Online banking changes
We've made some important changes to your online banking service. This affects the way in which you set up your payment instructions (which you then use to pay bills or transfer money online).
What are the changes?
Whenever you set up a new payment instruction online, we will send you a text message containing an authorisation code to your mobile phone. You'll need to confirm receipt of this by typing the authorisation code into the web screen.
Why are you doing this?
This is to improve your online security - if we can confirm that the person setting up the payment instruction is also in possession of your mobile phone, then this improves our confidence that it is you setting up the instruction and not a fraudster.
Must I have a mobile phone?
Yes - you need to have a mobile phone when you are setting up a new payment instruction and, more importantly, you will need to ensure that we always have your up-to-date mobile phone number.
What if I don't have a mobile phone or don't want to give you my number?
You can still set up payment instructions but will need to phone us to authorise them.
Will I need my phone whenever I pay a bill?
No - this authorisation system only applies when you are setting up (or amending) a payment instruction. A payment instruction contains the details of an account to which you may want to send payments, either regularly or occasionally.
Once an instruction is set up (or amended), you can use it to pay bills or transfer funds online quickly and easily whenever you like, and you won't need your mobile for this.
I have a joint account. Do you need both our mobile numbers?
In order to enable the set up or amendment of a payment instruction, we need to hold the mobile phone number for the customer who is logged in to online banking. If both of you regularly set up or amend payment instructions, it would be advisable for us to hold mobile phone numbers for each of you.
What should I do now?
As it's important that we have the right mobile phone number for you in our records, please
- log in to your plan
- select "Personal Details" on the left hand side
- check that the mobile phone number we have recorded there is up to date. (You'll see the last three digits only - again, this is a security measure.)
If it is not up to date, please call us on 0845 609 4343 ¹, and we will update it for you.
This will mean that you can set up or amend payment instructions online.
Please log in now and check your mobile phone number is correct.
Is it be easy to set up a payment instruction?
Yes - we have full instructions in your online banking system to explain what's happening every step of the way.
But if you've haven't set up a payment instruction before, why not have a practice using your online banking demo before you log in to your plan and do it for real?
Try setting up a payment instruction now using the online demo.
How to set up a payment instruction
Now try making a payment using your payment instruction.
How to make a payment
¹ Calls to 0845 numbers from BT landlines will cost a maximum of 4p per minute. The price of calls from other telephone companies will vary. The call price is correct at September 2007.
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