A Visa Debit Card allows you to debit money from your current account, giving you access to your money 24 hours a day and saves you carrying cash. It will offer you additional benefits, greater convenience, increased security and protection (relative to the Maestro Debit Card). Some of our Visa Debit Cards also have a ‘Contactless’ feature, which will allow you to make Contactless transactions.

A Contactless transaction is a card transaction done without the need to enter your Personal Identification Number (PIN) for low value transactions of £100 or less – ideal for everyday purchases at home and abroad, such as coffee or a newspaper.

Verified by Visa is a fraud prevention service to protect your Bank of Ireland UK debit card when purchasing goods and services online from a retailer participating in the service.

How Verified by Visa currently works

During the purchase of goods/services from participating online retailers, you may be prompted to register for Verified by Visa. You will be asked to input some personal details to confirm your identity. Once this information is verified, you will be asked to create a password, known as your Verified by Visa Password. You must keep your Verified by Visa password secret.

After registering, when you use your card online again with participating retailers, you may be asked to enter your Verified by Visa Password to confirm your identity.

If you forget your Verified by Visa Password you can create a new one by clicking on the ‘Forgot your Password’ link during the shopping process. For security reasons you will be prompted to input some personal details to verify your identity.

From Early 2018

From early 2018 the Verified by Visa service will change. You will no longer need to register for the service as all customers will be registered automatically.

And instead of using a password we will send you a text message as the purchase is going through. This text will contain a One-Time code which you should enter into the Verified by Visa box to confirm your identity.

We will use the mobile number we have for you. If you don’t have a mobile or haven’t registered your number with us, we can send the code to your email address instead.

Entering the code correctly will allow your purchase to go through. If we don’t have either a mobile number or an e-mail for you then you may not always be able to use your debit card for online purchases. You can update your mobile number and e-mail address by telephoning us or visiting a branch.

The service is an extra security feature of your card and is not intended to replace any security obligations in the Terms and Conditions of your Debit Card.

Bank of Ireland UK offers both Credit and Debit cards, and there are differences between the two:

• A Debit Card is linked to a Personal or Business current account. You can use a debit card to buy goods or withdraw cash, and the transaction is generally taken from your account immediately
• A Credit Card is not linked to a Personal or Business current account, and allows you to pay for goods and services, or to withdraw cash, on short-term credit, based on an agreed credit limit, at an agreed rate of interest

Yes, you can use your debit card abroad just like at home. Charges apply for making a debit card payment in a foreign currency and for cash withdrawals in a foreign currency outside the UK with the exception of withdrawals from Bank of Ireland cash machines in Ireland. Please refer to our Personal Current Account Charges Explained brochure.

Further details can be found on our Travel Banking page.

It’s worth knowing that when you use your card abroad, some retailers and cash machines may offer to process your transaction in sterling, rather than the local currency. This is called ‘Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)’ and it may make your transaction more expensive than if you had paid in the local currency.

To dispute a transaction conducted using your credit or debit card please complete the Transaction Dispute Form and send with all relevant information requested to the address on the form.

Please bear with us as our processing of disputed transaction claims are taking longer than usual due to the volumes we are currently receiving. Your patience is appreciated. If you have already made a claim, you don’t need to call us: we will be in touch if we need further information.