[Dave Birch] We have a Visa prepaid card. The kids use it when they go to the supermarket to get shopping or if they are buying school supplies and that sort of thing. I logged on to top it up. Luckily, it's easy for me to remember my username and passoword for this because they are on my top secret sticky note next to my screen. I do have problems with the "captcha" code that the site makes you enter, and sometimes it takes me two or three attempts to get in. But I got it right, and looked at my account. Right, the card needs topping up, because no.2 son needs to go to Waitrose to buy ingredients for cooking lesson at school tomorrow. I use my MasterCard to top up, but the transaction is rejected. What!
Then I remember: I've already set up the card payment for later in the week, but in the meantime I put some expensive car servicing on the same card, as well as big airfare for work. Better log on to John Lewis and pay off some of the card. Luckily, I can remember my John Lewis log in because it's on the same sticky note. I select payment, and enter my debit card details (for the Nth time). The system asks me for my "internet security code". I have no idea what it's talking about, I think it means CVV, so I enter the card CVV. Doesn't work. I try another couple of plausible numbers, but they are both wrong, and John Lewis tell me that they are locking me out. I have to waste my time and their money by calling the call centre, which I don't have time to do right now.
Oh well, I'll use my Barclaycard instead. This time I get redirected to a 3D-Secure log in (which John Lewis doesn't appear to use) and am challenged for the first, third and tenth letters of my password. I rack my brains as to what 10-letter password I might have used, and guess wrong. Oh no. I have a sip of coffee and try to think harder. Inspiration! I guess again, and this time it's correct. Phew.
I think that I'd better look at my bank account to double check that the MasterCard bill will be paid tomorrow, so I take my debit card and put it in my Barclays "PIN Sentry" device to get a code to enter log myself in. Why I couldn't use the same PIN Sentry for the Barclaycard 3D-Secure I don't know. And couldn't John Lewis accept home banking log ins as well. Surely they trust Barclays Bank, don't they? While I'm doing this, I go to check the mail and there's a letter about car insurance. I go to the insurance company and try to log in, but I haven't the slightest idea what the username and password I chose last year were, so temporarily give up - I'll call them at the weekend.
Meanwhile, I get an e-mail telling me that my new mobile phone bill is ready and that I can log in to look at it. I need it to fill out my expenses, so I'll go and log in, just as soon as I can remember what my username is. They wouldn't let me have "davebirch", so it's something stupid with some numbers in that I can't picture. It'll come to me in a minute...
Right back to work. Let's think about the next roundtables in the Visa Europe / CSFI series. Now, what is the problem with "identity and financial services" again?
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name;
Robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.
William Shakespeare, Othello (Act 3, Scene 3).
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