Over 60,000 account holders at "Post Bank" in Altai region are expected to switch banks.
Heads Up: Bank's Big Move in Altai
The buzz around the bank's merger process in Altai was recently addressed during a press meet-up by Dmitry Gorbunov, the bigwig of VTB in Altai Krai and the Republic of Altai.
This integration ball started rolling towards the end of 2024. By the first quarter of 2025, all client centers of Post Bank could access VTB's goodies. From April 1, these services were accessible in service points dotted around postal offices in Altai Krai and Gorno-Altaisk, covering approximately half of the region's postal offices. The integration of ATMs is on the cards too.
"Due to the integration, over 60,000 Post Bank clients will hop aboard our ship. Interestingly, 17 settlements will join the fun, as we didn't have a presence there before," shared Dmitry Gorbunov.
The plan is to transfer Post Bank's entire active client base by the end of May 2026. The existing service formats in client centers and postal offices will remain unchanged.
Local Residents Saved a Fortune with VTB
Just a quick heads-up: Altai denizens have stashed a staggering 1.22 trillion rubles in VTB accounts.
What's Happening with VTB and Post Bank in Altai?
Insider scoop: Although the integration process is in motion, there's not much information available specifically about the merger between VTB and Post Bank in Altai regarding client transfer and service integration. As Post Bank is fully owned by VTB, a business consolidation could theoretically occur under the larger Sberbank-Telecom/Sberbank and VTB umbrella, but the focus is primarily on ownership structure rather than operational merger details.
Moreover, no specific timeline, steps, or details about the integration of VTB and Post Bank clients in Altai, such as branch consolidations, internal system integrations, or client communication strategies for the region, have been outlined publicly.
It's essential to remember that a bank merger typically progresses in a phased manner: regulatory approval, internal system alignment, client notification, branch integration (where necessary), and final service consolidation. However, these steps have not been detailed for the case in question for Altai.
The Glossary
| Step | Detail for VTB–Post Bank in Altai ||--------------|------------------------------------------------|| Regulatory Approval | Not specified || System Integration | Not specified || Client Notification | Not specified || Branch Consolidation | Not specified || Service Consolidation | Not specified |
The Lowdown
In a nutshell, no to-the-point timeline or specific process concerning the VTB-Post Bank merger in Altai, including client transfer and service integration, has been publicized from the existing sources. Nonetheless, any such process would likely adhere to standard banking merger practices, but this hasn't been explicitly documented for this arrangement in Altai.
The merger between VTB and Post Bank in Altai, although imminent, does not appear to have a definitive timeline or plan outlined publicly. This lack of information includes details about regulatory approval, system integration, client notification, branch consolidation, and service consolidation. In the unspecified future, over 60,000 Post Bank clients from 17 settlements in Altai may join VTB, but the exact process and timeframe are still unknown. Despite this, the integration of the two banks could have significant implications for the region's industry, finance, business, and banking-and-insurance sectors.
