When traveling to another country, for example, to Ukraine, many store up cash in advance, fearing that they will not be able to withdraw money from the card. However, in most cases it is possible to do this, and the interest for withdrawing money from an ATM will be small.
How to withdraw cash
It is not safe to carry packs of cash with you, besides, the exchange for hryvnia will take time, and you will have to pay for the operation. It is much more convenient and profitable to take with you a Sberbank plastic card with the required amount. You can withdraw money in Ukrainian currency at any ATM, and the exchange rate will be much more favorable.
The easiest way is to contact one of the Sberbank ATMs. The bank's specialists explain that this operation is free for holders of any debit cards. Sberbank of Russia really does not withhold a commission for cashing out, but a subsidiary Ukrainian bank will write off from 1% to 3% of the amount. If in doubt, you can call the bank office and clarify the current figure. This applies to any debit cards, credit cards may have their own terms specified in the agreement.
Customers who own Visa Platinum, Visa Gold, Platinum MasterCard and Gold MasterCard can receive money at Sberbank ATMs without commission.
Sometimes Sberbank cardholders complain that Ukrainian ATMs refuse to issue cash. This is a special case, if one machine fails, you just need to turn to the next one. Money from the card can also be received at the cash desk of Sberbank, however, the percentage for cashing out is usually higher than at an ATM. When contacting the cashier, you must show your passport.
It is worth considering that when receiving currency (Ukrainian hryvnia) from a ruble card, the bank will carry out the conversion taking into account the current US dollar exchange rate. First, the ruble amount is converted into dollars, and then transferred in hryvnia. The exchange rate is set daily by a special order of the Sberbank of Russia. You can clarify it in your personal account on the bank's website. People who regularly withdraw money from the card note that this method is more profitable than the direct exchange of cash rubles for hryvnia.
When cashing out large amounts, it is better to go not to an ATM, but to the cashier of a subsidiary bank. If there is enough money, they can be given out immediately, but sometimes the required amount has to be ordered in advance. It all depends on the specific financial institution and its policies. If one branch refuses to issue, you can always contact another. In this case, the money will be issued in hryvnia, it is unprofitable to exchange it for rubles, since in this case the conversion will be carried out twice and the commission for the operation will be too large. Some financial institutions simply do not work with cash rubles. But if you have a passport at the bank's cash desk, you can get money in US dollars (the conversion will be carried out from a ruble card). In this case, you will have to pay for the operation from 4.5% to 6%.
If the card is issued in Ukraine, money can be withdrawn without interest. The amount is issued in UAH. Sometimes the ATM sets a time limit on cash withdrawals. If the daily or monthly limit is exceeded, you will not be able to receive money. An alternative option is to contact the office, cash will be given out at the cash desk without restrictions, and you will not have to pay interest either.
Holders of Sberbank cards can also contact ATMs of other financial institutions, for example, Privatbank. It has many offices and ATMs, cards issued in Ukraine are serviced free of charge. For operations with Russian plastic, you will have to pay 3% of the amount received. The limits depend on the tariff plan, you can find them out at the office of the bank that issued the card.
Alternative payment methods
You can also pay for your purchase using a non-cash method. Sberbank cards are accepted by all shops offering cashless payments. In case of non-cash settlement, the commission is not withheld, the limit on the daily or monthly amount is not set. It is worth considering that in some retail outlets the buyer may be asked for a passport. For non-cash payments, it is more convenient to use combined cards with a chip. Sberbank cards can also be used for electronic payments through Privatbank terminals.
Upon receipt of the card, you need to make sure that it is suitable for use abroad. If the plastic is marked "Valid on the territory of Russia", it will be impossible to pay for it in Ukraine. If you need money urgently, you can transfer it through your personal account to another card suitable for use abroad. The terms of the transfer are indicated on the Sberbank website, no commission is charged for the operation.
