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Confirming online card payments

When you use your debit or credit card online, we may ask you to verify the card payment by either entering a one-time passcode we send you by text message, or using our App and a Digital Secure Key.

This makes it harder for fraudsters to make online card payments without your knowledge.

What to do if your online card payment gets declined

If you’ve had an online card payment declined, but your account had enough funds to cover the cost, here’s some information that might help.

As part of the new Payment Services regulations, if we need you to confirm your purchase, then the merchant you’re paying with your card needs to process the payment using a new system - something known as ‘3D-Secure’.

If the merchant isn’t ready with this new system, an error message will appear when you’re trying to complete your purchase. The error message will be from the merchant, so these types of error messages won’t always look the same.

If an online card payment is continually declined, please give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we’ll look into this for you.

If a regular payment on your card hasn’t come out

This could also happen if you have regular payments set up on your cards to pay for certain services. These could include subscriptions for online music streaming, your gym or a regular delivery of food and other items.

You might be contacted by the company if they haven’t been able to confirm your card payment. If this happens, it won’t be possible for us to help. The retailer will need to organise this directly with you.

Keep an eye on your transactions and if it looks like something you were expecting hasn’t come out of your account, please get in touch with the company direct.

Additional steps may be required to verify that it is you who is using the card. This applies to all card payments carried out in the UK and EU.

Here’s more information about how to confirm your online card payments:

If you’d prefer to use our App with a Digital Secure Key, watch this video about how it works

Video Transcript

Do you use your debit or credit card to pay for things online?

We’re making some changes to protect you from fraud.

In line with Payment Services regulations, in the next few weeks, you may be asked to confirm your online card payments more often.

(Just so we know it’s you…)

You can confirm a payment using your first direct App in a few easy steps…

1. Select ‘fd App’ whenever you see the request to confirm a card payment while you’re checking out during an online card purchase.

You’ll be taken to the next screen. DON’T click on the button yet! Please log onto your App first and return to this page once you’ve confirmed your payment there.

2. At this point, you need to move out of the online checkout and log on to your first direct App to check the details of your online card payment.

If this isn’t the transaction you were expecting to see, you should select ‘Reject / Don’t recognise’ and the card payment won’t be confirmed.

If everything’s as expected, just select ‘Confirm’. You’ll then need to use your face or fingerprint recognition or your Digital Secure Key to confirm it’s you.

This next part is really important – after logging off your App, you must return to the ‘Protecting your online payments’ page in the checkout and select the ‘Payment confirmed on Mobile App’ button to complete your purchase.

Seriously Secure.

Find out how to download our App on compatible devices.

If you’d prefer to use a one-time passcode we text to your mobile phone, all we need is your up to date mobile number.

If you have our Mobile App, you can update your mobile number in your ‘Profile’.

If you’re concerned about being able to confirm online card transactions using these two options, please call us, as we have another option you might find useful.

Need some help getting set up on one of the options above?

1. Download and start using our App

Already use our Mobile App?

Great news, you’re almost set. To confirm your online card payments, you’ll need to use a Digital, rather than a Physical Secure Key to log onto your App.

You can switch from a Physical to a Digital Secure Key quickly and easily within ‘Security Settings’ in your App.

If you already use Online Banking with a Digital Secure Key, you’ve got everything you need to confirm your online card payments in the App.

Please take a look at the video above to see how this works.

Don’t use our Mobile App yet?

Don’t want to use our Mobile App?

If you don’t use our Mobile App and don’t want to register for it, you’ll still be able to confirm your online card payments using a one-time passcode which we’ll send by text message.

You’ll need to make sure we have the correct and up to date mobile phone number for you.

If you’re worried about being able to confirm online card transactions using either our App or a one-time passcode sent by text message, please call us as we have another option you might find useful.

2. Make sure we have your correct mobile number.

Review your mobile phone number in our App

If your App is on an iOS device

If your App is on an Android device

If you don’t have our App, please check and update your mobile number if you need to next time you call us.

If you think you’ll need an alternative to our App or text message options to confirm online payments, please mention this next time you call.

Frequently asked questions

I use a Physical Secure Key (PSK) to log on to the App. Will I be able to use the App to confirm my payments?

Why have you made these changes and how do they benefit me?

The changes to online card payments have been introduced due to new Payment Services Regulations. This additional level of verification has been designed to help protect you from card fraud, and make it harder for fraudsters to make payments without your knowledge.

Why do I need to enter my email address as well as my one-time passcode?

We use a third party, Callsign, who help us protect your payments from fraud by recording how you enter your email address (including key strokes). This data is collected from your browser and stored by Callsign. We use this biometric data with other information like your location, your device and how you use it, to help us check it’s you making the card payment and not someone else..

For more information about how we can use your personal information visit www.firstdirect.com/privacy/

How does using my ‘biometric data’ help to protect me?

We build a profile based on how you enter your email address, alongside other information like your location, your device and how you use it. We will compare this information next time you make a payment. If it doesn’t match, payments may not go through because we can’t confirm it is you making the payments using your card details.

As fraudsters become more sophisticated, we believe it’s in the substantial public interest to include this extra layer of security to protect you and your payments from fraud.

How do I challenge a declined payment?

If we’ve stopped a payment based on our fraud checks (including using biometric data) and you think we’ve got this wrong, please send us a message via the help section of our App or using the ‘Message us’ section in the bottom right of the screen in Online Banking. If you need to speak to someone, give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we’ll be happy to help.

What if I don't want to enter my email address?

You can confirm payments using our App by selecting this option when you’re making a payment. If you haven’t got our App yet, you can find more details on our Mobile App page. If you have any questions or you’d like to discuss other options, please send us a message via the help section of our App or using the ‘Message us’ section in the bottom right of the screen in Online Banking. If you need to speak to someone, give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we’ll be happy to help.

Why do you need to send me a one-time passcode (OTP)?

Why haven’t I received my one-time passcode (OTP)?

The first things to check are we have your correct mobile number and if you have a good network signal. If so, try selecting ‘Resend OTP’. If this still doesn’t work, please send us a message via the help section of our App or using the ‘Message us’ section in the bottom right of the screen in Online Banking. If you need to speak to someone, give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we’ll be happy to help.

What should I do if the mobile number shown on screen is wrong?

Will I be charged for receiving a one-time passcode (OTP) by text message?

I’m an additional credit card or joint account holder, how will I receive a one-time passcode (OTP)?

What if I have an overseas mobile number?

We can send a one-time passcode to most overseas mobiles but if you have any problems while you’re abroad, please send us a message via the help section of our App or using the ‘Message us’ section in the bottom right of the screen in Online Banking. If you need to speak to someone, give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we’ll be happy to help.

Don’t fall victim to a scam. Never share your one-time passcodes with anyone including us. Fraudsters pretend to be people you trust like a company you pay bills to, first direct, or even the police.