How to Block or Enable Online Payments for Your Bank Card
Would you like to shop online, but keep your card safely switched off the rest of the time? Your banking app has a handy switch just for that. This switch turns online payments for your card on or off — completely separate from how much money you are allowed to spend overall, and separate from blocking your whole card. In this guide we will walk through every step calmly, together. You cannot break anything here — go ahead and try it.
What is this feature, and what is it good for?
Your bank card can be used in two ways. First, in person, meaning in a shop or at a cash machine. Second, online, meaning at internet shops, where you type in your card details. The feature in this guide affects only the second kind — payments made online.
If you switch this off, you can still pay normally in shops with your card, and you can still withdraw cash at a cash machine. Only online shop payments will then be refused. This is a real safeguard: if someone steals your card details, for example through an online scam, they still cannot make an online payment with your card while this switch is off.
The best way to use this feature: leave it switched off in everyday life. Turn it on only briefly, right when you actually want to buy something online. Afterwards, switch it off again. This way your card stays extra well protected most of the time.
Important: this is not the same as a spending limit, where you set an amount you can spend per day. And it is also not the same as fully blocking your card, where the whole card stops working. This guide is only about turning online payments on and off.
How to turn online payments on, step by step
- Tap the icon of your bank's app on the screen. An icon is a small colourful picture with your bank's logo.
- Log in by entering your access code — that is your personal password for the app.
- Look for the Cards section in the app. It is often marked with a small picture of a bank card.
- Tap on this Cards section.
- Tap on your own card, usually shown as a small picture of the card with the last four digits.
- On this page, look for Card settings. It is often marked with a small gear-shaped icon.
- Tap on Card settings.
- Look for the entry called Online payments or Internet payments. It usually looks like a small slider, a long button you can tap.
- Tap this slider to switch it on. It usually turns green and slides to the right.
- Confirm the change if the app asks you to — usually by simply tapping Confirm.
Online payments are now switched on for your card. You can now shop online calmly.
After shopping: switch it off again
As soon as you have finished shopping, it is best to go straight back into the app and switch online payments off again. It only takes a few seconds.
- Open the Cards section in the app again.
- Tap on your card again.
- Open Card settings again.
- Tap the same slider next to Online payments to switch it off. It usually turns grey and slides to the left.
Done. Your card is now extra well protected against misuse on the internet again, while you can still pay normally in shops and at cash machines.
What to do if something goes wrong
If a screen looks different from what is described here, that is not a problem. Every bank designs its app a little differently. Go slowly, and look for similar words such as "Card", "Settings" or "Online".
Can't find the switch at all? Then call your bank calmly and ask. Use the phone number printed on the back of your bank card.
Very important for protection against fraud: sometimes scammers call and pretend to be your bank. They might say: "Good day, this is your bank. Your card has been misused online. For your security, we now need to activate online payments together, please read me the code shown in your app." This is always a scam. Your bank will never ask you over the phone to change a setting or read out a code. In such a case, hang up immediately. Then call your bank yourself — only using the number on your card, never a number the caller gave you.
Summary — your checklist
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