Comparing virtual cards in Kyrgyzstan: which one is better value?

There are a lot of payment products available in Kyrgyzstan including cards, e-wallets, and bank apps. However, people in Kyrgyzstan increasingly use virtual (or digital) cards for comfortable online shopping and easy payments in stores.

Virtual payment card is not linked to a physical medium, plastic. You can use it to pay online, do online shopping or pay at stores, restaurants, hotels or airports via your smartphone.

Every virtual card has the same basic parameters as the plastic does such as number, validity period, holder’s name, and CVV2 3-digit code. Card validity period may vary from 1-3 months to 5 years. One can obtain this payment product without leaving home – just order it in an app.

Kaktus.media opted to find out what advantages the virtual payment cards available in Kyrgyzstan have.

So, what is interesting about such cards includes issue terms, subscription fee, and top-up and cash-out options. And of course, cashback.

The following most popular virtual cards were selected for evaluation:

• O!Dengi Visa Gold;
• Bakai Bank’s virtual card;
• MegaBlack virtual card;
• Halyk Bank’s virtual card;
• MBANK’s virtual card; and
• VISA DEBIT VIRTUAL by Bai Tushum.

O!Dengi Visa Gold

The O!Dengi Visa Gold card is issued instantly and free of charge in the My O! app. The card balance is that of the O!Dengi e-wallet which is particularly convenient as the wallet can be topped up without a fee on 10,000 payment terminals countrywide as well as in banks’ apps. A particular advantage is that no physical card is needed for opening a virtual one. And what’s more, instant 2% cashback per buy is given.

• Card validity period: 3 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? No.
• Cashless payments for goods and services online: yes.
• Temporary blocking option: yes.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals O!Dengi, Pay24, Onoi, Quickpay, UMAI, Unipay, Halyk Bank, Aiyl Bank, Bakai Bank, and EcoIslamicBank.
• Per year service fee: no.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: yes, via the O!Dengi wallet.
• Cashback: 2% per transaction.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: via O!Dengi naktamats: 0% for up to 30,000 KGS, 0.5% for 30,000 to 80,000 KGS, 1% for 80,000 KGS or more.

VISA DEBIT VIRTUAL by Bai Tushum

Bai Tushum represents bank card details required for online shopping. Instant issue available.

• Card validity period: 3 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? Yes.
• Cashless payments for goods and services online: yes.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals: Pay24, O!Dengi (up to 100,000 KGS).
• Per year service fee: yes.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: only via the Google wallet app.
• Cashback: no.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: at Bai Tushum bank cash offices, 0%.

Halyk Bank Virtual Card

The card represents bank card details. The digital card ensures high-level security in online transactions as no principal bank card details are involved.

• Card validity period: 5 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? Yes.
• Cashless payments for goods and services online: yes.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals: via Halyk Bank payment terminals.
• Per year service fee: no.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: only via the Google wallet app.
• Cashback: no.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: at Halyk Bank cash offices, 0.3% for KGS.

MBANK Virtual Card

The Visa card is issued not on a physical medium. The card can be topped up both via the bank’s app and partners’ e-wallets.

• Card validity period: 3 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? No.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals: only on Onoi, Umai and MBANK payment terminals, and with fee charged on others.
• Card management in the app: yes.
• Per year service fee: no.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: only via the Google wallet app.
• Cashback: no.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: at MBANK cash offices, 1% for up to 100,000 KGS.

MegaBlack Virtual Card

A digital card, no plastic, available for instant issue. Strengths: no need to have a physical card, high security level.

• Card validity period: 5 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? No.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals: only on Mega payment terminals.
• Card management in the app: yes.
• Per year service fee: no.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: in the MegaPay app.
• Cashback: no.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: virtual card cash-out only available via cards of Aiyl Bank, Halyk Bank, Bakai Bank, and Optima Bank, 0%.

Bakai Bank Virtual Card

The card is also issued immediately like the others.

• Card validity period: 3 years.
• Is a physical card needed to open a virtual one? No.
• Fee-free top-up on payment terminals: terminals of Bakai Bank, O!Dengi, Pay24, and Onoi, up to 100,000.
• Card management in the app: yes.
• Per year service fee: no.
• Tokenization on Google Pay: via the app.
• Cashback: 1%.
• Withdrawal methods and charges: only at Bakai Bank cash offices, 1% for KGS.

Most virtual cards have similar parameters. Their distinctive advantages may include cashback per buy and fee-free top-up and cash-out options. The largest cashback is yet offered by the O!Dengi Visa Gold, and it has a range of fee-free top-up options.

What is the virtual card that you use?