Questionnaire on the use of the National Bank's plastic cards

1. What types of plastic cards are issued by the NBU for its clients?

At present, the National Bank issues for its clients the Visa Classic and Visa Electron international cards, the Soum cards intended for the local settlements in terms of the national currency, the IAPA, Priority Pass и DSO discount cards.

2. Whom are the NBU's cards intended for?

Various types of cards issued by the NBU meet all the requirements of the clients, for example, the VISA corporate cards are very convenient regarding their use for travel allowances in foreign countries. The same types of cards opened for the natural persons - entrepreneurs - enable them to avoid the need to have a large amount of foreign currency in cash while traveling, enable them to receive cash money and pay in currency of the country of staying, and also exclude the difficulties related to the customary clearance of foreign currency exported outwards the Republic. The Soum cards serve not only as an instrument of non-cash payments but also as the mean of accumulation of funds. On the balances of the 'Soum card' deposit there are daily accrued interests at rate of 36% per annum. Taking into account the monthly capitalization of interests, the income is 42,6% a year.

3. How does the NBU's plastic card work?

Plastic Card is one of the most advanced and convenient banking services instruments with the help of which the client is enabled to control his banking account without coming directly to the bank and applying to its officer, to carry out the non-cash payments for goods and services, to receive the required cash money through the teller machines and terminals. The plastic cards are accepted as a payments instrument at supermarkets, shops, every-day services enterprises, companies of the cellular communications system, airway and railway booking offices. The cards may be accepted as a payment mean at any point of trade which is provided with a special equipment. The convenience of the card settlement system is that the client does not need to have a large amount of cash money about him while going shopping and visiting services enterprises. Thus, time is saved and guarantee against cheat is provided.

4. How well is the NBU's plastic cards service network developed? Isn't it the useless, from the point of practical value, item of luxury?

The VISA cards are issued under the aegis of the International Financial Institutions Association 'Visa International' and are accepted by over 22 millions of trade and services enterprises, 350 thousand of the banks' branches, 650 automated tellers practically in all countries of the world. Besides that, the development of the own intra-republican infrastructure of the Soum cards services is one of the priority trends in the sphere of the card business of the National Bank. At present, all over the Republic, including the trade and services enterprises of various types, there are installed about 600 electronic trading terminals, automatic payment is effected through 100 automated tellers, among which are those installed at the public places such as super markets 'Shark Mir' and 'Tijorat', airport in the Nukus city. Special attention is paid to installation of the automated tellers at the underground stations, airports, large hotels as well as in the market-places.

5. Where can the NBU's plastic cards acquired?

To acquire the plastic cards is possible at any branch of the National Bank for FEA where an adequate deposit account has been opened for the client. The maximum size of deposit is unlimited. The money on deposit, owing to the card, are as available for the client effecting payments as the money on hands.

6. What technology is applied at the Soum card issuance? What is the level of its safety?

By virtue of the applied smart technology the Soum cards are distinguished with their high level of safety and reliability, they are durable and are issued for the period of 7 years. The card is not accessible for non-authorized actions against its owner and the Bank. There is installed a micro-processor on which at the emission of the card by the Bank all the necessary information is written. The plastic card is used provided with the PIN-code known to its bearer only. At the same time, this card may be used by the persons authorized by the owner that makes it convenient for the business partners and for the family as well. The advanced technologies applied in the card business enable to join in one card not only the functions of the payment mean but also the additional items, accessories such as the electronic identity card, the insurance police, the club membership etc.

7. How is it going with the cash payments against the Soum cards? How problematic is it?

All the bodies of the National Bank entitled to effect ready cash payments against the Soum cards issue irrespectively of place of the account opening. Besides that, the automated tellers installed at the branches are working from 8.00 A.M. till 8.00 P.M., including Saturday. And within the framework of the 'salary projects' the automated tellers are round-the-clock dispensers.

8. What are the 'salary projects'? Where have they been introduced ?

By the Bank there are introduced the projects on paying the salary via the Soum cards to the employees of the largest organizations and industrial enterprises with installation of the automated tellers in their territories. The enterprises by opening of the cards for their employees to transfer all kinds of incomes on them are cutting down their expenses related to getting, deposition and paying of a large amounts in cash and their employees have an opportunity to withdraw any sum they need any time they like regardless of the date of salary payment and use the Bank's services at their working places.. By nowadays, there 27 'salary projects' have been introduced all over the Republic and within the frame of 19 of them there have been installed the automated tellers, among them at the Navoi Mining Metallurgical Mill, including the Central and North Mining Administrations, the Fergana Butter-Dairy Mill, at the JVs 'Coca Cola Ichimlighi Tashkent Ltd', 'UzSalaman' and also in the Ministry of Finance, the Uzbekistan Banking Association and others. By the end of this year it is shaped the realization of another projects for 50 enterprises.

9. What type of cards might any incomes of the employees be transferred to?

To the plastic cards may be transferred any incomes of the population not prohibited by the existing laws, for example, salary and payments equal to it, pensions, grants, dividends on the securities, lottery winnings, various insurance and social payments and others.

10. What extra services are offered to the owners of the plastic cards?

Additionally to the plastic cards the National Bank offers its clients a number of services, among which a free life and health insurance. The insurance policies of the company 'UzAIG' are valid in all countries of the world. The discount cards issued by the National Bank enable the substantial savings in different situations. For example, the IAPA cards allow to get the sizable discounts in the best hotels of the world and Car Leasing Companies, the Priority Pass Cards render the access to the VIP-rooms of the largest international airports, and the DSO discount cards are intended for getting the discounts in size from 3 to 25% at the local trade and services enterprises.

11. Are there any discounts on banking services in the sphere of plastic cards?

The holders of the DSO discount cards are rendered with discounts not only at the trade and services enterprises but also on the commission charges of the National Bank for the Soum cards. Within the framework of the agreements concluded between the enterprises and organisations at launching of the 'salary pilot projects' there could be stipulated another privileges and discounts for their employees. At present time in the Bank there is being implemented a marketing pilot project - the Soum cards for all categories of client are issued, for a limited period of time, free of charge.