My bank has sent me a leaflet recommending that I sign up for secure online shopping by registering with MasterCard SecureCode or Verified by Visa. It involves using a password when buying online from participating retailers. I've had to abort at least two online transactions recently because the sites would only accept registered cards, so I'm inclined to sign up, but has anyone come across any problems with registering or using your password?

Yes I signed up to it some months ago & now haven't got a clue what the password is. . Can't use that card for secure online shopping anymore....!

I thnk I signed up for something similar a while ago - only used it once or twice (and I do quite a bit of online shopping). Haven't had any problems with it. I guess it might become more widespread in time?

The problem that I've had is that my husband and I have a joint account for a Mastercard. Unfortunately, this means I can't have my own password; when I tried to sign up the site said Hubby had already registered. Which he did vaguely remember doing, but of course hasn't a clue what password he used!

Fortunately, we also have a Visa Debit card, and I managed to get in there before him, so I can order stuff online with that. The only trouble is, it comes straight from our bank account, so I have to be sure there's enough in there to cover whatever I'm buying.

I haven't had any problems using it though.

I had to sign up to this a few months ago to buy groceries online, and I haven't had any problems with it.

It didn't come in a leaflet from the bank though - at least I didn't see it if it did - iIrc mine started via the site where I shop.

my OH says he can never remember which password he used, so he somehow avoids going through the process, but I can't remember how - I will ask him.

I've been registered for several years, and a lot of online sites I use require this. I'm surprised it's not more widely known about/used.

I've used it and have had no problems.

For remembering your password, one of the features is that you specify a phrase (obviously not your password) that always shows up on the screen when they ask for your details (your security check if you like, so you know who it is asking for your details). You can design your phrase/password such that the phrase is a prompt for the password, but the kind of prompt that would mean nothing to anyone but you.

Ditto!

I signed up ages ago because I couldn't buy train tickets online without doing it. The problem is, the password has to be so obscure that I couldn't ever remember it and it caused me so much hassle - everytime I used the site (which was nearly once a week) I had to call the number given so they could reset it for me. In the end, they offered to cancel it for me, because apparently on the sites were you "have" to sign up to make a payment, there is a little marker somewhere that you can check to opt out. Which I now do everytime.

I can see the value of the security this service offers, but it is so much hassle that I really cannot be bothered with it.

the best part of this scheme is how the site they take you to in order to set up your card looks exactly like a phishing site - it's owned by a tiny company no one has ever heard of, which isn't registered in the UK, it has a generic domain name with no front page, and it asks you to enter far more details than a normal online commerce site would. not to mention that if you have a joint card, you have to share you password with someone else if you want to use it; haven't we spent the last 10 years trying to get people not to share their PIN/password/etc?

i don't know why we spend so much effort trying to educate consumers on how to use their card safely online, and then the banks do something like this. i'm guessing they don't really care about actual security of consumers, but just want to look like they're doing something, however useless it is.

When I can remember my passwords, I find it easy and haven't had any problems . . .I seem to juggle so many passwords and variations on a theme that it is becoming increasingly difficult not to be locked out of every single service I used to find so convenient to do online

Thanks for all your replies everyone - it sounds as if there aren't any problems with it, other than possibly remembering your password, but it helps if you get a prompt. I think I'll register for it as on a couple of occasions I've wasted a lot of time doing my shopping and going through the purchase process, only to have to abort because the retailer won't accept payment without this extra bit of security. Thanks again for the reassurance.

Aha so it was a real site!

I encountered this for the 1st time when ordering pizza. I took one look at the site and thought it was dodgy as I'd never heard of the scheme (don't do much on-line shopping). I had enough cash so didn't fill it in.