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If your card is not working

Unable to pay with your credit card online? Your credit card doesn't work at payment terminals? If you’re unable to pay with your debit or credit card, the problem can often be fixed quickly by editing your card settings. On this page we have compiled instructions and tips that you should try when your card doesn’t work at a payment terminal, at an ATM or online.

How to solve problems with your card

If you’re unable to pay with your credit card online or your debit card is not working at a store checkout, you can change your card settings easily and quickly yourself. Check out our tips and instructions!

Check the available balance on your account and credit 

  1. Check the balance of your bank or credit account. You can see your card information in mobile bank and Netbank. You can also check the balance of your bank account or credit transactions at an ATM. A fee will be charged for a balance query made at an ATM; see our tariff.
  2. The spending limit of a parallel credit card determines how much credit the parallel card holder can use during an invoicing period. The principal cardholder can agree on raising the spending limit by calling Nordea Customer Service and identifying themselves with their access codes, or through the chat in mobile bank or Netbank. As for the balance on your credit card, note that a repayment of the credit may take a few days before it is shown on the account.

Check the geographical usage area of your card

  1. Check the usage area of your payment card in mobile bank or Netbank. The use of all new cards will automatically be restricted to Europe.
  2. If you have a combination card, the usage area is applied to the credit facility and debit feature of your card.
  3. Changing the usage area is free of charge. You can change your usage area yourself in Netbank or mobile bank or in the OmaLuotto service.

Check that you have activated online payments.

  1. If you wish to use your card for online purchases, you must activate online payments.
  2. You can change your card's online settings easily and quickly yourself in Nordea’s Netbank or mobile bank. You can make changes free of charge.
You are unable to pay online

Problems with online payments

If you are unable to pay for your online purchases with your card, please check the following:

  • When making card purchases online you need a valid debit or credit card and your personal online banking codes in order to confirm your payments.
  • You need to have enabled online payments with your card. You can enable online payments for your card easily in Netbank or mobile bank.
  • The security code CVV or CVC of your card is changed when your card is renewed. The security code CVV2/CVC2 is near the signature panel on the reverse side of your card. In combination cards there is also a debit card number on the back of the card at the bottom. Beside the card number there is the security code CVV2/CVC2. Check that the security code and the validity period match the data on your valid card.
  • Check in mobile bank or Netbank that the available balance on your bank or credit account is sufficient. Please note than in some cases your payments may show on your account with a few days’ delay.
  • If your online purchase from a US-based merchant did not go through, remove any Scandinavian characters and use “a” and “o”.
  • If none of the tips above helped, disable online payments in mobile bank or Netbank and enable them again.
  • If you have been using Mastercard Identity Check (previously Mastercard Secure Code) or Visa Secure (previously Verified by Visa) code, you can confirm payments with the Nordea Codes app in the future. Read how you can start using the Nordea Codes app in all kinds of situations.
  • The payment may also fail because the merchant does not support strong authentication required for the transaction.

When to contact Nordea Customer Service

  • The PayPal system asks for an extra code: please contact our Customer Service and ask them to send you a PayPal code.

Common online error messages

An error message might look like this: "Session control information missing. Temporary session Cookie usage is required" or "URL not found".

If you see an error message, check the following:

  • That you have accepted the cookies and old cookies have been deleted from the cache memory.
  • That the data protection level is at least medium in your browser’s Internet settings. After this, you should close the browser and try again.
  • If necessary, try to make the purchase again using some other browser.
Your card does not work at payment terminals.
Your card does not work at an ATM

Problems with online payments

If you are unable to pay for your online purchases with your card, please check the following:

  • When making card purchases online you need a valid debit or credit card and your personal online banking codes in order to confirm your payments.
  • You need to have enabled online payments with your card. You can enable online payments for your card easily in Netbank or mobile bank.
  • The security code CVV or CVC of your card is changed when your card is renewed. The security code CVV2/CVC2 is near the signature panel on the reverse side of your card. In combination cards there is also a debit card number on the back of the card at the bottom. Beside the card number there is the security code CVV2/CVC2. Check that the security code and the validity period match the data on your valid card.
  • Check in mobile bank or Netbank that the available balance on your bank or credit account is sufficient. Please note than in some cases your payments may show on your account with a few days’ delay.
  • If your online purchase from a US-based merchant did not go through, remove any Scandinavian characters and use “a” and “o”.
  • If none of the tips above helped, disable online payments in mobile bank or Netbank and enable them again.
  • If you have been using Mastercard Identity Check (previously Mastercard Secure Code) or Visa Secure (previously Verified by Visa) code, you can confirm payments with the Nordea Codes app in the future. Read how you can start using the Nordea Codes app in all kinds of situations.
  • The payment may also fail because the merchant does not support strong authentication required for the transaction.

When to contact Nordea Customer Service

  • The PayPal system asks for an extra code: please contact our Customer Service and ask them to send you a PayPal code.

Common online error messages

An error message might look like this: "Session control information missing. Temporary session Cookie usage is required" or "URL not found".

If you see an error message, check the following:

  • That you have accepted the cookies and old cookies have been deleted from the cache memory.
  • That the data protection level is at least medium in your browser’s Internet settings. After this, you should close the browser and try again.
  • If necessary, try to make the purchase again using some other browser.

If your card is not working at a payment terminal

If your card is not working at a payment terminal, check the following:

  • That the chip is not dirty or the magnetic stripe is not too worn out. You can clean the chip by wiping it with a cloth.
  • Whether you have inserted the card deep enough into the reader.

The reason may also be a technical delay or disturbance in international telecommunications connections which makes the connection slow. If the tips listed above were not useful to you, please contact our Customer Service. 

Start using Google Pay or Apple Pay and make payments by taking your mobile phone close to the contactless payment terminal. It’s like paying with a card – only more convenient. Read more about the mobile payment alternatives.  

If your card is not working at an ATM

If your card is not working at an ATM, check the following:

  • That the chip is not dirty or the magnetic stripe is not too worn out. You can clean the chip by wiping it with a cloth.
  • Whether you have inserted the card deep enough into the reader.
  • If the ATM is out of order, you can call the number displayed on the ATM.
  • If a payment ATM or Otto ATM is out of order, please report the failure in accordance with the instructions provided on the ATM. 
  • If the tips listed above were not useful to you, please contact Nordea Customer Service.

If you card is not working at an ATM abroad:

  • Check the geographical usage area and security limits of your card in Netbank or mobile bank.
  • Does the ATM support chip payments?
  • Is there a Visa or Mastercard logo on the ATM to indicate that it accepts these cards?

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