I don't want a card reader

Claireannejames

I've had a nationwide account for years but now they're trying to force card readers on everyone. I can still log in but now can't make payments without one. I access online banking from a number of places, home, work etc and don't want to be forced to lug a card reader everywhere with me. Are there any banks I can move my current account to that offer decent online services and don't require card readers? I know Barclays are pushing their mobile app but I don't want to access banking on a smartphone, only on PCs. Thanks.

BJV

Try Santander. Not the best customer service if ever you need to contact them but there online banking is fantastic. We have a business current account and it allows me to do everything without ever having to go to the branch.

gt94sss2

Santander require you to have access to a mobile phone to use online banking if you want to do certain things like set-up new payees.

Lloyds/TSB don't use card readers but will call you (on a pre registered number) if you try and do certain things like setting-up a new payee.

The OP could try HSBC - they use a securekey which is a smaller than a card reader - and easy to attach to a key ring etc..

Regards
Sunil

Hominu

You can always login to Nationwide with memorable information. If you make a payment which asks you to authorise with a card reader you can instead ring them up and request to make the payment over the phone.

Personally, since all card readers are pretty much the same, I have a Barclays PIN Sentry at home, a co-op reader at work and a Nationwide reader in the car, so I'm never very far without one, and if one breaks, I can just grab another

Archi_Bald

The only things you cannot do without a card reader is setting up new payees, modify payees and make initial payments. I can't see how this forces you to lug a card reader everywhere - you are highly overdramatising what is in effect a non-issue.

All banks will have some security measures for new payees and payments to these payees. Santander, as has been suggested, requires you to have a mobile phone to receive a code, and often holds up new, and larger, payments. Lloyds, Halifax, TSB all require you to be contactable at the time of transaction on either your landline or your mobile phone. Others require you to enter several pieces of information from a string of what they call memorable data. A fair number of others use the same type of card reader as Nationwide does, and HSBC have got their own reader device.

Telephone banking is an alternative for all.

mgdavid

Claireannejames wrote: »

...... don't want to be forced to lug a card reader everywhere ........

So for the sake of very secure banking you don't want to carry just 62 grams in your pocket or bag? Seems odd to me but each to their own I suppose. The likelihood is that more banks will go the same way so you may not have too long with your new account. Probably your best bet would be the secure code via mobile phone route.

gt94sss2

Archi_Bald wrote: »

The only things you cannot do without a card reader is setting up new payees, modify payees and make initial payments. I can't see how this forces you to lug a card reader everywhere - you are highly overdramatising what is in effect a non-issue.

To be fair to the OP, I have found that Nationwide (and Natwest I think) do also sometimes ask you to use a card reader if trying to make a payment to an existing payee- especially if you have not used that one for a while

Regards
Sunil

anotheruser

Off topic slightly, but I wonder whose big idea it was to have these card readers and secure keys? All that extra plastic....

Gromitt

Archi_Bald wrote: »

The only things you cannot do without a card reader is setting up new payees, modify payees and make initial payments.

I disagree, I made a payment earlier this month to an existing payee that I paid also last month, but they asked for card reader authentication again. Small payments go through fine, but as soon as you go over £1,000 the requests seem more regular.

PasturesNew

All I would say is it's a pain - but they aren't "specific to you" or special. So you could, say, get 3-4 of them from a branch (or even walk into the nearest branch and get one on demand) .... and have them kicking about everywhere. Leave one in your house, your car, your handbag.....


It's not as if you have to have "just one, it's yours, keep it safe/secure". They're interchangeable - you can toss yours at a friend to use, or use theirs.... and even use some from some other banks (not sure of the list, but the co-op one works too).

So, maybe if you see them for what they are - a "nothing special" and "not personalised" lump of plastic, then maybe you can just put up with the annoyance.

I used to think they were special/personalised/dangerous if lost.... but they're not.

Herbalus

mgdavid wrote: »

So for the sake of very secure banking you don't want to carry just 62 grams in your pocket or bag?

Did you actually just go and weigh it? :rotfl:

And to be fair to the OP, Nationwide just asked me to use a card reader to view my statement online. I hope it's just because it's the first time I've done that, but for me, leaving my warm bed, retrieving the card reader from a box, getting the Nationwide card from another box, and looking up the PIN on my system (obviously disguised and not recognisable as a PIN), is unnecessary faff that I don't need when I just want to look at a PDF of what I can already see.