Use your card safely

Visa cards are a safe way to manage your spending.

Some simple precautions will help to ensure you won’t be inconvenienced.

When you get your card

Sign the signature panel immediately
Memorise the Personal Identification Number (PIN) – never write it down
If you choose your own PIN or change the one you were given, avoid obvious choices such as your date of birth
Do not tell anybody your PIN
Use a different PIN to any other cards you may own

At home

Keep your sales slips and ATM receipts – check them against your card or bank statement
If any amount is incorrect or you spot a transaction you do not remember, call your card issuer immediately
Keep a list of your card numbers, along with the telephone numbers you should call if they are lost or stolen

At the shops

Check the sales slip or figure shown on the terminal to ensure the amount is correct before you authorise the transaction by signing or entering your PIN
Make sure the retailer gives the card back to you, along with your copy of the sales voucher
Keep your card close to you – beware of pickpockets
Cover your hand when entering your PIN – make sure you are not being overlooked

Mail order and telephone shopping

Only give your card number to retailers that you know are reputable and reliable
You might be asked for your card’s security code – the three digits printed on the back of your card, either on, or to the right of, the signature panel. Give the merchant that code but never give your PIN
Keep a record of your transactions, including the retailer's address and telephone number

When travelling abroad

On our ‘travelling abroad’ pages, you’ll find ten simple travel tips to help you keep your card and travellers cheques safe – just follow this link: Safety tips when abroad

Internet shopping

Using your Visa card on the Internet is as trustworthy, safe, quick, easy and reliable as shopping in your local shops. And now we’ve developed a new system that makes shopping online even more secure – it’s called Verified by Visa.

Verified by Visa – see how its making online shopping even more secure, find out if your bank offers it, and then sign up today.

Your Visa card will continue to work as normal with online retailers who are not yet using Verified by Visa. If you want to shop on a website that isn’t using the service, then you should use these simple safeguards.

Shop with retailers you know are reputable and reliable
Never enter your PIN details
Make sure that your card details will be encrypted securely before they’re sent across the Internet – look for an unbroken key or lock at the bottom of your browser window or check the website address, which should begin https:// rather than http://
Keep a record of your Internet transactions, including the retailer's website address. Many online stores send customers e-mails summarising the purchase details – make sure you save or print these
Before buying, read the delivery and return policies that should be on the retailer’s website. Can unsatisfactory items be sent back? If the items are faulty, can you get a refund or a credit note?
The retailer’s website should also have information about delivery arrangements and costs, currencies they accept and taxes that apply
Look for a telephone number or e-mail address and note them down in case you have any queries