Just tried to pay the 2k for my insurance:
Halifax w*ankers 
Fortunately I am at home.
I spoke to them on the phone. They appear to block every nontrivial payment until an SMS has been acked, which is OK if you have a GSM signal. But the man is not able to discuss anything about it, and cannot escalate it to anybody higher. It was authorised after replying Yes to the SMS, after I used another card. Anyway, it means the card can’t be used in a shop.
Most banks now wont allow online payments unless you have authorised via SMS code. This is a real problem for me when working as usually Im where there is no mobile signal even though the company provides Sat-link bandwidth for phone/internet…
Edit : Nationwide let you use a card reader, another reason I chose their account
Looking back through the thread, I suddenly realised we have been talking of two different animals – credit cards and debit cards – as the same species. Banks may have different fraud prevention policies for the two.
All my posts were regarding credit cards. I rarely go around with a debit card.
I have all my bank apps, R.B of S uses it to confirm payments, over internet. Some banks still require text messages which I can’t get at home.
Any bank that believes SMS is strong authentication is to be avoided.
Looking back through the thread, I suddenly realised we have been talking of two different animals – credit cards and debit cards – as the same species. Banks may have different fraud prevention policies for the two.
Card is a card. Transaction is a transaction. Fraud prevention should be the same because the technology is the same. The differences are in fees, accounting in backed systems, risk analysis when approving, defining the limits etc. in other words administrative stuff. Authentication and authorization should be the same in the banks that know their job.
Emir wrote:
Authentication and authorization should be the same in the banks that know their job.
which is not always the case. Also, the regulations for fraud liability in the EU seem to be the same for credit and debit, but last time I checked the US ones, they afforded a lot more protection to holders of credit cards. With a debit one, the customer might be left holding the bag in a lot more cases. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
@Ultranomad, you are correct re US debit and credit cards. People I know will only use a credit card at e.g. fuel stations for that reason, because it’s unlikely with a credit card that you will lose money due to fraud. I once ran into credit card fraud after a Swiss roadside fuel stop, somebody must’ve sold my account info. It took more new credit card numbers than I can remember and a couple of years of hassle before it ended… but I never lost a penny, only time. Conversely, with a US debit card you are close to unprotected.
Text messages to validate credit card purchases must be a European bank thing, it’s not something I’ve run into. It is a feature of e.g. accessing my retirement account online but seems a bit over the top just to buy something.
@Silvaire The multinational US company I do contract work for has it for Email access. Their core business workers are in places where there is generally no mobile phone signal. Drives all of us bonkers, outsourced IT dont have a clue…
But true, its not a bank…
