Credit cards have created a buzz in the personal finance arena. People no longer have to wait for their salary to book flight tickets for a vacation, buy an expensive gift for their spouse, or buy the latest iPhone. All this and more can be done with just a swipe of the credit card. What’s more, the bills for the best credit card need to be paid only by the end of the billing cycle, and huge expenses on the card can be broken down into pocket-friendly EMIs. In short, credit cards take away the burden of stashing up cash in the wallet.
Wondering how these cards are protected from misuse? It is through the credit card PIN that the user must have to operate the card. Read on to find out more about credit card PINs, and the safety key to your credit card.
What is a Credit Card PIN?
While earlier, swiping was the most popular way of using a credit card to make payments, it has swiftly been replaced with other methods like inserting the card or ‘dipping’ as it is commonly called, or even just tapping it to make a payment. All these technological changes have contributed to making card payments safer.
Credit Card PINs are also a leap in securing card payments against cybercrimes. They are a four-digit code used as a personal identification number that the cardholders use while making payments from the card. The credit card PIN eliminates the chances of credit card number theft at the point of sale, making them less susceptible to misuse.
When is the Credit Card Pin Generated?
The credit card-issuing bank generates a PIN for every new or existing credit cardholder. The credit cardholder has the freedom to choose the PIN while signing up or at any other time he wishes to change the PIN.
5 Easy Steps to Generate a PIN for a Credit Card
There are several ways to generate a credit card pin and using the bank’s website is the most convenient option. Here’s how to do it:
STEP 1. Visit the webpage or mobile app of the card-issuing bank. Click on the ‘generate credit card pin instantly’ option.
STEP 2. Select ‘credit card’ from the options displayed on the page.
STEP 3. Provide the following details:
- Card number
- Select the expiry date of the card
- Enter the 3-digit CVV/CVC number given on the signature panel on the reverse side of the credit card.
STEP 4. Type the new PIN you want for your credit card and re-enter it for a double-check.
STEP 5. Read through all the details entered and confirm the same.
Alternate ways to Generate a Credit Card PIN
- Through internet banking: If the cardholder has net banking access on his credit card, he can log on to the net banking page of the bank using the Customer ID and Password. Select the ‘credit card’ option and click on the ‘Change or Create 6-Digit chip credit card / ATM PIN’ from the menu. Enter and confirm the details and the PIN is generated.
- Through mobile app: You can install the mobile application of the card-issuing bank on the mobile phone and log on to it. Select the ‘credit card’ option given in the list and click on ‘service request’. Next, select the ‘Regenerate PIN’ option. Type in the relevant information like the credit card number, the card’s expiry date, etc. Enter the PIN you want for your credit card and confirm it.
- Through customer care: Alternatively, call up the customer care department of the card-issuing bank to generate the credit card PIN. Proceed with the instructions given through the IVR. Keep details like Customer Relationship Number (CRN) and T-PIN ready. Give the details when asked, and follow the instructions to generate the PIN. While generating the PIN for a new card, the customer needs to call from the registered mobile number only. For a PIN change, the call can be made from any number but the old PIN will be asked for validation.
Things to Know About PIN Generation
- Cardholders can generate a PIN for their credit card only if the card is active.
- If the card is blocked, the cardholders need to first unblock the card and only then can generate a PIN for it.
- Credit cardholders whose cards have been permanently blocked by the bank cannot get a new PIN generated on them.
- If a cardholder enters the card details wrong thrice consecutively, the card’s PIN gets blocked. In such a case, the cardholder has to select the option ‘Request for Physical PIN’ to get the card unblocked.
Cardholders can use these easy methods to generate a new PIN for their credit card. It is advisable not to share the credit card PIN with even your kith and kin to keep you safe and avoid unwanted credit card charges because of misuse.
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