How to Activate a New Bank Card in Your Bank's App

How to Activate a New Bank Card in Your Bank's App

A new payment card arrived for you in the post. Maybe your old card had expired. Or maybe the bank simply issued new cards to all customers. The card looks just like before. But you cannot use it right away. First, the card needs to be activated. This sounds complicated, but in reality it is a simple task that takes just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through it step by step. Remember: you cannot break anything by tapping the wrong button. You can always stop and start again.

What does "activating a card" mean, and why is it needed?

Activation is a short check the bank performs to make sure the card really reached you, and not someone else along the way through the post. Until the card is activated, you cannot pay with it in a shop or withdraw cash from a cash machine. Activation takes only one or two minutes in the bank's app.

An app is a small program on your phone. It is an icon with your bank's name that you tap with your finger to open it. If your bank's app is already installed on your phone — wonderful, you can go straight to the steps below. If it is not installed yet, ask a family member to help you install it from the app store before you continue.

What to prepare beforehand

• The new card you just received in the post.
• A phone with your bank's app already installed.
• Your phone should be nearby and switched on, because a confirmation text message will arrive on it.

Step by step — how to activate your new card

1. Open your bank's app on your phone by tapping its icon.
2. If the app asks you to log in, enter your access code or use your fingerprint, as you usually do.
3. On the main screen, find the section called "Cards" — usually this word appears at the bottom or side of the screen, often next to a picture of a card.
4. Tap the "Cards" section once with your finger.
5. In the list of cards, find your new card — it is usually marked "New" or "Inactive", often shown in grey instead of the usual colour.
6. Tap on this new card to open it.
7. Find the button labelled "Activate card" and tap it once.
8. Pick up the card and turn it over to the back — this is the side without the number, where the signature strip is.
9. The app will ask you to enter either the last 4 digits of the card number from the front, or the CVV code — three digits on the back of the card. Carefully type in the digits the app asks for.
10. Tap the "Next" or "Confirm" button.
11. Wait a few seconds — a text message with a one-time code of four or six digits will arrive on your phone.
12. Open this text message and remember the code, or write it down on paper.
13. Go back to the bank's app and type this code into the box that has appeared.
14. Tap the "Confirm" button.

That's it. The screen should now show a message like "Card activated" or a green tick mark. You can now use the card — to pay in shops and to withdraw cash from a cash machine.

What is a text message code, and why you must never tell it to anyone

A one-time text message code (also called a confirmation code) is a set of digits the bank sends only to you. It exists to make sure it is really you performing the action in the app, and not someone else. This code must never, ever be read out loud to anyone over the phone — even if the person on the other end says they work for the bank. A real bank never asks you to say a text message code over the phone. If someone asks for it, it is a scammer. Simply hang up.

Be careful — scammers love the topic of "new cards"

Scammers often call and say something like: "Good afternoon, we are calling from your bank, your new card has been blocked because of a suspicious transaction, please read us the code from the text message so we can unblock it." This is not true. No genuine bank employee will ever ask you to say a text message code, a full card number, or a CVV code over the phone. One simple rule will always protect you: hang up and call the bank back yourself, using the number printed on the back of your card. That is the number that will connect you to the real bank.

What to do if something goes wrong

• The app does not accept the activation code. Check that you typed the digits correctly — you may have mixed up the last 4 digits of the card number with the CVV code. Look carefully at the card and try again.
• The text message code does not arrive. Wait a minute or two, as messages are sometimes delayed. Check that your phone has network signal. If the code still does not arrive, close the app and start the activation again from the beginning.
• The card immediately shows as "blocked". Don't worry, this does not mean something is wrong with the card. Call the bank using the number on the back of the card — they will help sort it out.
• The card was lost before you even received it (for example, the envelope arrived empty or damaged). In this case, do not try to activate it. Call the bank straight away, using the number from your previous card or the bank's official website, and report it.
• If anything on the screen looks different from what is described here — don't worry. Apps differ slightly between banks. Look for similar words: "Cards", "Activate", "Confirm".

Whenever you are in doubt, there is one best piece of advice: call the bank using the number on the back of your card. Never call back a number that someone sent you in a text message or other message.

Summary — remember these steps

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