Strong Customer Authentication
Making online card payments more secure, for extra protection against fraud
What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?
How to set up a Visa Secure password
Choosing a secure Visa Secure password
How to check and update your UK mobile number
Joint accounts and additional cardholders
What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a new set of rules changing how you confirm your identity when making card purchases online. It’s designed to add an extra layer of protection against fraud. You may know this as Verified by Visa. Visa Secure is the new name for Verified by Visa.
To verify that it’s you when using your credit or debit card for online purchases, we may ask you for some additional authentication information.
Before a payment is approved at the checkout, you may be asked to enter:
- Your full Visa Secure password
- A one-time passcode that we will send to your UK mobile number via text message.
We’ll send each unique, one-time passcode to the mobile number that is registered on your smile account— so it's important we have a mobile number registered for you, and that this number is kept up-to-date.
If either the Visa Secure password or one-time passcode is incorrect at checkout, then in line with SCA security enhancements, the payment will not be authorised.
Why do I need to use Strong Customer Authentication?
Strong Customer Authentication is a regulatory requirement that has been introduced to help protect customers from fraud.
It has also been enforced in Europe under the Payments Services Directive (PSD2).
How to set up a Visa Secure password
You’ll need to set up a Visa Secure password to use your card online.
- For debit cards please call us on 03457 212 212.
- For credit cards please call us on 0345 600 6000.
Our phone lines are open 8am - 6pm from Monday to Friday and 9am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Call charges apply. Or you can do this by visiting us in branch.
Choosing a secure Visa Secure password
Your Visa Secure password will need to be:
- Between 6 and 24 characters, without spaces.
To make your Visa Secure password as strong as possible, you should use:
- Lowercase and uppercase letters
- Numbers
- Special characters.
Please note: the characters £ ^ ~ ¬ cannot be used.
Below are some helpful tips you can follow to create a secure password:
Don’t include personal information
Ensure that your password doesn’t include any information that could be used to identify you.
Avoid sequential numbers and letters
Sequential characters are typically easier for fraudsters to guess.
Avoid common combinations of words
If you do use full words in your password, ensure that they are not personal to you, and have no common association.
Password safety tips
Keeping your passwords safe is just as important as making sure they are secure. Here are some tips on password safety:
- Never share your Visa Secure password or one-time passcodes with anyone - not even us
- Don’t write your password down anywhere as it could end up in the wrong hands
- If you need to make note of your password, consider using an online password vault or safe instead
- Don’t recycle your passwords – use a unique password for each account.
How to check and update your UK mobile number
The easiest way to update your mobile number is through our mobile app or online banking services. You will need to be registered for online banking in order to access both.
When you update your mobile number, we’ll send a verification code to the mobile number that is currently registered on your account, not your new number, to ensure that it’s you making the change.
Update your number in our mobile app
Log into the app, and:
1. Tap 'More' in the bottom right corner while you're on the main accounts screen
2. Tap 'My settings and details'
3. Tap 'Personal details'
4. Tap 'Edit' on the mobile number you'd like to update
5. Once updated, tap 'Save'.
We'll ask you to verify the change by using your fingerprint, passnumber, or Face ID.
Update your number in online banking
Log in to online banking, and:
- Click 'My details' from the main menu
- Click 'Phone numbers' and follow the on-screen instructions
- Enter your password and we will send you a verification code via text message or email – if you select the text message option, we'll send the code to the existing number we have, not your new number.
Call or visit us in branch
You can also check and update your mobile number by visiting us in branch or calling us on 03457 212 212.
Our phone lines are open 8am - 6pm from Monday to Friday and 9am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Call charges apply.
Updating your details on a joint account
If you have a joint smile account, you and the other account holder will both need to set up a Visa Secure password and ensure that we have your current UK mobile numbers.
Updating the details of an additional credit cardholder
If you have an additional cardholder on your smile credit card account, as the main cardholder, you will need to set up a Visa Secure password on their behalf and ensure we have their current UK mobile number.
You can provide their details by:
- Calling us on 0345 600 6000. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm. Call charges apply.