Changes to making payments with your card online

When using your card to make a payment online, there will be an extra step to help keep you secure. This is part of a new set of rules called Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). It has been introduced by all UK card providers, and is designed to add an extra layer of protection against fraud. You may know this as Verified by Visa. Verified by Visa is now called Visa Secure.

How will it work?

Before a payment is approved at the checkout online, you may be asked to enter:

  1. Your full Visa Secure password, which’ll be the same as your memorable name with us – unless you've called us to change it to something else, or if your card is for an account you’ve opened since September 2022. Previously when making payments with your card online, you may have been asked to enter three characters from this password. This has changed now – instead, you may be asked to enter your full password.
  2. A one-time passcode that we'll send by text message to the UK mobile number we have registered for you.

If you enter either an incorrect Visa Secure password or one-time passcode too many times, then the payment will not be authorised and your card will be blocked. If you get your password or one-time passcode wrong just once, it’s worth trying them again as you won’t get blocked after one failed attempt.

Forgotten your Visa Secure password?

You may be asked to enter your Visa Secure password when making a payment online. If you’re not sure what your Visa Secure password is, it should be the same as your memorable name, unless you’ve called us previously to change it to something else.

If you’ve tried entering your memorable name and it’s not working, or you can’t remember it, you can reset your Visa Secure password by calling us.

  • Debit card customers should call us on 03457 212 212.
  • Credit card customers should call us on 0345 600 6000.

Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. You can also visit us in branch.

Need to register a Visa Secure Password?

If you need to register a new Visa Secure password, you can do this by calling us.

  • Debit card customers should call us on 03457 212 212.
  • Credit card customers should call us on 0345 600 6000.

Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. You can also visit us in branch.

    How to check and update your mobile number

    As we need to send a unique, one-time passcode to the mobile number that is registered on your Co-operative Bank account, it’s important we have a UK mobile number registered for you, and that this number is kept up-to-date. The easiest way to update your UK mobile number is using our mobile app or online banking.

    Through our mobile app

    Once logged in, select 'My details' and update your mobile number.

    Not registered? Download the app now.

    In online banking

    Once logged in, select 'Profile' and update your mobile number.

    Please note: When you change your mobile number, we’ll send you a verification code for security reasons. We’ll send it to the mobile number we currently have for you, not your updated mobile number.

    Not registered? Register here for online banking.

    By calling or visiting us in branch

    Alternatively, you can call us to update your mobile number on 03457 212 212. If you are a credit card only customer, please call us on 0345 600 6000.

    Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. You can also visit us in branch.

    Choosing your Visa Secure password

    Your Visa Secure password will need to be:

    • Between 6 and 24 characters, without spaces.

    To make your Visa Secure password as strong as possible, you should use:

    • Lowercase and uppercase letters
    • Numbers
    • Special characters.

    Please note: the characters £ ^ ~ ¬ cannot be used.

    How to create a strong, memorable password

    Strong passwords are an important part of protecting yourself against fraud, but they can be difficult to remember. A password’s strength comes from its length – the longer the password length, the longer it takes cyber criminals to crack.

    To create a password that is both long, and easy to remember, it helps to choose a passphrase.

    What is a passphrase?

    A passphrase is a password made up of three random words, with password rules included. For example:

    Cha1rYellowW1ndow – this password is 17 characters long, and contains a mixture of lower and uppercase letters, and numbers.

    To make a passphrase even easier to remember it may help to create a corresponding image in your head. For example:

    PurpleKitten!Jump8r! – this password is 20 characters long, and contains a mixture of lower and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. If you wanted to remember this password, you’d need to think about a jumper with a picture of a purple kitten on the front.

    When creating a passphrase, it’s important that you do not:

    • Use three words that are related to each other, such as BlueSkySunsh1ne
    • Use personal information, such as the names of three family members or pets
    • Use the passphrase examples above as your passwords.

    Do you have a joint account?

    If you have a joint account, you will both need to check and update your personal contact details and make sure all account holders have a Visa Secure password.

    Do you have an additional credit cardholder?

    Any additional credit cardholders will need to have their UK mobile number registered with us, and know their Visa Secure password.

    If you’re the main cardholder, you'll need to provide us with their up-to-date UK mobile phone number. You can do this by:

    • Calling us on 0345 600 6000. Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday
    • Logging into Online Banking and sending us a secure message
    • Visiting us in branch.

    If an additional cardholder doesn’t have a Visa Secure password, or they can’t remember it, you will need to register one or reset it for them. You can do this by:

    Previously, additional cardholders were able create their password during checkout when using their card online – this is no longer the case.

    Do you have a question?

    Please call us to discuss your individual circumstances.

    03457 212 212 for current accounts

    0345 600 6000 for credit cards

    Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

    Please call us to discuss your individual circumstances.

    03457 212 212 for current accounts

    0345 600 6000 for credit cards

    Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

    To use your card online, you will now need to have a UK mobile number registered with us. It helps us to keep your shopping experience secure by sending you your one-time passcode. All UK card issuers are adding extra security steps when using cards to make payments online.

    These changes will not affect you when using your card at a cash machine or shopping in store. It will only affect you when making payments with your card online.

    If you have updated your mobile number in online banking or via our mobile app, it will take up to one business day to update.

    No, your contact details will not be used for marketing purposes unless you have given us permission to do so. If you want to check or change your marketing preferences you can do this via the app by visiting ‘My settings and details’ or logging into online banking and clicking 'My details'. Alternatively, you can contact us.

    Visa Secure is the new name for Verified by Visa.

    Your Visa Secure password will be the same as your memorable name, unless:

    • You’ve called us previously to change it to something else
    • If your card is for an account you’ve opened since September 2022.

    In the past, you may have been asked to enter three characters from your memorable name when making a payment online.

    If you’ve opened an account with us since September 2022, we will have requested that you contact us in order to register your Visa Secure (previously called Verified by Visa) password.

    What is a memorable name?

    Your memorable name is something we ask for when you call us. It’s an extra security feature so we can make sure your account is not being accessed by someone other than you.

    Yes – if you open another account with us, you’ll need to contact us to register a new Visa Secure password for your new card.

    No, you just need to ensure we have an up-to date UK mobile number registered on your account so we can send the one time passcode to you via text message.

    Yes. Receiving a one-time passcode code by text to verify yourself is an industry authentication standard and we use these in conjunction with other authentication methods to verify it's really you when using your card to shop online. It’s important that you never tell another person this code. Not even us!

    Your Visa Secure password will be the same as your memorable name, unless you’ve called us previously to change it to something else, or if your card is for an account you’ve opened since September 2022. Remember that Visa Secure is the new name for Verified by Visa.

    If you’ve tried entering your memorable name and it’s not working, or you can’t remember it, you can reset your Visa Secure password by calling us.

    • Debit card customers should call us on 03457 212 212.
    • Credit card customers should call us on 0345 600 6000.

    Call charges apply and lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. You can also visit us in branch.

    Previously when making payments online, you may have been asked to enter three characters from your Visa Secure password (which is usually the same as your memorable name). For security reasons, this has changed now – instead, you’ll be asked to enter your full Visa Secure password.

    No you will use the same Visa Secure password on your new card.

    You can choose to have different Visa Secure passwords for each card or the same, this is an individual choice. Using a different password for each card will give you extra security.

    If you’ve forgotten your Visa Secure password (which is usually the same as your memorable name, unless your card is for an account you’ve opened since September 2022), you can call us to reset it.

    • Debit card customers should call us on 03457 212 212. (Call charges).
    • Credit card customers should call us on 0345 600 6000. (Call charges).

    You can also visit us in branch.

    If you suddenly remember your password or realise you’ve been entering it incorrectly by accident, there are two ways to get it unblocked. You can either send us a secure message in online banking, or call us.

    • Debit card customers should call us on 03457 212 212. (Call charges).
    • Credit card customers should call us on 0345 600 6000. (Call charges).

    Once it’s unblocked, you should be able to make your payment.

    Yes, Visa Secure is the new name for Verified by Visa. This is just a change of name, there is no change to the password you use, or the way in which you use your card online.

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