Secure use of cards

Debit and credit cards are safe to use if you store them carefully, set security limits on their use and use our code app to confirm your online purchases. Cards are a convenient method of payment when shopping in Finland, abroad and online.

Online shopping is more secure than ever

When making online purchases using your payment card, you are increasingly asked to confirm them. The easiest way to do this is with the Nordea Codes app.

Many online stores may have asked you to confirm your card purchases recently. The Payment Services Directive (PSD2) instructs card issuers to ensure that, when a card is used to pay online, the cardholder’s identity is strongly authenticated. In practice, a card issuer must offer the cardholder a chance to perform this strong authentication. 

At Nordea, strong authentication means using the code app or code calculator, which ensure that paying with a card is more secure than ever before. You can be certain that your payment is secure if you see one of these logos when confirming the payment: Mastercard Identity Check (previously Mastercard SecureCode) or Visa Secure (previously Verified by Visa). 

Activate our secure Nordea Codes app

All holders of payment cards issued by Nordea confirm their purchases securely with the Nordea Codes app. Even if you are not Nordea’s personal customer but are using a Nordea payment card, we will provide you with a code app for confirming online card payments.

Read how you can start using Nordea Codes app in all kinds of situations.

If you can’t activate the code app, please call Nordea Customer Service to ensure that you can make secure online purchases.

Debit and credit cards are a convenient and secure method of payment for your online purchases

Register your Nordea Mastercard or Visa card for online payments and you can start shopping. Registering is easy and you can do it yourself:

  • in Nordea Mobile under your card settings
  • in Nordea Netbank under Cards
  • by calling Nordea Customer Service and identifying yourself with your online access codes.

In addition, when you pay with your credit card, your purchases are covered by Purchase Protection from the moment you buy them until they are delivered.

If you don’t receive a product or service you have bought online, please contact the seller first, and if you can’t settle the matter with them, file a card complaint. Instructions for filing a card complaint are available here.

What are Mastercard Identity Check and Visa Secure?

The global payment card companies Mastercard and Visa have created the Mastercard Identity Check (previously Mastercard SecureCode) and Visa Secure (previously Verified by Visa) services, respectively, to authenticate both parties to a payment, the buyer and the merchant, at the time a purchase is made.

Paying with a Nordea debit or credit card is easy. All you need to do is enter the card number, its validity and the card security code (which is referred to as CVC or CVV). You will then be asked to confirm your purchase with Nordea’s code app. The information you give, such as your access codes, is not transmitted to the merchant. The merchant only receives a confirmation of a successful identification in the form of a payment authorisation.

Underage online purchasers

Strong authentication also applies to online purchases made by an underage cardholder. If you want your child to be able to make online payments, we recommend that you activate online access codes and Nordea’s code app for them. You can easily do this on our website under ”Open services online for a child”.

Secure use of payment cards is easy

Secure use of payment cards is easy

  • Take good care of your physical card and keep your card settings in digital services up to date.
  • Keep your PIN to yourself.  
  • Always cover the PIN when making a payment. 
  • Set security limits for payments and cash withdrawals in Nordea Mobile, Nordea Netbank or Nordea Customer Service.  
  • If your card gets lost, block it at once by calling 020 333 (card blocking service) or 0200 70 000 (Nordea Customer Service).
Keep your card safe
Security limits
Card usage areas

Secure use of payment cards is easy

  • Take good care of your physical card and keep your card settings in digital services up to date.
  • Keep your PIN to yourself.  
  • Always cover the PIN when making a payment. 
  • Set security limits for payments and cash withdrawals in Nordea Mobile, Nordea Netbank or Nordea Customer Service.  
  • If your card gets lost, block it at once by calling 020 333 (card blocking service) or 0200 70 000 (Nordea Customer Service).

Instructions for safe card use

  • Never keep the card and PIN in the same place. Always memorise the PIN. Do not let other people see the PIN when you are keying it in at ATMs or other places of use.
  • Never surrender the card’s number or its PIN via telephone, e-mail or in any other way when asked, even if inquirers present themselves as the bank’s employees or police officers.
  • You can set daily security limits for your card that govern cash withdrawals at ATMs and bill payments at payment ATMs to increase the security of card use. Define the limits when you pick up your card at a branch. It is also possible to change the limits in Netbank, by calling Nordea Customer Service or by visiting a Nordea branch.
  • Keep your card as safely as you keep your cash. Do not leave it unattended in a car, on a restaurant table, or in your office or hotel room.
  • Always check the total sum before you sign a sales receipt.
  • You can follow your card use by comparing the sales receipts with your account statement or credit card invoice.
  • Check regularly that you have not lost your card.
  • If your card is lost or stolen, report the incident right away to the card blocking service by calling +358 20 333. If you detect any card transactions in your account that you don´t recognise, please read our instructions for making a card complaint.

Personal customers   

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