Activating new HSBC physical secure key - no activation prompt when try to login?

Rich2808

My old HSBC physical secure key stopped working two weeks ago - battery stopped working and it wouldn't switch on. Requested a new one by phone - after informing them - and my old one should therefore have been deactivated?

Received my new key yesterday. The unhelpful instructions just tell you go to hsbc.co.uk to activate your new secure key - but it doesn't say how. Because no doubt no one at HSBC actually reads the paper instructions they send out to see if they work!

Tried googling it and apparently I have to log into online banking with my username/DoB etc and should then get a prompt to activate the new physical secure key. But it just asks me to enter the usual six digit code as if I was still using my old physical key - not activate a new one.

Has anyone else come across this problem with HSBC before when replacing a physical key? Any suggestions/workarounds - before I brave their call centre again and try and explain the issue?

PS I don't want to move to a digital secure key via a smartphone/their app!

flaneurs_lobster

Go to here

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/digital-banking-help-tool/

select this "How do I set up mobile banking on a new device, or activate a new physical Secure Key"

select this "Physical Secure Key (PSK) - looks like a mini calculator"

select "No" when asked

Do you have another physical Secure Key?

and continue….

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6656764/activating-new-hsbc-physical-secure-key-no-activation-prompt-when-try-to-login

"…and my old one should therefore have been deactivated?"

It may have changed since I last got a new one (the login page has been altered), but AFAIK they don't deactivate the old key unless you ask them to.

Last time I had to phone them to get the old key deactivated, because unless that is done the process to activate a new one won't be available.

I completed the activation whilst still on the phone with the CSA, just to make sure there were no further problems.

Rich2808

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898100#Comment_81898100

Yes followed that but I got to page 7 - where it says ‘generate a code on your existing secure key’ leading to the next page where you activate the new one. If you had a secure key which worked of course - why would you need a replacement?!

So thanks - but that doesn’t deal with my issue - Activating a replacement cos the old one doesn’t work anymore. Same logic would apply if my old secure key was lost or stolen as well as my situation where the battery is flat?!

I should get a prompt to activate a new key when I log in - I don’t.

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/digital-banking-help-tool/how-do-i-activate-my-secure-key/

Rich2808

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898137#Comment_81898137

Thanks as well

I did explain why I needed a replacement key as the old one didn’t work anymore due to a flat battery.

So logically you would assume the old one needed deactivating - as otherwise the replacement cannot be used? Unless HSBC think people want to collect multiple HSBC secure keys as a hobby?!

flaneurs_lobster

just to be sure, you answered "No" when asked if you had another key (even though you do have another dead one)?

Rich2808

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898146#Comment_81898146

The accompanying cover letter says 'your replacement secure key is here' - so it is clear they were issuing a replacement for a dead (or even a lost/stolen) key. The accompanying guide ('a quick reference guide to your secure key') says I need to enter the new key's serial number (10 digit number on the back of the key) online at hsbc.co.uk - but where on their website with its hundreds of pages is unclear as there is no direct link on the homepage I can see to type in this serial number. And when I follow the online website guide to activate a key (different to the printed guide I got in the post) - it just acts as if I still have my old key working (so didn't ask to replace that) and asks me to generate a code in the usual way - which I can't..

Anyone know where I type in this 10 digit serial number (on the back of the physical secure key) on the HSBC website - so I can create a PIN for the secure key, activate it and log in? Assuming their printed guide is correct?

PS I wonder if anyone at HSBC reads their customer guides - and tries them out in live situation so see if what they say can be done and how and where? And then the official guide they send you is different to what is on their website - neither work anyway in my case? Perhaps I could try their mental health helpline - but trying and failing to log into HSBC's systems (and thus being unable to manage your finances) impacting your mental health isn't an option listed!

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/accessibility/mental-health-and-support/

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898145#Comment_81898145

You can phone them up and ask for a replacement before the old one is dead - when the battery starts to fail you get a warning code. So if someone has one with a battery on the way out they might want to order a replacement, but not have the old one deactivated until the replacement has arrived.

If HSBC automatically deactivated the old one when you order a replacement it would mean being unable to access online banking for maybe a week or 10 days, which would be frustrating when you have a secure key which still works well enough to do the job.

When you get the low battery message it sometimes works if you warm the key up a bit - it can boost the battery enough to generate a code, but once the battery voltage drops below a certain level the key is permanently dead.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898200#Comment_81898200

Anyone know where I type in this 10 digit serial number (on the back of the physical secure key) on the HSBC website - so I can create a PIN for the secure key, activate it and log in?

As above, AFAIK you won't be able to access the process if you have a still active key. Once the old key is deactivated the next login attempt will start the activation process (IIRC) including a prompt to enter the serial number.

Rich2808

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898209#Comment_81898209

Agreed - but why would the 'active/old' key not have been deactivated when I ordered a replacement cos I told them the active/old key doesn't work. It isn't active cos it is dead and they sent me a replacement cos the old one was dead?

Not quite as irritating as them sending a guide - which differs from the website guide.

gt94sss2

You enter the new serial number as part of the login process. If you choose I don't have an existing secure key and this option doesn't appear call 03456 002 290 and ask them for assistance.

Don't assume that HSBC will have automatically disabled your old key as I imagine most HSBC customers request a replacement physical secure key before it has died - it shows various error messages as the battery gets low.