How does Verified by Visa protect me?

When you correctly enter your password during a purchase at a participating online merchant, you confirm that you are the authorised cardholder and your purchase is then completed. If an incorrect password is entered, the purchase will not be completed.

Once you activate your card for Verified by Visa protection, even if someone knows your debit card number, an online purchase at a participating merchant cannot be completed without your password.

How do I sign-up for this protection?

The first step is to “activate” your debit card in the Verified by Visa program, by completing the activation process the next time you are shopping at a participating merchant.

To activate your card you will be asked to:

• Enter information from your debit card
• Enter an additional verification data element, to validate that you are in fact the genuine customer. This additional piece of information is something you know and your Bank knows that does not appear on your debit card. It could be, for example your mother’s maiden name, or the post code for your mailing address. The activation screen will tell you what additional piece of information is required.

Once the information you enter is validated and it is certain that you are the genuine customer, you will be asked to:

• Establish your own password. You will use your password to authenticate your identity every time you use your card online at a participating merchant
• Enter your own Personal Assurance Message. This is a short message that you create that has special meaning to you. Whenever you use your debit card online at a participating merchant, you will see your own Personal Assurance Message. This is how you will know that you are on a secure online site.

How can I tell if a merchant is participating in the Verified by Visa program?

Often a participating merchant will advertise the fact that they offer online shopping security with SecureCode and Verified by Visa by displaying the logos on their site. When you are shopping at a participating merchant, as part of the check out process you will automatically be asked to enter your password. If a merchant asks for your password as part of check out, then that merchant is participating in the program. If they do not ask for your password as part of the check out process they are not participating in the Verified by Visa program.

A complete list of merchants that participate in the Verified by Visa program is available at Visa’s home web site.

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