Now I know the security things are there for our benefit, but I am getting really p*ssed off with having to use those little card machines to make payments, it is a pain in the arse trying to find the purse to find the card, then find the machine by which time the screen won't let you do it and you have to start again. Now I find you are going to need it to even log on! Can't we opt out of this - I have so little in my account if anyone wanted to get at it they wouldn't get far. I would be willing to take my chances. Is this so wrong?
Are you with Barclays? I have been using one of these little card readers for about 3 years and have always had to use it to log in. It confused me recently though as they used to ask you to enter the last 4 digits of the card but then changed it to 5 without warning.
Whenever I make a payment I ask it to remember the details so that next time you don't need to use the card reader to verify it. I doubt you will be able to opt out though. My sister used to work in the money laundering dept at Barlcays and said the system is almost (maybe is completely) 100% secure.
I have an account with Nationwide, they sent me a card reader yonks ago but I have never used it - I can still log into my account without using the reader, I just have to go through a sign-in and verification process. I can also pay for on-line transactions using it, but I enter the details on the seller's secure website and verify with the screen (rather than going to the bank screen to pay for it) - no need for card reader. Long may it continue!
I only recently discovered on-line banking 4 weeks ago and think it is great. I am with HSBC and don't know what you mean about card machines. I just set up a payment with the sort code, a/c no and reference of the payee, type in what I wish to pay and bingo, all done.
So I am not alone! Wish they would take the bloody thing back. I tried to make an urgent payment on my laptop at work, but couldn't because the card reader was on my desk at home! I then told them I had lost it and needed a new one, so I carry one round with me.
In a recent security test of online banking, Barclays was the only bank to get an "excellent"; all the others were pretty useless - so these little machines are doing a good job!