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Online security systems causing you confusion?
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MSE_Martin
Posts: 8,272 Money Saving Expert
in Credit cards
What’s all the confusion about?
Visa and Mastercard have both developed security systems to help stop fraud when using their cards to shop online, allowing consumers and suppliers to check the other is legitimate before completing an online transaction by using a ‘virtual signature’.
The system was introduced to make buying goods on the web safer, and when it’s more established this will hopefully be the case, but at the moment as most people haven’t heard of the scheme, some people have been worried that it’s a scam.
The problem is that when you shop with one of the participating retailers a new window pops up asking you to enter a password and setup an account for your credit card. As pop ups can be annoying, or even worse potentially fraudulent, this makes it hard to tell the good pop ups from the bad, and in this case to tell if it’s authentic or not.
What should happen, if it's authentic.
You will usually get a pop up box (see sample pics a bit further down) asking you to sign up to the scheme after you've entered your credit card details to pay. You’ll also get an option to skip the process to sign up at a later date (although maybe only for 2 or 3 times before it forces you to sign up straight away) and if you are at all unsure if the pop up screen is legitimate you should do this and sign up via your banks website.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up (it free)for either service when you get the initial pop up or directly with the bank or provider of your card. All the big banks and most of the building societies are now part of both schemes.
To register all you need to do is select a password and personal message for each of your visa cards.
Each time you buy from a participating retailer you’ll then need to confirm this information during your online purchase.
The retailer’s website will display your personal message to tell you that your card issuer is asking for your password, which you then enter to complete the purchase.
More info available here.
List of lenders in the scheme available here.
To register you need to create your own private SecureCode for each of your Mastercard cards.
You will then be asked to confirm this code during a purchase at a participating online retailer to confirm that you are the authorised cardholder.
More info and list of lenders in the scheme available here.
Will shopping online be any different?
All it means is that, once you have registered, whenever you buy something from a participation retailer you will be asked to verify your credit or debit card before you pay for the goods.
Over the past few months more and more retailers, such as Tesco and BA, are starting to use the system so if you shop online it’s more likely you’ll be asked to sign up, and the list of retailers is growing all the time.
Once signed up, your card will work in exactly the same way but there are extra levels of security. Once you have selected your item and entered in your card details the retailer will look to see if you are using Visa or Mastercard and you’ll be asked to confirm the payment. Simple.
What else do I need to know?
Software which prevents pop-up windows may interfere with both systems so you may need to turn these off when buying from participating retailers.
There is no limit on how many cards you can register with each system and you only need to sign up each card once.
Martin
Visa and Mastercard have both developed security systems to help stop fraud when using their cards to shop online, allowing consumers and suppliers to check the other is legitimate before completing an online transaction by using a ‘virtual signature’.
The system was introduced to make buying goods on the web safer, and when it’s more established this will hopefully be the case, but at the moment as most people haven’t heard of the scheme, some people have been worried that it’s a scam.
The problem is that when you shop with one of the participating retailers a new window pops up asking you to enter a password and setup an account for your credit card. As pop ups can be annoying, or even worse potentially fraudulent, this makes it hard to tell the good pop ups from the bad, and in this case to tell if it’s authentic or not.
What should happen, if it's authentic.
You will usually get a pop up box (see sample pics a bit further down) asking you to sign up to the scheme after you've entered your credit card details to pay. You’ll also get an option to skip the process to sign up at a later date (although maybe only for 2 or 3 times before it forces you to sign up straight away) and if you are at all unsure if the pop up screen is legitimate you should do this and sign up via your banks website.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up (it free)for either service when you get the initial pop up or directly with the bank or provider of your card. All the big banks and most of the building societies are now part of both schemes.
SAMPLE PIC: Verified by Visa
The initial pop up screen looks something like this:
(this may take a while to load so if its blank just wait)
(this may take a while to load so if its blank just wait)
To register all you need to do is select a password and personal message for each of your visa cards.
Each time you buy from a participating retailer you’ll then need to confirm this information during your online purchase.
The retailer’s website will display your personal message to tell you that your card issuer is asking for your password, which you then enter to complete the purchase.
More info available here.
List of lenders in the scheme available here.
MasterCard SecureCode
The initial pop up screen looks something like this:
To register you need to create your own private SecureCode for each of your Mastercard cards.
You will then be asked to confirm this code during a purchase at a participating online retailer to confirm that you are the authorised cardholder.
More info and list of lenders in the scheme available here.
Will shopping online be any different?
All it means is that, once you have registered, whenever you buy something from a participation retailer you will be asked to verify your credit or debit card before you pay for the goods.
Over the past few months more and more retailers, such as Tesco and BA, are starting to use the system so if you shop online it’s more likely you’ll be asked to sign up, and the list of retailers is growing all the time.
Once signed up, your card will work in exactly the same way but there are extra levels of security. Once you have selected your item and entered in your card details the retailer will look to see if you are using Visa or Mastercard and you’ll be asked to confirm the payment. Simple.
What else do I need to know?
Software which prevents pop-up windows may interfere with both systems so you may need to turn these off when buying from participating retailers.
There is no limit on how many cards you can register with each system and you only need to sign up each card once.
Martin
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Don't miss out on urgent MoneySaving, get my weekly e-mail at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.
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Comments
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Does the system work with all browsers? I read somewhere that it was IE/PC only. Not much use for us Mac users!0
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I'll guarantee you it's browser independant.
It also won't always operate as a popup - some companies will keep it in the same window.0 -
Sounds like a nightmare! I must have about 3 zillion paswords, passcodes, secret questions, mother's maiden names - it's recommended that you don't use your mother's actual maiden name, apparently! I'm just going to go to the shops with cash at this rate - if I can get any out of course...0
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How does this affect second card holders? The numbers (front and back) on the cards are identical - the only thing that's different is the PIN.Conjugating the verb 'to be":
-o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries0 -
New? I've been set up with this and my Sainsburys Visa card for more than a year? Pops up every time, I put my password in, press ok and off it goes. Simple. No hassle.
In fact I think one of my other cards has it as well. It was optional at the time but I went for it - the more security the better IMHO!
Being bored is so boring Im bored of it... :rotfl:0 -
I am all for security on line but this system caused me a problem. I first
encountered this when I was booking cinema tickets. I was a bit worried when it popped up partway through the transaction so I check it was valid on my banks website and it was. However the registration process caused my transaction to fail. The card verification people sent me an email to state that this registration happened with transaction whatever for £15.30 with cineworld etc but the transaction never actually occured.
I never received my cinema booking confirmation, the money never came out of my account. We waited and waited in case it was just some kind of delay and if this booking would come through in the end. ( I did not want to book the tickets again and end up paying twice). In the end it did not come through and became too late to actually book the tickets so we missed the film. I emailed Barclays card verification to complain about this and they gave me the brush off.
Did anyone else have this problem?0 -
Best to sign up for this through the relevent cards website. That way you shouldnt have problems when you go buy for the first time...Being bored is so boring Im bored of it... :rotfl:0
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I'll guarantee you it's browser independant.
It also won't always operate as a popup - some companies will keep it in the same window.
Any reason to trust your guarantee than that bloke down the pub?
What about OS independent?
When I looked at my banks website it said I had to use IE or Firefox in Windows XP or Vista or safari on a Mac OS-X.
I've so far resisted signing up until I'm sure it will work on my linux machine using either opera or firefox.
Also I understand that it impossible to unsubscribe once setup, hence my reluctance to signup until I sure or forced to.0 -
17 days ago I discovered a payment for foreign currency had been taken from my fiancee's card (which is on my account) with Morgan Stanley. I have telephoned Morgan Stanley 4 times to dispute this item and they say they have sent forms for me to complete. No such forms have arrived.
Am I covered by the Morgan Stanley mastercard for such fraudulent use or mistake by Morgan Stanley?0
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