Using your debit card

BANKING ESSENTIALS

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Introduction
1. How to pay by debit card 2. Debit card safety tips

Introduction to 'Using your debit card'

In this lesson, we'll talk about using your debit card safely when you're in a shop or buying online. You'll find out how to keep your card and your money safe, what your bank does to help this, plus what to do if you're affected by fraud.

What you'll learn

  • How to use your debit card safely online or in-store.
  • How your bank helps to keep your card and money safe.
  • What to do if you experience fraud.

How long it takes

6 minutes

Chapter 1 - How to pay by debit card

How to pay by debit card

Chapter 1

How long it takes

3 minutes

Using your card in-store

Danny has opened a bank account recently. Now, he's received his debit card.

He goes into town for some shopping, where he'll use his new card for the first time.

Let's see how he gets on.

Danny goes to buy toiletries and uses his debit card to buy them. He inserts his card into the machine and uses the unique PIN number the bank gave him. Only Danny knows this PIN number.

Once the transaction is approved, he can remove his card. 

Next, Danny goes to a convenience store to buy some food.

This time, he uses contactless – the shopkeeper explains that because the purchase is under a certain amount, he can simply 'tap' his debit card onto the card machine.

This is Danny's first time using contactless. So when he taps his card on the reader, the machine prompts him for his PIN. 

He enters his PIN and the machine confirms that his transaction has gone through OK.

Be aware

Danny needs enough money in his account to pay for his purchases.

If he didn't have enough, the transaction would fail.

Using your card online

Samira needs to buy a birthday gift for her son, Jairaj. As she doesn't have time to go into town to collect anything, she's decided to buy something online and have it delivered. 

She's never used her debit card online before so let's see how she makes the purchase.

Use the arrows to move through Samira's story.

Samira chooses the item she wants to give Jairaj for his birthday, 

She then selects the Continue to payment button to move forward. 

In the shipping section, Samira adds her address details and picks her delivery option.

She also gives her email address. This is so the store can email her to confirm her purchase.

She selects the Confirm details button to move on. 

Samira picks her payment method. She selects 'debit card'. On other websites, it may say 'visa' or 'pay by card'.

 

Samira types in:

  • The 16-digit long card number from her debit card.
  • The expiry date.
  • The 3-digit code (sometimes called a CVV code or CVV2) on or next to the signature strip on her card.

 

Then she selects the Confirm payment button.

She sees a message that says her order is confirmed.

Once her payment is completed, Samira checks her email inbox. There's a new message from the shop that confirms the order details. 

Now she knows that she can now look forward to receiving Jairaj's present soon!

Introduction - Using your debit card
Chapter 2 - Debit card safety tips

Debit card safety tips

Chapter 2

How long it takes

3 minutes

Keeping your card and your money safe

Here, we answer some common questions on how to use your debit card safely:

  • Most shops will use a reader, allowing you to pay by card.

     

    To stay safe when you pay, be sure to:

    • Hold on to your card. Whoever serves you shouldn't have to take your card away. Never let it out of your sight.
    • Hide your PIN. Shield the keypad so no one can see what you enter.

     

    Remember, your PIN should never be shared with anyone.

  • Absolutely. Your contactless card has the same anti-fraud protection as regular chip & PIN cards.

    If your card is lost or stolen, your card has protection against money lost. Just make sure you let your bank know as soon as you realise your card is missing. 

    For added protection, you will occasionally be asked to enter your PIN when making a payment. 

    You can set a contactless limit with your bank, or the retailer might have set a contactless payment limit in store, so your PIN will be needed for payments over a certain amount.

  • No. The reader and card are set up to ensure that you will only be charged for one transaction.

  • No. Your card has to be extremely close to the reader – typically between two and four centimetres – and the retailer must have first entered the amount for you to approve.

  • Some banks are introducing an extra security step when you shop or bank online.

     

    To make sure it's really you, they can:

    • Text a passcode to your mobile phone.
    • Call your registered phone number.

     

    Remember, no one from your bank will ask you for your PIN number or ask you to move money to another account.

  • Thinking you've experienced fraud can be scary, but there are plenty of resources available to help you. 

    You can report fraud to the UK's national reporting centre, Action Fraud. They provide information and help for anyone who has, or thinks they have, been a victim of fraud. Alongside this, UK banks have dedicated teams to help you in this situation.

    Do let your bank know as soon as you can. If you don't know their number, call 159. You'll be asked who your bank is, then they'll put you straight through to your own bank's fraud team.

Using your debit card: completed!

In this lesson, you've taken a closer look at what a debit card is and how to safely make payments using one.

Chapter 1 - How to pay by debit card

Want to learn more?

There are many more lessons to help you use a bank account.

Go to Banking essentials

 

Bank of Scotland Academy is committed to providing information in a way that is accessible and useful for our users. This information, however, is not in any way intended to amount to authority or advice on which reliance should be placed. You should seek professional advice as appropriate and required. Any sites, products or services named in this module are just examples of what's available. Bank of Scotland does not endorse the services they provide. The information in this module was last updated on 12th November 2024.

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