NatWest - home card reader?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yesterday evening, I decided to make a transfer from my NatWest account, to a TSB account, via online banking. A transfer I have never made before, so it involved setting up a 'new recipient'. I filled in all the details on the popup panel which appeared, but there was no visible 'next' or 'accept' button on the panel. It might have been below the screen, but there was no way to scroll down.

That left me stumped, so I rang their phone banking number. Indian guy answers who was very difficult to understand, but I explained what I was trying to do and the place where I was getting stuck. He wittered on about it couldn't be done, without a home card reader gadget. I then asked if he could implement the cash transfer for me, first he said no, not unless I had the reader, then seemed to change his mind.

He managed it by sending a four digit code to my phone, me then reading the digits back to him.

All very confusing, but it worked in the end. Has anyone heard of NatWest's card readers? Why could I not progress with the online banking, entering a new recipient?

[GB]

I have one of their card readers. The system works very well, and it certainly beats a call to CS.

I'm pretty sure that you can order one online, but otherwise call CS again.

[Harry Bloomfield]

GB wrote on 07/03/2018 :

Thanks, reader ordered and yes it can be ordered via online banking..

[Robin]

I've had one for 10+ years. Didn't think you could set up a payee online without one.

You can

[Tim+]

Um, pretty sure you should have received a home card reader when you set up online banking. It?s a pretty integral part of the security system.

Yes, you can do some stuff without it but my BS (Nationwide, which uses the same card readers) requires it for setting up new payments.

It?s just another level of fraud protection. By generating codes that can?t be intercepted it makes it very hard for anyone without both your card, your card reader and your account log in details to carry out any serious fraud.

Gullible users and phishing emails make account details and login names/passwords *relatively* easy to get hold of but without the card and card reader, a third party accessing your account could only, at worst, pay someone you?ve paid before, not transfer funds to a new account.

Tim

[Martin]

I'd go to your local bank branch and ask them for help. If you have given somebody your password change it quick.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Robin presented the following explanation :

You can/could with the Halifax, it would send you a four digit code as a text, which you then typed into online banking.

I was able to set up a new payee in NatWest, by a similar process, but only whilst actually talking to them on the phone, reading the texted code back.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Martin has brought this to us :

There was no such issues, I just needed to transfer a lump of funds from my Natwest account, to a TSB account.

The telephone banking op, mentioned I could have popped into branch to make the transfer.

[S Viemeister]

That's going to be difficult for many people. RBS has announced the closing of my nearest branch (5 miles away), probably by the end of the year. The next nearest branches of ANY bank, are either 40 miles east or 100 miles south.

[Martin Brown]

Yes. I have one in front of me now. It looks like any other banks home card reader except in Natwest colours and with a red Natwest logo on the front. You need it to initiate any new or novel online transfers.

No idea when they switched it on but at least 3 years ago.

Looks to be identical to the Nationwide one apart from the colour of the plastic and the type of cards it will accept. They are annoyingly brand specific so you can't just use another banks - it says "wrong card".

[Brian Gaff]

Yes a lot of these devices have been in the news again recently for discriminating against blind users. the last time this happened on the earlier keypad devices they Were forced to bring out talking keypads. sounds like we are doing it all again for card readers now. lessons will not be learned of course. And people wonder why we don't want to use online banking. Recently a minor change on the halifax web site, completely invisible to the sighted completely ruined access by the blind to their accounts. Brian

[jrwalliker]

Not always. I used my Barclays one yesterday to validate a Lloyds transaction. John

[Martin Brown]

Nice of them to actually announce it. I found out one local branch had closed when I tried to make an appointment to see the manager and was told that no such branch existed. I knew it did - I had been in a month before. Checking Manchester Evening News online showed it was a branch they decided to suddenly close which sort of explains why I didn't know.

[Martin Brown]

How odd. I'd have believed Halifax since they are part of Lloyds now.

[Reentrant]

In theory you can use any bank's card reader with any banking app.

" ...card readers issued by most, possibly all, UK banks conform to a CAP subset defined by APACS, meaning that, in most cases, cards issued by a UK bank can be used in a card reader issued by a different bank."

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Barclays have had similar for ages. They call it a PINSentry unit. Only really needed for setting up a new payee from your account. Once you've done that, you can then transfer money to that account without it, as often as you like.

[Martin Brown]

They might but most of the ones I have check that the card is from the bank that has its logo on the front. I know this experimentally.

They may follow the protocol but that doesn't mean they will accept other bank cards (although it seems some Barclays are more tolerant). I don't have one of them so can't test it.

[Huge]

Not always. IME, the Barclays and Natwest ones are interchangeable.

[Tim+]

Um, we have a NatWest one and a Nationwide one. They both generate the same codes.

Tim

[Martin]

They are pin code specific accord ing to HSBC.