Just 10 years ago, the concept of electronic money was little known to Russian residents. Only the WebMoney payment system was fully operational in the country, and Yandex.Money was gradually entering the market. Today, there are so many payment systems available to Russians that it’s easy to get confused. Novice network users often have questions about which e-wallet is best to choose. Our article will help you figure this out.

What to consider when choosing a wallet

First of all, when choosing where to open an electronic wallet, you should decide the purpose of this event. Roughly formulated, there can be three goals:

• receive money in your wallet;
• spend money from your wallet;
• receive and spend money.

First, let's deal with the second point. Many people create an account in an electronic payment system in order to make purchases in online stores, but not reveal their bank card information. If virtual card from your bank is inconvenient for you for some reason, this is a completely reasonable solution. In this case, you should evaluate the following properties of each wallet:

• prevalence of the payment system;
• the ability to pay in your usual online stores;
• ways to replenish your wallet;
• replenishment commissions.

For example, today’s popular Aliexpress accepts payment through the Yandex.Money system, while on eBay you can only pay using a PayPal account; this site does not accept either WebMoney or Yandex.Money. Therefore, for regular users of this auction, these wallets will be absolutely useless.

The next option is that you want to create a wallet to receive funds. For example, to transfer to you wages from the employer (relevant for freelancers), making payments for purchases (for those who earn money through craft activities) or collecting donations. Here, oddly enough, you will have to focus primarily on the preferences of those who will transfer funds to you. You should evaluate:

• number of ways to replenish your wallet;
• possibility of replenishment from a bank card;
• the presence of a commission for replenishing an account;
• degree of distribution of the payment system.

For example, if you plan to sell your goods only to buyers from Russia, you can only pay attention to payment systems that are popular in our country. If you want to enter the global handmade/freelancing market, etc., you should find out which payment methods are most popular in the region of your interest. For payments to America and European countries, PayPal is best suited. It is more familiar to residents of foreign countries, and also provides protection for the buyer. And, of course, you should analyze the possibilities of withdrawing funds from the system, their cost and range.

Advice: when collaborating with one or two employers, choose the wallet that will suit their interests. Also, when working on services that allow you to earn money through the network, choose a payment system with which these services cooperate.

Electronic wallet instead of a bank card

Let's consider last option– if you plan to use an online wallet as an alternative to a regular wallet. That is, not just withdraw the funds received to a bank card, but pay for basic needs directly with his participation. It's worth finding out here:

• what capabilities are built into the payment system;
• what are the limits on spending funds;
• whether the system can provide a physical means of managing the wallet;
• how can you cash out and how much does it cost?

For example, with the help of WebMoney and Yandex.Money you can easily pay not only mobile communications, but also public utilities, taxes and fines, Internet and television and many other bills. But the Qiwi payment system provides its users with a plastic card linked to a wallet, with which they can make purchases in offline stores. However, Yandex also has such a service.

In a word, before making your final choice, carefully analyze your capabilities, needs and plans for the payment service. An incorrectly chosen wallet can not only add inconvenience to daily life, but also lead to financial losses, due to big size commissions for transactions or the outflow of clients/employers who will not be comfortable with it as a means of payment. And having formulated a list of requirements, you can begin studying the offers of payment systems. We will tell you about the most popular of them.

The most popular wallets in Russia

Today in our country the most common electronic payment systems are:

• WebMoney;
• Yandex money;
• Qiwi;
• PayPal.

Each of them, in addition to large quantity There are ways to replenish your wallet and withdraw funds Russian service customer support. This can help if difficulties arise both in the process of creating an account in the payment system and during its use. Let's talk about the main features of each wallet.

WebMoney payment system

For a long time, those who needed a wallet to work via the Internet could only use an account in the Webamni system. This company was one of the first, if not the very first, to provide electronic money services in the Russian Federation. Over the years of operation, the payment system has acquired a solid infrastructure. Today, using her wallet you can:

• make purchases in most online stores;
• pay bills and receipts (including fines and taxes);
• pay for Internet services, cellular communications, satellite TV, etc.;
• make transfers all over the world.

The undoubted advantage of WebMoney is its multicurrency. You can link several wallets to one account, each of which will be dedicated to its own currency. In the Russian Federation, ruble and dollar wallets are most often in demand. In total, the system provides 10 types of currencies, including not only euros and Belarusian rubles, but also popular in Lately bitcoin. You can top up your wallet in different ways:

• from a bank card - via an ATM or Internet bank, depending on the issuer;
• from a bank account;
• from another electronic wallet (including one not belonging to the system);
• from balance mobile phone;
• postal transfer;
• cash - through terminals.

Important! The timing of crediting funds and commissions for replenishment will depend on the type of wallet.

WebMoney has a cooperation agreement with some banks. For example, transactions between any of the system’s wallets and an Alfa Bank card/account will be carried out instantly and will cost the user only 1% of the transferred amount. For comparison, when replenishing your wallet from a bank card that is not included in the list of partners of the system, for an amount of up to 2800 rubles, you will be charged a commission of 50 rubles, plus bank commissions.

Payment system Yandex.Money

If you search on the Internet for the answer to the question of which e-wallet is best to open in Russia, user reviews will most often recommend Yandex.Money. This system has been operating in our country since the mid-90s, and has also managed to acquire a wide infrastructure. Wallets can only be created in rubles. And largely thanks to this, working with the system is simple and intuitive.

Any user of the system who has registered a wallet can receive funds. But in order to make transfers, pay invoices or withdraw money from the system, you will need to go through identification. There are several ways to do this:

• using Sberbank Mobile Banking;
• by transferring funds to the wallet account through Euroset, Svyaznoy or the Contact system;
• by sending an application and notarized copies of personal documents to the payment system address.

Important! The identification procedure is paid, its cost depends on the chosen method.

Having passed the identification, the owner of the wallet has the opportunity to use it:

• pay for purchases on the Internet;
• pay taxes and make other contributions to the budget;
• pay for utilities, use of cellular communications, Internet, etc.;
• make money transfers both within the system and to bank cards of third parties;
• withdraw money from your wallet to cards and accounts of any banks.

Important! The payment system has partnership agreements with a number of banks (Alfa Bank, Promsvyazbank, Sberbank, etc.), allowing you to withdraw funds to their accounts instantly and without additional commissions.

In addition, Yandex.Money provides its clients with the opportunity to receive a plastic card, the balance of which will be shared with the wallet. Thus, you can pay with electronic money in regular stores, cafes, service centers, etc. This card can also be linked to contactless payment systems - ApplePay or SamsungPay. The cost of the card is 200 rubles for three years; no commissions are charged when making payments through terminals.

Payment system Qiwi

This payment system allows you to create a wallet using only a mobile phone number. A one-time password is sent to the specified number, which acts as an analogue of user identification for the system. Using the wallet, the user can:

• pay for cellular communication and Internet services;
• make payments for loans from a number of banks;
• pay fines to the traffic police;
• top up parking accounts;
• pay for applications, gifts and votes on social networks;
• pay for utilities (in some management companies).

The system also allows you to transfer funds between different wallets, send money to bank accounts and cards, send finances through money transfer systems (postal, Contact, American Express, etc.).

Important! The currency of a Qiwi wallet can only be Russian rubles.

To replenish your wallet, you can use one of the system’s terminals, which are abundant in almost every city. In addition, replenishment is possible through Internet banking systems, from a bank card account through ATMs, and even from the balance of a mobile phone. Qiwi cooperates with many microcredit companies, so that wallet owners can receive loans online to accounts created in the system.

Important! Also, any client can get a Qiwi plastic card, the balance of which will be shared with the wallet. The card is accepted for payments in most stores.

Payment system PayPal

For those who are going to sell goods online, or, on the contrary, make purchases in foreign online stores and from individuals, the best e-wallet is PayPal. This system was created specifically for settlements between sellers and buyers. The wallet identifier in it is the client’s email address. This allows you to secure your personal data, including information about accounts, cards and other means of payment.

Important! A PayPal account is opened in the currency of its owner's country. For international payments, funds are converted automatically at the internal rate of the system.

You can top up your wallet using a bank card from any bank. But the further use of credited funds is very limited:

• transfer to another PayPal account;
• withdrawal of funds from the system (to a bank card linked to the wallet).

That is, no payments of third-party bills can be made using this service. But it is very convenient for shopping. PayPal has a very strict buyer protection program. When paying for the goods, funds are transferred to the seller’s account, but are blocked on it until the buyer confirms that the goods have been received and that there are no claims regarding them. Otherwise, the spent funds can be returned, and all commissions for transfers will fall on the seller.

The system operates both abroad and in Russia. But in our country it is not very widespread yet. For transactions within the Russian Federation, it is more convenient to use Yandex.Money or WebMoney.

In this step-by-step instructions for the site, we will continue the topic of finance and learn how to create a variety of wallets in the WebMoney system. But first, let's consider our potential capabilities and mandatory initial conditions.

To create a WebMoney wallet, you need:

1. Register for WebMoney - see step by step instructions“ ” (it’s better to open in a new window using the right mouse button).

2. Authorize (log in) to your WebMoney personal account using a secret Login and Password, and, sometimes, the personal mobile phone number registered in the previous step (see the previous instructions on our website).

Which WebMoney wallet should I open?

Each user answers this question individually. Someone needs a dollar WMZ wallet to work with foreign sites, someone needs a ruble WMR wallet to pay for goods and services on the Runet, well, someone can’t do without a euro - WME or a hryvnia - WMU account.

In particular, almost all online stores on the Russian-language Internet accept WebMoney, therefore, it is better to immediately create several different wallets, which will definitely come in handy in the future.

On this moment The following WebMoney wallets are available for creation:

WMZ - equivalent to USD (dollar);
WMR - equivalent to RUB (ruble);
WME - equivalent to EUR (euro);
WMU - equivalent to UAH (hryvnia);
WMB - equivalent to BYR;
WMG - equivalent to 1GG;
WMX is the equivalent of 0.001 BTC (bitcoin).

How to create a WebMoney wallet: step-by-step instructions

To begin with, let us once again recall the direct address for switching to WebMoney - http://webmoney.ru/

1. Go to the “Wallets” section (the very first icon/link in your personal account):

3. Select from the drop-down list the equivalent of the wallet that you need to create (see the table of options above), check the box agreeing to the rules of the system - “I accept the terms of this agreement”, click “CREATE”.

4. We are transferred to the main section of our personal account, where there is already a green inscription stating that: “The WM wallet was successfully created!”

5. To continue creating additional wallets for other currency equivalents, you must again go to the “WALLETS” section and do the same steps in the same order. The only caveat is that if you have already created wallets, you have to select the “+Add more” function

This is a Russian payment system created by Yandex. We launched the service in 2002 specifically for residents of Russia, so you can only work with Russian currency.

You can top up your account using terminals, ATMs, bank branches, mobile offices, etc. There are also many opportunities to withdraw money - transfer to a Yandex.Money card or to regular card.

There are no commissions for many transactions, but there are exceptions. When transferring to another user, 0.5% of the payment amount is withdrawn. Upon withdrawal, 3% of the amount + 45 rubles will be withdrawn.

I like Yandex.Money for its simple and beautiful interface, you don’t need to spend a long time figuring out where and what – everything is extremely clear. Just right for beginners.

Overall, a good wallet if you are going to conduct transactions only within Russia in rubles. For other purposes, it is better to create WebMoney. Read about registration and confirmation of the YaD wallet in this article.

3. PayPal

An international payment system, you can use it to pay for purchases in almost all online stores. You can top up via card

The system became available in Russia not so long ago, so for now it is only gaining momentum, but is already in great demand. But abroad, you can safely use this e-wallet - it is number one there.

You can withdraw money directly through the system, but only to a confirmed bank account. Minimum amount for withdrawal - 300 rubles.

The commission for transfers within the country is not charged (to PayPal account). When paying by card - 3.4% of the amount + 10 rubles. In international payments 0.4-3.4% (depending on the country).

PayPal is not yet very popular among freelancers, so not many customers offer payment to this wallet. Therefore, I don’t recommend making it your main one; you may end up without payment.

The payment system is great for purchases in foreign online stores, but apart from Amazon and Aliexpress, they do not support PayPal.

Personally, I don’t like this payment service at all, but it is gaining popularity. The wallet is linked to a mobile phone number; this “trick” simplifies working with finances.

You can top up your balance not only through a card, mobile phone, ATMs, but also through payment terminals, which can be easily found in Russia.

Supports four currencies: rubles, dollars, euros, Kazakhstani tenge. You can order a QIWI card to pay for purchases in offline stores with electronic money.

Commission is about 2% for any transactions.

To choose which e-wallet is best for you, you should think about why you need it. For online shopping within Russia, any of the above wallets is suitable, but for foreign payments or working on the Internet it is better to use WebMoney.

The main advantage of payment systems is the ability to transfer and receive funds literally in a matter of seconds from anywhere in the world.

Using electronic money systems, you can pay for the Internet, utilities, landline and mobile communications, and goods in most online stores.

In addition, an electronic wallet is simply necessary for people working remotely. This allows you to receive earned money or royalties.

WebMoney payment system

Money WebMoney is a proven electronic money system that has existed in Russia for several years. Its main advantage is the ability to work with different currencies. There are signs in the system whose denomination corresponds to a specific currency:
WMR – ruble equivalent;
WMZ – dollar equivalent;
WME – euro equivalent;
WMU is the equivalent of the Ukrainian hryvnia.

The system commission for transactions is 0.8%. Please note that to work you must have a certificate of at least a formal one. To receive it, you will need to provide your passport details, mobile phone number and send a scan home page passports.

Electronic wallet Yandex Money

Creating a wallet in the Yandex system is perhaps the easiest way. To do this you will need to create email and account. After this, you need to click on the “Money” link inside your mailbox.

Unlike WebMoney, Yandex Money can be anonymous. You do not have to provide your personal information to complete transactions. However, this payment system only works with rubles and has a commission of 3%.

QIWI wallet

The QIWI payment system quickly gained popularity. Not long ago it became possible to pay in dollars. To open an electronic account, you only need a mobile phone number. A password will be sent to your number, which you will need to enter in the registration form. System commission from 0.5 to 3%.

All payment systems are good in their own way. To choose the right option for yourself, find out what payment system your company uses.

If you constantly have to exchange currencies or work with dollars, it would be better to have a WebMoney wallet. If simplicity and ease of use are more important to you, take a closer look at the QIWI or Yandex Money payment system.

I have already spoken several times about how important it is for a remote employee to have an electronic wallet (and you can read what else you need to start working on the Internet). I myself have three wallets and today I will share with you information about which electronic wallet is better, and what features each has.

Consider:

Which e-wallet is better: main electronic payment systems

Webmoney

This was the first wallet I created on the Internet. There were reasons for this - only with a Webmoney wallet can you work on one very popular freelance exchange. So I didn’t even choose what to start then. 🙂

Why is it good? Webmoney has the ability to link several wallets in different currencies. Of course, the most popular are ruble and dollar (relevant for those who work with foreign customers).

You can receive transfers to your Webmoney account from other users of this system, top up your account using a bank card (with a commission) or bank terminals, and also exchange currency (transfer money from your currency wallets to ruble wallets).

You can withdraw money from your account using a transfer (Russian Post, Zolotaya Korona, etc.) and to a card of any bank. But the most convenient way is to link your wallet to the bank card that you use most often.

You can pay for various services without commission: mobile communications, utilities, Internet, fines, etc. There is also an interesting opportunity - to take out a loan.

What's not to like? Long and complicated registration procedure. To make the most of the opportunities, you need to obtain a certificate (pass identification). To do this, you will have to contact the bank and make a transfer (100 rubles is enough) to your wallet account.

A commission is charged for transfers within the system. In addition, when you pay for purchases on other sites through a Webmoney wallet, you need to enter a verification code that is sent to your phone number for 1.5 rubles.

And the interface is not very user-friendly.

Yandex money

The most popular electronic wallet among Russian users is Yandex.Money.

Registration is not very difficult, but as with Webmoney, I recommend confirming your identity (for this you need to provide passport data - a scan of your passport).

The system is clear and easy to use.

You can top up your account from other wallets (not only Yandex.Money), from a bank card, from a mobile balance, in cash (in Euroset, by bank transfer, in Sberbank terminals).

Top up your account no commission You can only use cash or a bank card. For other transfers a commission is charged.

I receive most of the payments through Yandex.Money, so I issued a card to pay from my account not only on the Internet, but also offline in stores. The cost of the card is 300 rubles, issued for 4 years.

The system only works with rubles.

QIWI Wallet

Creating a QIWI Wallet is as easy as shelling pears! The wallet is linked to a phone number, which means this is your wallet number. Very convenient and easy to remember!

Topping up your QIWI Wallet is also convenient - QIWI payment terminals are installed in almost every supermarket throughout the country.

In the same way, you can pay for any services without commission. Just like Yadnex.Money, it is possible to issue a card. The card is issued for 2 years and will be sent to you by mail. The cost of the card is 150 rubles.

It should also be noted that all 3 payment systems have mobile phone applications. Webmoney and QIWI applications are available for all popular operating systems, Yandex.Money - only for iOS and Android.

In general, I don't see the need to highlight best online wallet. Each of them has its own pros and cons, which you will notice only when working with them directly.

But you can take your time issuing cards until you are sure which wallet the majority will go to

What kind of wallets do you have? And which one do you use most often?)

Sincerely, Kazakova Ekaterina