OREANDA-NEWS. November 26, 2009. Lending rates for Uniastrum Bank’s U-Pay card product are to be scaled down 3 percent, while the minimum amount payable on a loan will be reduced 4 percent, reported the press-centre of Uniastrum Bank.

As of now, card ruble-denominated overdraft rates are 17.9% and 18.9% APR depending on card type, and 16.9% and 17.9% APR for overdrafts in US dollars and Euros. The minimum amount payable on a loan equals 3% of the credit balance as of the last calendar day of the billing cycle.

The U-Pay card product is designed for customers who primarily use borrowed funds for bankcard settlements. The maximum credit limit available to U-Pay cardholders is Rb 1,000,000, while a limit of up to Rb 150,000 can be arranged simply by submitting two documents confirming the borrower’s identity.

Uniastrum Bank is a Principal Member of the VISA international payment system, and an affiliate member of the MasterCard payment system. As of October 1, 2000, the lender issued over 665,000 cards, some 300,000 of which were given out under payroll card programs, another 50,000 being credit cards. Around 3,200 agreements were signed with organizations to launch payroll card schemes, and around 1,300 terminals installed at sales and service outlets.

The total card lending limit as of October 1, 2009 exceeded Rb 3 bn, while the number of ATMs integrated into United Settlement System topped 5,000. 51% of all Uniastrum’s plastic cards are issued in the regions, the regions/Moscow loan portfolio standing at 66/34%. As of October 1, 2009 the Bank’s plastic cardholder portfolio totaled Rb 1.4 bn, while its U-Pay card portfolio topped Rb 684 mn as of November 1, or more than twice the amount recorded at year-start 2009.
Based on the results of a public opinion poll conducted by web portal CREDCARD.RU, in 2009 Uniastrum Bank emerged as one of Russia’s 5 most trusted banks providing plastic card services.