"Electronic magazine" Azbuka Prava ", 07.12.2017

HOW TO CLOSE THE BANK CARD (TERMINATE THE CONTRACT)?

Some bank customers - individuals (consumers) using bank cards, believe that after the expiration of the card contractual relationship with the bank are automatically terminated, or that if you do not use a bank card, then you will not have to pay for it. This is a misconception that can backfire:

The bank may demand to pay a commission for the annual service of the card, and if there is money on the card account, debit the amount of the commission from the account;

After writing off the amount of the commission, there may be a loan debt to the bank, on which interest will be charged, if the card is credit or with an established overdraft limit. As a result - overdue debt, bad credit history and monetary losses.

The agreement for the issuance and maintenance of a bank card has two components: opening and maintaining a bank account and issuing a plastic card, which is only a tool for accessing a bank account. Cards may expire, they can be reissued with new details, there may be several cards within one agreement, while the account is always one and its details do not change. The account is not automatically closed if something happens to the card.

Note!

Banks can issue bank cards to customers for consumer loans, arguing that it is more convenient to repay a loan through a card. Because of this, customers may think that it is enough to repay the loan and the card will automatically expire. This is not true. In this case, a separate agreement is concluded for the issue and maintenance of the card, which must be terminated separately.

It is easy to avoid possible negative consequences. It is only necessary to properly terminate the agreement on the issue and maintenance of the card concluded earlier with the bank.

Sh ag 1. Pay off the amount of debt on the card or withdraw your own funds from the account

If the card account has your own funds, you can withdraw it or transfer it to another account so that the account balance is zero. You don't have to do this in advance, but then the money can be returned to you only after the actual closing of the account.

Note!

By general rules the balance of funds must be issued from the client's bank account before the expiration of seven days after the bank receives an application for termination of the bank account agreement, unless the application provides for a later term for termination of the agreement ( clause 1 of Art. 859 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation; p. 8.3 Bank of Russia instructions dated 30.05.2014 N 153-I). However, in practice, as a rule, the period for returning the balance of funds is increased to 45 days. This is due to the features specified in .

Sh ag 2. Contact the bank branch and inform about your intention to terminate the agreement

When contacting the bank, you will need to sign the corresponding application and submit bank card for subsequent destruction. The application is drawn up in the form of the bank, it must indicate that you are asking to close the account. As a rule, returning the card to the bank is not a strict requirement, but in any case it will be blocked by the bank on the same day.

Note. When handing over the card to the bank employee, ask to cut the card in your presence.

Sh ag 3. Wait for the actual closure of the bank card account and termination of the agreement

The period between filing an application and closing an account can be up to 45 days. The specific term is fixed in the contract. Such a long period is associated with the requirements of international payment systems and technical features payments by bank cards.

Note. In our opinion, upon termination of the agreement for the issuance and maintenance of a bank card, the client has the right to claim a refund of part of the commission for the annual service of the card - for the unused period ( Art. 32 Law of 07.02.1992 N 2300-1). To return a part of the commission when submitting an application to the bank to terminate the agreement for the issuance and maintenance of a card, you must also submit an application for the return of a part of the commission drawn up in free form.

After the need to use a Sberbank bank card disappears, the question arises of how to close it. Many are interested in information on how a client can get rid of a valid credit card. In this article, we will tell you what steps you need to take in order to close the product you do not need.

Today, most Russians use all kinds of banking services: they apply for loans, open deposits, use plastic cards, wire transfers within the country and abroad, etc. According to statistical information, the services of Sberbank on this moment more than 70% of the population of our country use it every day.

Often, cards are issued to us in addition to any product, such as a loan or deposit, so that it is more convenient to manage your funds on the account. With such "plastic", you can make a payment or transfer at any time, find out the current state of the account, pay for utilities, mobile communications, etc.

Despite all its conveniences, for some clients such a card becomes unnecessary. The reasons may be different, for example, they are not satisfied with the conditions, have found a more profitable application, or the need for a credit card has disappeared altogether, and then the question arises, how to close it?

In fact, everything is very simple.

We have compiled a mini-instruction for which you need to act:

• To begin with, you need to apply personally to the branch of Sberbank where you received the card. You need to take your passport and, if possible, an agreement with you;
• Next, you need to find out the amount of your debt and repay it through the cashier, ATM, mobile application, i.e. in any way convenient for you. Be sure to take a certificate of absence of debt;
• After that, you in the department write an application for closing a card account. Sign it and give it to the bank employee. You can also give the plastic to the worker to cut it with you, or you can keep it as a souvenir. That's all, this is where your actions end.
• If there are funds in your account that you did not withdraw before you wrote an application to close the account, then the balance will be returned to you within 45 days, so you need to be patient.

If you have moved to another city / region and cannot contact the same branch as before, then just visit the nearest Sberbank office. You have the right to leave an application at the place of residence, if they refuse to accept - write a complaint to the director of the department.

If you have moved to another country, then, unfortunately, the card cannot be closed or extended remotely. You need to write a power of attorney and send it to relatives / friends in Russia, so that they write applications to the bank on your behalf. Here's a sample:

Many of our readers ask: Is it possible to just throw out the card and forget about it, is it necessary to come to the office? We answer: it is imperative to come to the branch and close the account, because most cards are charged annually for service, and if you do not pay for it, then you will have debts and delays that will ruin your credit history. What this is fraught with, we describe in detail in this article.

If you have received a card, but have not yet activated it, i.e. did not perform any actions with her using an ATM, Personal account or an office worker, you can simply cut it in half and discard it.

If you still have questions about how to close a Sberbank bank card, use

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Do I need to close a bank card if you do not use it?

People sometimes stop using bank cards, but forget to terminate the agreement with the bank or do not know about such a need.

Unpleasant consequences of not covering the card

• large debt,
• legal action.

With the help of a plastic card, the owner manages his money in the bank account. Upon receipt of a card in his name, a bank account with an individual number must be opened. It binds to the card number. An agreement is concluded between the banking institution and the owner of the electronic card.

If, at the request of the owner, several bank cards are issued, there will be one bank account, with the same details. All monetary transactions are recorded: replenishment of cards, payments, transfers, withdrawals.

The bank account can only be closed after termination of the contract. This is done at the initiative of the account / card holder or bank.

How to close a bank card, how to terminate an agreement with a bank

Many bank card holders do not know how to terminate the agreement with the bank (and whether it is necessary to do this), how to properly close a bank card, how to get the balance of funds. People believe that if the card has expired, there is no need to pay service fees, the account will be closed automatically. This is a dangerous delusion.

If there is money left on the account, it will be debited for servicing the card, if it is not there (or has run out), the debt increases. Bank cards that have served their time are reissued, they are assigned new details. Several cards are sometimes tied to one agreement, and there is only one bank account, its details do not change, therefore it does not close automatically... Any actions with a bank card - expiration, blocking, full repayment of the loan - do not lead to automatic liquidation of the account.

Is it possible to terminate the agreement with the bank

Yes, this requires:

1. For a credit card, pay off the entire amount owed, or withdraw all the money from the account. Write a statement on termination of the bank agreement. The bank, in turn, is obliged to give the client the rest of the money from his account within a week (the time can be specified in the application). Funds are received in cash or by transfer (payment order).

1. Employees of the banking institution will offer to sign the appropriate termination statement and ask for a card, which is destroyed in front of the client. If the card is not returned to the bank, it is immediately blocked and becomes unusable.

1. After completing the closure of the bank card and account, a certificate should be required, which confirms the fact of closure. Or a separate certificate that the client has no debt to the banking institution, if this was not mentioned in the previous certificate. Such a certificate, certified by a seal, will serve as a guarantee against the claims of the bank if its employees (or an automatic system) make a mistake and will reveal it later.

After filing an application for termination of the contract and liquidation of the account, a long period of time may pass before the actual closure - up to one and a half months (the time is usually indicated in the contract). It depends on the requirements of the payment systems with which the bank is associated, and the technical features of payments with electronic cards. Sometimes bill payments or payments for purchases in online stores are debited from customer accounts after a certain period of time.

For the same reason, certificates of absence of debt are issued within one to two months (the term is indicated in the bank agreement), during which the bank is convinced that there is actually no debt. After that, he is ready to issue a certificate.

If the bank has terminated the agreement unilaterally

It is possible to terminate the bank account agreement on the initiative of the institution, in accordance with Article 859 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Reason for termination - if for two years the owner does not perform operations on his bank account, there is no money on it. The institution is obliged to notify the client in advance in writing. If, after sending the notification, no money appears on the account within two months, the action takes effect, the contract is terminated.

bank accounts

Question: I have an Alfa-Bank debit card, which I used to store funds when I travel frequently. Simultaneously with the card, an account "My Safe" was opened, into which, at the very beginning, 1000 rubles were deposited. The amount on the account "My Safe" still hangs without movement. In 2011, I moved to a permanent place of residence in another region and since that time I have not used the card, as this was no longer necessary. I no longer account for the card, but there was some small amount left. Due to the hustle and bustle of the move, I forgot about the card for a while, and when I missed it, it turned out that the card had long been over. Do I need to close my card account and return the card to the bank if the card has expired or everything happens automatically? Can I do this at any branch, or do I have to go to the one where I registered it? And in general, how to close a card (bank card)?

Answer: Even if the card is expired and the account balance is zero, the card account in the bank remains active, and this may cause a debt to the bank for servicing the account.

If you do not plan to use the card, then it must be returned to the bank and the card account and the “My Safe” account must be closed as well. Such operations are not carried out automatically, you have to visit the bank. A positive feature of Alfa-Bank's work is that you can close a card account at any branch of the bank, regardless of the region where the card is issued.

In addition, if there are no funds left on the card, then a surprise may await you at the bank in the form of debt for account maintenance services. Until the account is closed, you pay annually for its maintenance services in accordance with the bank's tariffs for your type of card. The longer the account is not closed, the more debt can be. So, closing an account and returning the card to the bank can be done in any division of Alfa-Bank, since the bank has a single database.

If you decide to use the card further, then you need to contact the bank branch at the place of residence and simply re-issue (re-issue) the card to the current card account.

Standard procedure for returning a card and closing a card account any bank looks like that:

1. Come to the bank branch with your passport and card.


2. Submit the documents to the operational worker and ask to close the card account.


3. Write an application for closing an account or sign a standard application form prepared by a bank employee.


4. The employee then checks the status of your account:
   
   
   • If the account has a balance, the closing will continue.
   
   
   • If the account goes into minus, then you will have to deposit the amount No. to pay off the debt, and perhaps even visit the bank again, since for technical reasons, the account will be reset to zero only on the next business day.
   
   
   • If the account has not been paid for the bank's services, then you will have to pay the amount No. to pay off the services, and the closure will continue.


5. At the moment of closing the card account with the balance of funds, a memorial expenditure order will be printed, which you will sign, and on its basis, you will be given this balance from the bank's cash desk.


6. The account was reset and now it is being closed, and you should be given a document confirming the fact of closing the account - it is important!


7. A bank employee, in front of your eyes, must destroy the card itself by cutting it into small parts so that a whole magnetic strip does not remain. This is important for your financial security!

And three more points related to closing an account and card:

1. If your cards have been attached to your account additional cards- they are also handed over to the bank and destroyed.


2. If additional accounts, such as Alfa-Bank's "My Safe", have been issued to the card account, they must be reset and closed simultaneously with the main account.


3. In each bank, the requirements for the place of closing the card are different (only in the issuing branch, in any branch ...) - this point should always be clarified.

It should be borne in mind that each bank approves its own procedure and terms for closing a card account. The account may be closed immediately, and in some cases you will have to visit the bank several times before you will be issued a certificate of its closure. In any case, the account closure procedure must be completed.

For example, the procedure for closing a card account with Sberbank specified in clause 3.11 of the Terms of Use international cards"provides the following:
- "Closing the Account and refunding the balance of funds from the Account is made at the request of the Client
subject to the repayment of the overdraft, the absence of other debt and the completion of measures for
settlement of disputed transactions after 45 calendar days:

• from the date of delivery of all Cards opened to this account, or the expiration of the Cards;
• or from the date of filing an application for closing the Visa Electron or Maestro Card (s) issued to
  Account;
• or from the date of filing applications for the loss of each of the lost Cards if it is impossible to return to
  Bank of valid cards.

You can submit an application to close a card account at any branch of Sberbank. And if the holder intends to receive the balance of the card account not at the place where the account is maintained, then it is necessary to additionally fill out an application for the transfer.

Sberbank – VisaElectron, Sberbank – Maestro cards may not be handed over to the Bank, and then a full settlement with the holder is made 45 days after the holder submits an application to close the card.