Can I not activate a card I don't intend to use?

janeskips2

Tesco have sent me a new debit card after my previous one reached expiration date. I haven't used the previous card in a few years although I did initially. I don't intend to use the new card. If I don't activate will Tesco think the card may have been lost and send a new one? Is it OK not to activate cards that will not be used or must I activate?

soulsaver

I've not activated Tesco DC in the past without problem, but you can now activate them on line.

Hugh_Mungus

When I balance transferred to a Virgin money CC I didn't ever activate the card. I didn't have any issues with that. I am not sure if its different with Debit rather than credit.

boo_star

I can't see why they'd send a new one given that cards aren't all that cheap and even if it were lost it wouldn't matter as it isn't activated.

They may stop sending out replacements automatically if you don't use it for a long time though.

Ben8282

In order to have received a debit card you presumably have a current account. By all means don't activate it but why not activate it just in case you do need to use it for some reason?

boo_star

Ben8282 wrote: »

In order to have received a debit card you presumably have a current account. By all means don't activate it but why not activate it just in case you do need to use it for some reason?

Maybe using the account as a quasi-savings account and don't need to use the DC at all?

Sea_Shell

We had 4 Tesco CA's back in the day, and didn't activate any of the cards, with no issues.

keef-WhatStandards

You can't use online banking unless you activate your card, at least that was the case for me on my second, but not my first account.

First account has been fine without activation, so ....

Found something in a switch document about needing an active debit card to switch accounts, so that might be a reason to activate it.

Sea_Shell

keef-WhatStandards wrote: »

You can't use online banking unless you activate your card, at least that was the case for me on my second, but not my first account.

First account has been fine without activation, so ....

Found something in a switch document about needing an active debit card to switch accounts, so that might be a reason to activate it.

Ah, yes, I remember, we did activate them just before we switched them all to Santander, to ensure there were no issues with the switch. Not before though and no problems with internet banking.

janeskips2

My reasoning for not activating was it would reduce chances of card fraud. This account was affected by the Tesco hack in 2016 and although I received a new card at the time I have rarely used it since. For a card that will sit in a drawer, is it not safer to not activate?

The account has one direct debit and I occasionally make a payment from it so the card is not needed and I do not remember ever needing to use the card for online banking as Tesco doesn't use card readers. I won't dispute if you are telling me the card has to be activated to use online banking but I'm very surprised to here this. Will my online banking stop working if I don't activate the card?

As for having to activate for switching, can this be done when needed or must a card be activated within a certain time of receipt?

keef-WhatStandards

I agree with your reasoning for not activating the card. This worked fine for my first Tesco account. With the second as soon as I tried to access the account online it insisted I activate the card before I could continue.

The first account worked and still works fine without an activated card.

I've never used or intend to use the card on either account.