At the end of June 2021, the largest Russian social network VKontakte launched its own payment system. The new service was simply named VK Pay. It is designed for convenient payments both within the social network and outside it.
#AllLoansOnline decided to study the work of the new payment service and test it in practice. We checked how convenient it is to use it for purchases on the social network and beyond. In this article you will learn how to use the payment system and find our review about it.
What is VK Pay
VK has long been using its own payment services, available to all users. Initially, these were “votes” - the internal currency of the social network, which was used for payments in applications. In 2015, functionality for selling goods in communities appeared, and a year later, a money transfer service. The fact that the social network is preparing to launch a full-fledged payment system became known back in March 2018.
VK Pay naturally develops the idea of all these services and offers more additional functions. With its help, users of the social network will be able to accept and send any payments, pay for goods from communities and partner stores. You can use your account in the system as an electronic wallet (for example, like QIWI) or link a bank card to it.
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The new payment system is being developed jointly with Gazprombank, a large and reliable bank with a large network of branches. Gazprombank, together with the telecom operator Megafon, the Rostec state corporation and USM Holdings, created the MF Technologies company. Its goal is the development and implementation of various projects and systems in the field of e-commerce. This company now owns part of the shares of Mail.ru Group, which includes the social network.
At the same time, VKontakte is not going to stop there, and plans to further develop the payment system. In the future, it will launch its own marketplace, which will offer goods and services from the network’s communities and partner companies. It will be possible to accept payments in VK Pay through Internet acquiring systems. Perhaps there will be a variety of bonus programs for users.
Location determination
VK finds out your location from various sources:
- If you visit a social network while at home, your Internet provider provides geoinformation.
- Using your mobile operator. It determines the coordinates where you are with high accuracy. The error is about 150 meters.
- Using your mobile device with a built-in GPS navigator. It is found in modern gadgets. Only it must be activated.
Using these simple methods, the social network determines your location.
How to register a VK Pay wallet
Anyone who has an account in VK can register in the system. A new item will appear in the social network menu, which is located on the left side of the page. Select it to go to the wallet page.
If this item does not appear for you, go to the social network settings and click the “Customize the display of menu items” link. VK Pay will be in the “Games and Applications” section. If the item you need is not there, follow this link - then it will appear.
To create a simple wallet, you just need to come up with a PIN code - it is needed to enter the wallet and confirm transactions with it. Enter the desired code and repeat it.
The wallet is now available for use. However, some of its functions will be reduced - for example, it will not be possible to withdraw money or send transfers. To unlock these features, you must provide personal information. To do this, click the “Fill” button.
In the application form, it is enough to indicate your full name, passport number and series, as well as TIN or SNILS. The company is responsible for the security of your personal data and does not transfer it to third parties.
After entering your data, wait until it is verified - you will be notified of the results in an online notification. Now you have access to all the functions of the wallet.
A little about paranoia and VKontakte photos
Recently, I have been very interested in the topic of privacy and security on the Internet, and especially in social networks. After all, it is on social networks that we leave a lot of information about ourselves that could one day be used against us. In this small topic I will outline my observations that relate to one very well-known and popular social network - VKontakte.
It all started with reading in the magazine][aker (January 01 (144) 2011) an article about the architecture of VKontakte (page 32). In the sidebar “Interesting facts about VKontakte” there was a very interesting (for me) point: “Photos are not deleted to minimize fragmentation.”
I have long suspected this - and now there is a reason to check my suspicions. The check consisted of 3 “tests”.
Test 1: An album with images was created.
Then direct links to the album's photos were saved, and the album was deleted.
The result was expected: All photos remained on the servers. cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/x_19f6dd2e.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/x_5dbdbe21.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132 993608/x_a2c74f20.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/x_03741cec .jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/x_c568107c.jpg And also all thumbnail images. cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/m_800ea214.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/m_8102503d.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/13 2993608/m_232d190a.jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/m_da3920a2 .jpg cs9684.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/132993608/m_71447434.jpg
Test 2 repeated “Test 1”, but not an album was used, but photographs from the wall (avatar). The result remained the same (despite the fact that the photo was deleted approximately six months ago. cs4342.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/-6/x_2bd7b6f1.jpg cs4342.vkontakte.ru/u21687592/-6/z_bd53b84c.jpg
Test 3: Web Historian was running on one of the computers at work. In the history there were links to VKontakte photos from 01/2010, and all of them turned out to be working! cs10189.vkontakte.ru/u22365906/a_29282417.jpg
After all the “checks,” it was concluded that all photos uploaded to VKontakte servers will remain there even after deletion for an indefinite period.
In general, gentlemen, we need to make sure that we trust the Internet and others, because there is no guarantee that you will be able to “clean up” the traces of your presence!
PS Based on everything written, I had the idea to write a scanner that could be used to scan VKontakte servers for deleted photos.
The direct link to the photo in the album looks like this: (server number)
.vkontakte.ru/u
(user id)
/
(album id)
/
(photo size)
_
(photo number)
.jpg
Photo number
— 8 characters from the set 0123456789abcdef
Photo sizes: a_ — avatars of users and groups e_ — thumbnail images of friends and subscriptions on the main page s_ — thumbnail images of albums on the main page l_ — thumbnail images of videos on the main page d_ — thumbnail images of friends and groups on the friends and groups page m_ — thumbnails images of albums and photos in albums x_ - small size photos y_ - medium size photos z_ - large size photos w_ - original size photos
Thank you for your attention!
How to use the wallet
VK Pay allows you to pay for various purchases within VK and send money to other people. To do this, you need to top up your wallet with money from your debit card. You can link your card to your wallet for more convenient deposits and withdrawals. Let's take a closer look at the main functions of the wallet.
How to top up your wallet and withdraw money
To use the wallet, you must first top it up using any bank card. To do this, click the “Top up” button on the main page of the wallet.
Enter the payment amount and card details, then confirm the operation with an SMS password. The money will be credited to your account immediately.
VK Pay consistently accepts payments from Visa and MasterCard cards, but there may be problems with MIR cards.
To withdraw money from your account, click the “Withdraw” button on the main page of your wallet. Enter the withdrawal amount and select the card you want to withdraw money to. Click the "Withdraw" button
If you want to withdraw the amount to a new card, select “New card” and enter the required data - number, expiration date and security code.
A withdrawal fee is charged only for amounts over 15,000 rubles. However, please note that your bank may charge its own fee for this transaction.
How to pay for purchases in VK Pay
Through VK Pay you can pay for mobile communications and the Internet, pay traffic fines, buy VK votes and game currency in Mail.ru Games. Payment is made in the same way as through Internet banking or other electronic wallets.
The payment system also allows you to pay for purchases from some VK partners. Among them are the flight and hotel booking service OneTwoTrip, the home delivery service Delivery Club, the online book store Litres, the clothing store 5 Pockets and several other companies. For purchases from partners, the system offers cashback of up to 10-20%, depending on the store.
To pay for your order, go to the store's app or community and place your order as usual. When determining the payment method, VK Pay will be automatically selected.
Provide your email address (if required). Confirm the operation and click the “Pay” button.
The money will be automatically debited from your wallet and you will continue placing your order.
How to send transfers using a wallet
You can send a transfer via VK Pay by account name or phone number, or upon request via QR code. To send a transfer, select the account you want to transfer money to by name or phone number. After that, enter the transfer amount, add a comment (if necessary) and click the “Transfer” button.
The person you want to send the transfer to must have a verified wallet.
A message about a successful transfer will appear in correspondence with the person to whom you sent the money.
After this, you can spend the money in VK Pay or withdraw it to your card.
How to link a card to a wallet
You can also link any bank card to your wallet for convenient payment for purchases on the social network. To do this, you need to use the function in the “Maps” section.
The card with which you topped up your wallet is automatically linked to it. To link a new one, click “Add card”.
In the window that opens, enter the details of the desired card and click the “Add card” button
Now, if there are insufficient funds in your wallet account, the missing money will be debited from one of your cards.
Be careful when linking a credit card to your wallet. The bank may regard a transaction with such a card as a money transfer and charge an increased commission.
How to remove a photo on a VKontakte card
If you are not very happy with the fact that every friend and subscribers can track your location, it is best to remove photos from the map in VK. For this:
- Expand the map of your images.
- Tap the group or photo you want to remove from the map.
- The entire map will unfold in front of you. In detail, select the photo whose location you want to remove from the map.
- Click on the small circle of the photo on the map. On the right, expand the “Actions” list
- Select "Specify Location". Click on the blue delete button. When you refresh the page. The photo with the location will disappear from the map. In this way, you can remove all photos from the card.
Pros and cons of VK Pay
At the time of its launch, VK Pay looks like a completely convenient payment system. Its functionality is quite sufficient for use within the network. The system has several advantages:
- Using the system, it is easier to send money and pay for expenses in communities within the social network. Wallet partners offer fairly high cashback on some purchases
- The wallet is very easy to register - all you need is an account on a social network. There are almost no requirements for the account itself
- Wallet functions are available not only on the VK website, but also in official mobile applications for iOS and Android
- For now, the commission is charged only for withdrawing money. Perhaps the developers will find alternative ways to monetize the service, and other commissions for users will not appear. For example, only stores will have to pay
But now the system has several serious shortcomings:
- Without verification, the wallet's capabilities are very limited - for example, you cannot accept or send money. This may be inconvenient in some situations. Many other wallets, for example, Qiwi, can be used quite freely without entering personal data
- Even a verified account has restrictions - up to 60,000 rubles for the balance and 200,000 rubles per month for transactions. There will be new account levels in the future that will have less stringent restrictions.
- The payment system is available only to Russian users of the social network. At the same time, a lot of people from other countries are registered on the social network – from Ukraine and Kazakhstan to the USA and Israel. They will not be able to use the new function
- You can only top up your wallet using a bank card or another wallet. For greater convenience, alternative methods are needed - for example, topping up with cash at payment terminals
conclusions
The VK Pay card is of interest to owners of smartphones with NFC, who often make purchases in stores of the project’s partners: AliExpress Russia, Svyaznoy, MegaFon Retail, Technopark, GeekBrains, and some Mail.ru Group services. Also, the card may be of interest to young people who actively use the VKontakte social network, its games and monetization services, says Ivan Kushch.
According to the expert, there is nothing unique about the VK Pay card.
Virtual cards are already being issued by YuMoney; they can also be issued in many banks: Tinkoff Bank, VTB, Sberbank and others. The only thing is that the average cashback is now 1% on all purchases. But, as a rule, banks have increased cashback for purchases from partners or in certain categories. It can reach 15–30%. Compare conditions for debit cards with cashback
Sources
- Official information about VK Pay
- VK Pay application
- Reviews VK Pay
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Ellina Baitemirova Content Manager #VZO, is responsible for filling the site with content and updating the information provided. Graduated from KNRTU with a degree in
. Elina has been working in our project since 2021. She actively studies the financial products market and monitors all important changes.
(9 ratings, average: 3.9 out of 5)
What does linking a card to a VK account give?
Linking Sberbank cards to VK is a simple matter, but more on that below. First, let's figure out why this is done.
What Sberbank receives:
- The bank expands its sphere of influence, thus interacting with potential clients through social networks. The number of open cards increased noticeably after the launch of the SberCat promotion;
- Linking increases the number of card payments. These are transactions involving transfers and buying votes.
What users get:
- Advanced users, having linked their plastic data to their account, have the opportunity to make quick transfers in a few clicks. You can send money to any person registered on the network;
- for those who exchange real money for internal currency - votes, for buying gifts, stickers, this is a quick replenishment of your account.
How to disable Sberkot in VK
What to do if you no longer want to use some set of stickers (not only from Sberbank)? Is it possible to get rid of it? It is impossible to delete previously received sets, but they can be disabled (and, if desired, connected back).
For computer
Here's how to get stickers from Sberbank in the full version of the site:
- Log in to your VK account.
- Go to dialogues and open any correspondence.
- Click on the emoticon in the message input line.
- Go to the sticker store by clicking on the symbol in the lower right corner.
- On the right side you will see the inscription “My stickers” - click on it.
- You will see a list of all the sets that you have. Opposite each of them is the inscription “Hide”.
- By clicking on it, you deactivate certain stickers.
For smartphone
Here's how to unsubscribe from Sberkot or other stickers on VK in the mobile application:
- Log in to VK.
- Go to the dialogs and open any of them.
- Next, tap on the smiley face, and then on the plus sign.
- Once you're in the store, click on the gear symbol in the top corner.
- Next, you can disable any set of stickers by clicking on the cross next to its name.
In VK you can also give stickers to a friend. To do this, while in the store, click on the gift symbol next to the cost of the set.
Sberkot VK stickers are a real find for those who want to make their correspondence even more emotional. Now you know how to get them, how to disable them and why Sberkot in VK may not be available. In addition, you can join this funny cat’s group at any time and receive useful and interesting information.
What is needed for binding?
The procedure will not take even 5 minutes. To link a Sberbank card to VKontakte via phone or computer, you will need a PC or smartphone with the Internet, a Sberbank card - MasterCard/Visa/Maestro/MIR, funds in the account in the amount of the replenishment amount, including commission and up to 10 rubles for the verification amount (used instead one-time code).
Sberkot sticker set
A unique offer from the largest financial institution is aimed at attracting more clients through partnership with the VK website. In addition to popularizing the institution, Sberkot stickers are aimed at educating the audience about financial issues.
Issuance of stickers for linking a card
For active users of VKontakte resources, having an assigned card simplifies many procedures. After securing plastic products in the social network account system, you can count on a promotion from the bank. You can get stickers by going to the link vk.me/sbercot. The page will contain a function to send a message to the bot. The text of the message can be anything. The system, on behalf of the representative, will respond to the user; the response message must contain the word “MUR”.
Sending the appropriate message will mean the client agrees to receive stickers. The savings cat will arrive individually, the first batch of four images is free. The next delivery is expected in two days. Frequency of sending: twice a week along with financial advice.
How long does it take to transfer money from VTB to Sberbank?
