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Activate card without ATM

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  • 31-03-2020 9:00am
    #1
    fisher
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭


    How can I activate my replacement VISA Debit card without using an ATM? It seems to me that using an ATM that hundreds of other people have been using is a bad idea at the moment.


    This card is only ever used for online transactions (bills etc.). It is a replacement card as the old one is about to expire.

    Thanks!


Comments

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    #2
    Xertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭Xertz


    Activate it at the ATM.

    1) bring an envelope to put the card in.
    2) use ATM to activate and return to envelope, not your wallet.
    3) sanitise hands carefully afterwards (and wear disposable gloves if you have them which you remove carefully and put in bin)
    4) Store the card away from your wallet for a couple of days and it should be fairly free of any potential viruses.

    Alternatively, if you’ve alcohol wipes just clean the card, and avoid the chip.

    I wouldn’t suggest washing a chip and pin card with water as it can cause issues with the chip.

    Ideally the banks should be able to remotely activate these cards without any ATM step.

    Also it would be great if BOI could get Apple Pay and Google Pay rolled out. Avoids a lot of contact.


  • Options
    #3
    Bank of Ireland: Aisling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 487 ✭✭Bank of Ireland: Aisling


    Hi Fisher, 


    Thanks for getting in touch with us here on Boards.ie. 

    Generally, a card would need to be activated at an ATM machine either with a cash withdrawal or a balance check if you are doing so at a BOI ATM. 

    If this is not possible for you at the moment, you can certainly get in touch with our Customer Service Team by phone on 0818 365 365, and one of my colleagues will be more than happy to look into this further for you and help as best we can.  The team are available Monday to Friday 9 am - 5 pm. 

    Thanks, Aisling


  • Options
    #4
    silver2020
    Registered Users Posts: 2,045 ✭✭✭silver2020


    If you read WHO details on how long a virus lasts in real life conditions rather than the scaremongering bs of the gutter media, you will feel safer.

    In "laboratory" conditions, the virus can last a couple of days on some surfaces. In the laboratory conditions the virus does not come into contact with anything else such as the atmosphere or actually hitting a surface.

    The virus also disintegrated in the laboratory tests and whilst it was distinguishable up to 2 days on some surfaces, it had zero efficacy after a short period as it needs to be intact to be viable.

    In real life, you are talking minutes.

    Remember there are many many viruses that have been going around for years and it would be extremely rare to pick one up using a bank card.

    Using basic precautions I would personally have zero concerns using an atm       


  • Options
    #5
    Xertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭Xertz


    Basically just minimise contact with the ATM buttons and use a hand sanitiser. 

    The primary route of infection is touching droplets and transferring them to your own face - route of entry is typically through your nose, eyes or mouth.

    So, basically don't touch your face, scratch your nose, rub your eyes or anything like that and wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser as soon as you can after using the ATM or being out and about generally. The keypad on an ATM is slightly higher risk, but probably not very high risk, simply because a lot of people will have touched it.

    I would suggest keeping the ATM card out of your general wallet. They're fairly clean but, if you want to be extremely careful, just leave it in a dry place when not in use.

    Once any droplets dry up, the virus can't really survive very long on a hard surface. It's a virus, not a bacteria so basically can't exist for very long without invading a cell and making use of it.

    If you have access to alcohol wipes (available in bulk at SuperValu I noticed) they are extremely handy and effective for wiping plastic / other hard surfaces.


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