending provided to regular customers of the bank on certain conditions, which are preliminarily agreed with the borrower. The funds are transferred by the bank to the client's current account. In the event of unplanned financial expenses, when the amount of money in the account is not enough, the borrower has the right to use credit funds without visiting the bank office and signing loan agreements. At the same time, the debt should be paid after the expiration of the grace period (term), which is set individually for each applicant. As a rule, such a credit system works flawlessly, because overdraft is provided only to reliable and trusted clients.
Sberbank overdraft card: what is it?
Sberbank of Russia is the largest retail bank in the Russian Federation providing banking services to individuals and legal entities. What does a Sberbank overdraft card mean? Having an open current account, the client has the opportunity to use the bank's funds after they have spent their own. For the use of money, the borrower pays an interest rate calculated on the amount of credit funds. As a rule, a short period of time is allocated for debt repayment (from 30 to 90 days). An overdraft card is opened for a maximum of 1 year, while having a credit history with Sberbank is not a prerequisite for registration. Overdraft lending is carried out on the condition that the borrower has a high level of solvency and a stable financial position. 
Terms of registration and requirements for the borrower
The amount of the overdraft limit depends on the receipt of funds on the client's account for the last 3 months. The Bank has the right to recalculate the allowable loan amount on a monthly basis and independently reduce or increase the limit. The amount of the limit may be affected by the cash flow on the client's accounts opened with other banks. An overdraft card can be issued to legal entities that are corporate clients of Sberbank, as well as private clients, holders of debit cards (salary, pension and others, to which funds are systematically received). An application for connecting the overdraft service is considered within 8 days from the date of submission. For entrepreneurs with a stable business, there is an opportunity to issue an "Express Overdraft" on simplified conditions for considering an application.
The difference between an overdraft card and a debit and credit card
Despite the external similarity, there are a number of distinctive features by which one can judge how a debit card differs from an overdraft card, and also what is the difference between a credit card and an overdraft:
- According to the terms of registration, the debit card is intended for use only with your own money, without the possibility of a negative balance. The holder cannot spend more money than received on his account (salary, pension, social benefits, stipend).
- A credit card, unlike an overdraft, has a grace period during which the borrower can use credit funds absolutely free of charge (usually 55 days). The overdraft interest rate is charged immediately after the withdrawal of the borrowed money.
- A debit overdraft card provides for cash withdrawal without commission, which is possible for a credit card only with a cashless payment. There are no restrictions on debit cards for non-cash payments (payment of taxes, fines, utility bills).
- The overdraft card of Sberbank, the limit of which can reach 17 million rubles for large entrepreneurs and no more than 30,000 rubles for individuals, has a fixed debt repayment period, while credit card debt can be repaid in parts, paying only interest. Overdraft repayment occurs by automatic withdrawal of the amount of debt from the client's account. You must make your own credit card payments.
Documents required for registration of an overdraft by legal entities
Getting additional financing from Sberbank in the form of an overdraft card is not so easy. The Bank provides loans to verified clients who have a stable financial position and correspond to the status of a decent payer. To open an overdraft account, legal entities must provide a voluminous package of documents:
- an application for a loan;
- applicant's profile;
- borrower's passport;
- company registration certificate;
- copies of constituent and statutory documents confirming the legal capacity of the client;
- copies of the charter of the enterprise;
- documents confirming the cash flow of the enterprise;
- latest financial statements.
The Bank has the right to request additional information to verify the financial situation of the client and his solvency. The application is considered by the bank from 3 to 8 days, while the service itself is provided to the borrower after at least 3 months, during which the bank checks the cash receipts to the client's account and calculates the maximum loan limit. When all the formalities are completed, credit funds will be credited to the client's current account, which means that the Sberbank overdraft card has been activated.
Card for private clients
Not only large entrepreneurs, but also individuals who are bank card holders can apply for a short-term loan at Sberbank. What does an overdraft card mean for private clients? The difference when applying for a loan is the amount of the cash limit. The Bank can lend money to participants in salary projects and pensioners in an amount not exceeding 30,000 rubles. To apply for an overdraft by individuals, it is not required to provide a voluminous package of documents, the borrower must provide a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and an application. Sometimes the bank requires a second identity document (military ID, driver's license), as well as a certificate of income. 
How to pay off debt
There are two ways to pay off your overdraft debt:
- Periodically (every month), the full amount of money necessary to repay the loan, together with accrued interest (from 18% per annum in Russian rubles), is debited from the borrower's account.
- Partial repayment of the debt, depending on the financial condition of the borrower. The client repays the amount of debt for each used tranche by automatically debiting the required amount from the account.
If the limit is exceeded, the interest rate on the loan may be increased at the discretion of the bank up to 36% per annum. In addition, for connecting the service to legal entities, an additional commission is charged in the amount of 7,500 to 50,000 rubles (fixed rate - 1.2% of the established limit).
How to disable the overdraft service?
For many customers, the bank connects the overdraft service in the process of issuing any debit card. As a result, the overdraft card of Sberbank becomes available to the holder for use. What is it and how to refuse an unplanned loan?
As a rule, it is impossible to disable the service after signing the contract. However, you can try to avoid a negative balance on the card, thereby not using credit funds. You can also set a zero overdraft limit when applying for a debit card, to which the short-term lending service is automatically connected. The bank does not have the right to increase the overdraft amount without prior agreement with the client. An overdraft card is not valid after 1 year from the date of issue.