American online wallets. Wallet inside out. Why do you need an e-wallet?
Electronic money no longer seems like a novelty. Moreover, today they are perhaps even safer than bank cards. Among other things, it is through electronic wallets that all financial transactions of freelancers take place. At least most of them.
And although WebMoney and Yandex Money are mainly popular in the CIS and Russia, there are other systems that are no worse, and for some even more profitable.
We decided to compile a complete list of Runet electronic wallets known to us today.
If we talk about the leaders among payment systems and those who are in greatest demand among Runet users, then there are not many of them. Or more precisely, three. I wouldn’t rank them in order of popularity, since everyone chooses a wallet that is convenient for themselves first and foremost. But based on my personal experience and communication with both customers and other freelancers, the top three look something like this:
1. WebMoney
This electronic payment system can probably be called the main one in domestic freelancing and among other Runet users in general. To be able to pay for anything online or receive payment from customers, you need to register in the system, receive a WMID, and then confirm your identity. It is worth noting that Enum has a good security system, which does not allow you to make payments without confirming the code sent to the mobile number linked to your account or using a special program that must be installed on your phone. This way, no one except you will be able to carry out any financial transaction or withdraw money from your account.
Another advantage of WebMoney can be considered a relatively low commission for any transfer of funds - only 0.8%, as well as a wide selection of Internet currencies: WMZ (dollars), WMR (rubles), WME (euros), WMU (hryvnia), WMB (Belarusian rubles) and many others. In addition, any electronic currency can be exchanged within the system at the official rate.
2. Yandex Money 
A fairly popular system in Russia that allows you to link a MasterCard card to your online wallet, and then pay with it in markets without deducting a commission: it is charged only if you withdraw money through an ATM. Of course, this is a very convenient system with wide capabilities, but for people who are not residents of the Russian Federation, registration will create some difficulties.
To be more precise, it will take you at most five minutes to register and get a wallet number, but in order to start using it and be able to make payments and accept transfers, you will have to run. If citizens of the Russian Federation simply need to send a scan of their passport through a special form for verification, then others need to contact the Yandex registrar in their city and fill out an application for identification through it, paying a certain amount. Or you can do this by sending yourself a completed application form downloaded from the website and by registered mail.
3. Kiwi 
A very convenient and simple system that has gained enormous popularity thanks to terminals located throughout the CIS and Russia. A huge advantage of this wallet is that when you create it, you are given a virtual QIWI Visa card, with which you can pay for anything online, just like a real plastic card. The account is replenished very easily through terminals, and if necessary, you can order QIWI Visa Plastic, which can be used to pay in any stores and withdraw money from the account.
When transferring funds from one Qiwi wallet to another, no commission is charged, however, if you want to withdraw money to a bank card, you will be charged a commission, both from the system itself and from the bank.
There are other, less popular domestic payment systems that are no different from the main leaders, although among them you can also find those that offer something special, and sometimes even more profitable.
RBK Money
Of course, it is difficult for this system to compete with the titans of electronic payments, but it has something that can attract users, namely the absence of commission not only for intra-system transfers, but also for depositing funds, and sometimes for withdrawal. Like all other systems, it is possible to link a plastic bank card to an account and a mobile application for convenient work with electronic money. Alas, you can only use the system in Russia.
Liqpay
An electronic payment system of Ukraine that allows you to link a virtual account to any MasterCard or Visa card (for depositing funds), as well as to an account in Privat Bank or a Visa card of any other bank (for withdrawal). Although the system positions itself as nothing less than international, it has not gained much popularity outside the CIS, and in principle in Ukraine itself.
EasyPay
This payment system, which is Belarusian, is somewhat similar to the RBK Money wallet, only in this case it is aimed at residents of Belarus. However, people who are not citizens of this state can also register with EasyPay. And although the system received relatively fewer bad reviews than its analogue from Russia, its commission for withdrawing funds is higher. In addition, you can withdraw money directly from your wallet only in Belarusian state signs. If you want to withdraw funds in a different currency, then you will have to transfer them to the wallet of another payment system.
Single Wallet
It is also considered the main competitor of Kiwi, albeit with slightly less coverage. The Unified Wallet, unlike its rival, has more currencies, but is mainly used by users to pay for everyday household payments. One of the advantages is the possibility of anonymous work with electronic money. I guess that's all. It is possible that the other advantages of this system are simply buried under a bunch of negative reviews, which, by the way, are more than those of any other Runet wallet.
Next time we will get acquainted with the list of foreign electronic payment systems, and in the near future we will try to talk in more detail about the operation of each wallet, its capabilities, advantages and disadvantages.
When working on the Internet you need to get paid somehow. Few customers will agree to transfer money directly to a bank card (although this happens); it is much easier to send a payment using electronic money. But even here, not everything is so simple, because there are many wallets and it’s difficult to decide.
Let's see which e-wallet is better to choose, focusing on the size of the commission, its functionality, available currencies and other nuances.
An electronic wallet is a service or program that allows a person to receive, store and spend electronic money. In other words, it is a bank account on the Internet. You can top up your balance at any time or transfer money to your card to cash out electronic currency. But this is a topic for future articles, so if this interests you, subscribe so you don’t miss it.
Electronic money is now more popular than ever before, as more and more people are starting to use it. They are used not only to pay freelancers, but also in stores. It is much safer to pay for purchases with electronic currency rather than showing your bank card details.
If you don't want to create multiple online wallets at once, you need to choose a single option wisely. After all, each of them has its own characteristics, nuances, advantages and disadvantages. This is exactly what the article will discuss.
How are wallets different?
- Method of replenishing the balance: through an ATM, through a mobile phone, through a special card, by terminal, etc.
- Commission for transferring money.
- Supported currencies: rubles, dollars, euros, etc.
- Security of personal data and transfers.
- Popularity of the online service.
Beyond this, there are other differences to consider. But in general, it all depends on your preferences and purposes of use.
Popular e-wallets
There are a lot of payment services if you evaluate the entire Internet. But in Russia and the CIS, three wallets are especially popular: WebMoney, Yandex.Money and QIWI.
If you have the opportunity and desire to have several wallets, these three (or even the first two) will be enough for comfortable work at first.
1. WebMoney
The most famous and popular payment system. The international service has been operating since 1998, it allows you to receive money in a variety of currencies (WMR - rubles, WMZ - dollars), so when working with foreign customers - this is the number one wallet.
WebMoney is accepted on all online services and stores where it is possible to pay via the Internet, so you definitely won’t go wrong with your choice. Most customers prefer to pay for work via WebMoney. You can withdraw money to a bank card or cash out in special services.
Commission for transfers is 0.8% of the amount, but not less than 0.01 WM.
If you need to choose which e-wallet is better, I will definitely vote for WebMoney. The most functional, safe, international and generally very convenient.
The main advantages include:
- Simple identification - just send a scan of your passport and you can already use the main functions of the service. There will be only minor restrictions that will not interfere with the average user.
- Many additional functions (for example, receive or issue a loan).
- Security at a high level.
Instructions for registration are in this article.
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 it to a Yandex.Money card or to a 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. The minimum withdrawal amount is 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.
Hello! In this article we will talk about electronic wallets in Russia. The topic seems simple. At first glance, the choice of electronic money services has become large, choose or not. However, it is precisely the apparent simplicity of the choice that can create problems. The expected equivalent functionality of electronic money is the first disappointment that awaits the user who begins to use electronic money.
The second disappointment is that not all electronic money services are equal in use. Somewhere they accept some electronic money and not others, somewhere it’s the other way around.
Let me give you an example. I introduced you to the article marketing service of the Miralinks exchange. This service provides three withdrawal methods for withdrawing earned money:
- On ;
- On ;
- To WebMoney WMR and WMZ wallet.
This is a good alternative set of ways to get paid for work completed. However, a few months ago, the withdrawal of funds to Yandex.Money was suspended due to the workload of the Yandex service. And a similar situation can be found everywhere.
Hence the conclusion: For uninterrupted use of electronic money, you need to create several wallets on alternative electronic money services. And in order to get them, you first need to get to know them.
Russian electronic wallets by popularity
To start getting acquainted with electronic money services, let’s look at the popularity rating of electronic wallets in Russia. Let's use the RosIndex rating for last year:
As you can see, the most popular electronic wallet is Visa Qiwi Wallet. I believe the popularity of this wallet is due to its ease of creation, lack of personal authentication and direct connection to a mobile phone to confirm transactions.
Another rating of e-wallets
According to statistics, 90-93% of all transactions with electronic money are cash withdrawals. I compiled my rating of electronic wallets based on the ease of converting electronic money into cash.
1.
QIWI: You can get cash from ATMs after receiving a real QIWI Visa Plastic card (from 100 rubles by mail). No additional authentication other than your personal mobile phone is required.
Russian electronic wallets based on ease of creation
1. The easiest way is to register and get, if necessary, a real card on the QIWI electronic money service. Now QIWI money is accepted almost everywhere, there are a lot of QIWI ATMs, and transaction security is no worse than other services. 2. The services Yandex.Money and Money.Mail.ru are similar in ease of registration. For full work, you need to obtain certificates by presenting your passport and personal authentication in special places. 3 The WebMoney service is easy to create a wallet, both ruble and foreign currency. Authentication is simple and does not require personal presence; electronic copies of your passport are sufficient. However, recently the service has had and continues to have problems with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, hence. But the reputation of this service outweighs the time difficulties and complexity of receiving cash directly. 4. has a specific attachment to the Ebay service and is more interesting for making purchases. The main advantage is multi-currency and reliability of transactions.Igor Serov, especially for the site "".
Today we will tell you exactly about them, how they differ from each other, and also how to use them.
1.PayPal
It is no exaggeration to say that today this payment system is the most popular in the world among all existing ones. However, in the vastness of Russia and the CIS, it became popular only in 2011, when in the post-Soviet space it became possible to link your bank card to your PayPal wallet for further payments on the Internet. The most common is to pay for goods at an Ebay auction. At the same time, the payment system gained even more popularity in 2013, when, for example, citizens of the Russian Federation also received the opportunity to withdraw money from their wallet to any bank account without any commission.
Despite its status as an electronic payment system, PayPal money is fiat, unlike finance in other electronic wallets. Don’t forget about the high security of payments, which guarantees that your bank details will remain hidden.
In upcoming reviews, we promise to talk in more detail about this international payment system.
2. Skrill (Moneybookers)
This payment system has some similarities with PayPal, but it also has some differences, and for the better. These differences mainly affect citizens of the CIS countries. For example, the PayPal payment system places certain restrictions on the withdrawal of funds from the account, while Skrill decided not to limit its users.
Despite the fact that any anonymity is completely absent (all money is placed in the company’s account), the reliability of the system is not in doubt. In addition, Skrill has a fairly low commission for any financial transactions, and this, you see, is a big plus for an electronic wallet.
3. OKPay
An international payment system that appeared not so long ago, but has already managed to grab its share of popularity. First of all, due to its simplicity. As in the case of PayPal, you link your wallet to a valid email address, which also serves as your login in the system.
The system commission is quite low, if not almost zero, and withdrawals can be made to an OKPay card or to a bank account. It is also worth noting the fact that the system allows you to carry out operations to withdraw money from any online gambling or other popular “pyramids”. But what will surprise you even more is that OKPay pays you 3% for finding funds in your electronic account.
4. Perfect Money
The system is a direct competitor to the OKPay described above, and is also suitable for people who constantly withdraw money from “suspicious resources” such as gambling. By the way, you don’t even have to identify yourself in the system, but still calmly carry out any operations to deposit and withdraw funds. But as for interest, the system managed to bypass OKPay, offering its users as much as 4% per annum.
If you are focused on working with foreign customers, then you will definitely need a wallet in one of the international payment systems. All that remains is to choose which one. And we, as promised, will try to tell you in more detail about each of them over time.
You will learn what types of electronic wallets there are, get acquainted with the rating of payment systems on the Internet and read about how to choose the right electronic wallet for working online.
Good afternoon, dear readers! My name is Denis Kuderin, I am a staff expert on financial topics for HeatherBober magazine. I work remotely and receive my salary via an electronic wallet. With its help, I pay bills, pay for services and goods, and transfer money to a bank card. I use cash extremely rarely - I prefer bank and payment system cards.
I will tell you what an electronic wallet (EC) is and why it is needed, how the WebMoney wallet differs from YandexMoney, what commissions systems charge for cashing out funds, and what wallets are beneficial to use for international payments.
You will learn the difference between an anonymous wallet and an identified one and understand why it is better not to convert digital money into cash.
Guaranteed bonus for the most patient readers: basic safety rules when using electronic systems.
1. What is an electronic wallet and why is it needed?
Creating an electronic wallet takes 5 minutes. It's free and doesn't obligate you to anything. But you can easily make payments on the Internet, pay for utilities, services of telecom operators and Internet providers, and receive transfers for work performed in a matter of moments.
Speed and convenience are the main advantages of electronic payment systems (EPS). You won’t lose such a wallet, you won’t forget it while visiting, and you won’t leave it in the car.
This does not mean that electronic money is completely safe. There are no fewer scammers on the Internet than in real life, and their methods of taking money from citizens are no less inventive and sophisticated. But we’ll talk about cyber security later, but for now let’s define the terms.
Online wallet– an online service that allows you to store money and make financial transactions on the Internet. Some operations are available offline - for example, replenishing an account through a terminal or withdrawing funds from a payment system card, but the main manipulations are performed online.
If for some reason you have never heard of EC, then you probably know what a bank account is. This is the closest analogue of electronic wallets.
Personally, I have accounts in at least 5 EPS: to find out the pros and cons of each of the systems, I tested their functionality in practice. I have made my own conclusions, but I will not impose them on you: each storage facility has interesting features and disadvantages. You need to choose an EPS not according to the principle of “like it or not,” but according to the criterion of compliance with your personal goals.
EC is convenient for buyers of online stores, freelancers, investors, players in bookmakers and all those who make payments online.
The main advantages of EC:
- Rapidity– just one click is enough to make a purchase.
- Reliability– SMS passwords are used to confirm transactions.
- Durability– keep money in the account for as long as you need.
- Anonymity– if desired, the full names of the recipient and the sender remain unknown; no one asks for passport data when registering in the system.
- Versatility– almost all Internet companies accept digital money, most banks easily integrate with wallets.
- 24/7 work– sites are automatic and operate on weekends and holidays.
- Portability and comfort– to work with EC you only need an Internet connection.
The legal status of electronic money (ED) in Russia is ambiguous. On the one hand, these are full-fledged means of payment that are recognized by banks and many federal structures. On the other hand, the law seeks to regulate and control the number of electronic coins in the account and the volume of transactions.
This does not prevent the annual growth of ED transactions. They are recognized as official means of payment, and their receipt and circulation are associated with tax consequences for the citizen.
Disadvantages of EC: cash withdrawal fees, risk of account hacking and loss of access to the account. If you have an anonymous account and have forgotten the password and e-mail that you specified during registration, it will not be easy to get your money back.
Keeping a lot of money on an EC is not the most appropriate way to manage finances, although the developers assure that funds and online transactions are completely protected. However, this does not prevent attackers from periodically hacking accounts and looting personal wallets. However, owners of personal accounts in banks are not immune from this.
The main safety rule when working in the system: under no circumstances give access to your account to third parties. Even if you are asked to do this by EPS employees and managers.
There are other options for hacking an account - following links in letters that come to your mailbox, phishing - a type of fraud whose goal is to obtain the user’s personal data.
Example:
An acquaintance of mine named Andrey lost 15,000 rubles by transferring “passwords and accounts” from his Qiwi account to an imaginary seller on Avito. The process of buying a “used, but almost new” laptop did not raise any suspicions in Andrey.
When the seller asked him for personal data supposedly necessary for the delivery service, Andrei readily passed it on to the swindler via SMS. Only by clicking on the “send message” button did he begin to suspect something was wrong - so cleverly was the attacker manipulating his trust.
I think you understand that Andryusha was not sent any laptop. And there was no money in the account within a minute after sending the information the scammer needed.
The danger of such schemes is also that it is extremely difficult to prove the fact of fraud. And if you use an anonymous account, then the police, even if they want, will not be able to find and return your money.
Conclusion: be extremely careful during transactions, check the status of the counterparty, do not send any SMS with personal data, use the SMS confirmation function for transfers.
2. What types of electronic wallets are there?
There are ECs that are convenient to use within the country, and there are international payment services. Another criterion for differentiation is the currency that the EC supports.
Let's look at the main varieties.
1) Multicurrency
In such wallets you have the right to store several currencies at the same time or convert one money into another. Typical examples are WebMoney, OkPay.
Multicurrency services are convenient, but at the same time pursue their own benefits. When exchanging one money for another, the EPS retains a commission - a small one, but with frequent exchanges, the losses are very noticeable.
Previously, I periodically transferred WMZ to WMR in WebMoney (withdrew winnings from a foreign bookmaker). I was always offended to pay interest for the simplest conversion operation.
2) Support one currency
Wallets that support only one currency are convenient for those who do not need to exchange money.
Now, for example, I carry out transactions only with ruble currency, so it is more comfortable and easier for me to use the YandexMoney service, where only rubles and nothing but rubles are used.
3) Storage
Such services are designed not only for storing, but also for automatically accepting payments. This is necessary for everyone who sells goods and services on the Internet.
Such EPS are ideal for online store owners.
3. How to choose an e-wallet - useful tips and tricks
The list of top ECs mainly includes reliable and convenient services that are used by millions of people throughout the country and the world.
But choosing the first EC you come across would be imprudent: you need to analyze it taking into account your own goals and security requirements.
Tip 1. Analyze the reliability of the payment system
The lifespan of an EPS is a reliable indicator of quality and popularity. The oldest EPS on the network have existed since the late 90s and have no intention of going into the shadows. Thus, WebMoney has been on the market for 20 years - this is an excellent indicator for an electronic service.
Another reliability factor is the protection of the account from the actions of intruders. Find out on the network whether there have been cases of hacking, mass theft of funds from user accounts, or other problems.
For example, WebMoney clients from Russia remember a failure that the project administration called systemic, when withdrawal of funds from the vault to a bank card was unavailable for several months.
Personally, this “breakdown” caused me a lot of inconvenience. I had to withdraw funds using the money transfer company Unistream or Contact - it was long, painful and unprofitable.
Tip 2. Pay attention to the commission when withdrawing funds
The most important indicator for those who use EC constantly. A difference of half a percent does not seem significant at first, but if you calculate how much it comes out per year, you get an impressive amount.
Be friends with mathematics, gentlemen, look for your benefits.
Tip 3. Analyze the quality of your support service
It’s good if no problems arise when working with the service. But if you are constantly engaged in transactions, system failures and transfer delays occur periodically. In such a situation, the right way out is not to try to solve the issue at random, but to seek qualified support.
If the corresponding service of the company works adequately, quickly, competently and resolves the issue in a matter of minutes, this means that the system can be trusted.
And if they answer you after a few hours or the machine communicates with you, it is better to choose another partner for electronic payments.
Read about that in a separate article on our website.
A good criterion is user reviews. But keep in mind that more than half of all negative messages on forums and social networks are the result of a simple failure to comply with the rules and requirements established by the EPS or the client’s absent-mindedness.
The user goes broke: “My money that I sent for a purchase in the store has disappeared! XXX company is a scammer and scammer!” In fact, the user made a mistake with the details and entered the wrong account number for payment. The money went to another company or individual. The user is a mug, and the EPS just did its job.
4. TOP 5 electronic wallets in Russia
There are dozens of EPS, good and different, operating on the territory of the Russian Federation.
But this five is especially popular.
1) Qiwi
Simple registration by phone number, instant payments on the Internet, convenient methods of replenishment through terminals or a bank account, a clear interface and many useful options for the user.
If you want to take advantage of the additional benefits of the system, order a Qiwi Wallet plastic card and pay online and offline with it.
2) Yandex.Money
Reliable and popular EPS in Russia. Clients have access to 3 levels of accounts – Anonymous, Personalized, Identified. The available maximum amounts for storing in the account are from 15,000 to 500,000 rubles.
For 200 rubles I ordered YAD plastic and use it like a regular bank card - I pay in supermarkets, stores and wherever there is acquiring. They don't charge me any interest for this.
3) WebMoney
The oldest payment service in Runet. For some countries (Ukraine) this is the only available online payment system in rubles. Open accounts in rubles, hryvnia, dollars, bitcoins, even gold.
Registration takes much longer than in other services because WM’s point is to take care of the client’s safety. Sometimes even excessive. For identification, you need not only passwords, but also key files, which must be stored on your computer under seven locks or on a flash drive.
4) PayPal
The largest international company. If you buy clothes, equipment and other goods on foreign sites (eBay, Amazon, AliExpress), you will definitely need such an EC.
5) Perfect Money
Another universal platform. Operating since 2007. High level of protection, convenient versions for telephone OS, instant payments all over the world. Suitable for investment activities and participation in high-risk HYIP projects.
Comparison table of payment companies:
5. What is needed to withdraw money from an electronic wallet - procedure
The withdrawal algorithm is simple and based on the fundamental EPS rule: 100 virtual coins are not 100 real ones, but a little less.
In other words, you need to pay a commission for withdrawal. Its size depends on the rules within the company and other factors, including the bank to which you transfer the money.
Here are step-by-step instructions for withdrawing funds.
Step 1. Attach a bank card to the wallet
Almost all EPS have the option of attaching a bank card. I do this as soon as I open a new account. First, of course, I check the reliability of the payment company.
Step 2. Make a scan of the passport and TIN pages for authorization
Not all systems require proof of identity, but be prepared to provide your information upon request. Otherwise, your money will get stuck in the system.
Photos of passport pages must be clear and clear. If administrators do not like the quality of the photo, identification will be denied.
Action 3. Wait for confirmation and withdraw funds
Withdrawals must be confirmed with a password that will be sent via SMS. I always use the option of SMS confirmation of transactions - it’s more reliable.
