How long for new pin?

veryintrigued

Incredibly someone posted on this forum last week on advice how to complain to the world after a card and PIN arrived in the same post.

Maybe the bank read this and have amended their operations.

nidO

Hardupandfedup wrote: »

No sorry that's not what they told me, as the card was lost I had a new card and number

I hate to be picky with your replies, but are you sure they said you'd be getting a new PIN as well as a new card, not just a new card with a new (card) number?
Over the years i've had the fortune to have only ever lost one credit card and amex sent out the replacement with the same PIN as the old card as there's no reason a PIN needs to be reset when replacing a lost card, unless you had written your PIN on the card you lost.

elliesmemory1

Yes I'm 100% certain that they said I would need a new pin! As I've spoken to bank 3 times on phone about it I would like to think they would have said if I didn't need one.
Anyway, it has arrived today. It has the date I reported it missing on letter so no idea why it took 8 days to arrive.

meer53

You don't usually get a new PIN for a lost card, just with stolen ones.

elliesmemory1

Well, the bank told me it would send a new card and a new pin, card easiest not stolen. Card and pin both now arrived so all is well.
Thanks for replies.

agrinnall

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Given that many banks can send you a PIN reminder rather than just set you a new PIN then clearly many banks do have your pin stored in their system.

No, the bank doesn't know what the PIN is, they just have the ability to recreate the PIN mailer using the algorithm that created the PIN in the first place. If what you say about AMEX is correct then they may use a different way of creating the PIN mailer, but for most banks it is not retrieving and printing the PIN because it does not exist anywhere on the bank's systems.

InsideInsurance

agrinnall wrote: »

No, the bank doesn't know what the PIN is, they just have the ability to recreate the PIN mailer using the algorithm that created the PIN in the first place. If what you say about AMEX is correct then they may use a different way of creating the PIN mailer, but for most banks it is not retrieving and printing the PIN because it does not exist anywhere on the bank's systems.

Its arguably semantics on if they store the actual pin or store an algorithm and one or more seeds to enable them to regenerate the PIN on demand. In the totality of their systems they can generate a piece of paper with the pin on it on demand and inevitably a data stream is sent to the printer to print the letter and so there would be ways of putting it on screen instead.

I've no idea with all the financial institutes listed above that do display the PIN on screen if they are storing the actual PIN or using an algorithm and seed to regenerate the number but again in the real world it makes little difference and inevitably RBAC controls etc will suitably restrict who has access to it/them

agrinnall

I'm not sure that it is a matter of semantics, but I can absolutely confirm that the banks I have worked for in the UK and New Zealand have no method for either a customer or a member of staff to see a PIN on screen, and I am personally surprised to hear that any financial institution would be able and willing to do so.

sheramber

agrinnall wrote: »

I'm not sure that it is a matter of semantics, but I can absolutely confirm that the banks I have worked for in the UK and New Zealand have no method for either a customer or a member of staff to see a PIN on screen, and I am personally surprised to hear that any financial institution would be able and willing to do so.

then be surprised

from American Express

If you ever forget your PIN, you can view it instantly and securely online at any time of the day or night.
You need never wait for your PIN reminder to come in the post again.


It's quick and easy - just go to americanexpress.co.uk/PIN and complete the security check to access your PIN.


You will need to register for Online Services to access your PIN.

agrinnall

I'm not surprised now because Amex had already been mentioned. But even though access to view the PIN is secure, if somebody other than the cardholder has obtained their login credentials then they have instant access to the PIN and can start using it straight away With the banks that I have experience of (and I have in fact worked for Amex too, but in a different capacity) that person would need to order a replacement PIN mailer, wait for it to arrive, and be in a position to intercept it.