Limit increase on Contactless debit cards: We have increased our contactless limits from £30 to £45 for all currencies (Sterling, US Dollar and Euro) on our debit cards. Retailers should be updating their card terminals over the coming weeks to accept the new limit.
Your new Visa debit card will come with contactless technology
Contactless technology is a fast, easy and secure way to pay for goods and services without entering a PIN. The contactless limit, set at a maximum of £45 per transaction in the UK, will vary in other countries. Contactless cards have an embedded antenna in the plastic so that when they are used at a contactless reader they securely transmit purchase information to and from the contactless reader. All you have to do is place your contactless card over the contactless reader to make the payment.
- You can use it wherever you see the contactless symbol displayed.
- You can pay for items under the contactless limit in seconds.
- You can pay for items without needing to enter your PIN.
Is contactless secure?
- Your contactless card comes with built‑in security features.
- We will occasionally ask you to enter your PIN during a contactless transaction just to make sure it’s always you using the card.
- If your card is lost or stolen, we cover any transactions that are made as long as you have taken the correct precautions.
What are the benefits of contactless technology?
- It’s faster and easier than other types of payment.
- You don’t always have to carry cash or worry about looking for exact change when making small value everyday purchases at participating retailers.
- You don’t have to enter your PIN for contactless payments (you may occasionally be asked to enter your PIN as a security measure to verify that you, the authorised cardholder, are still in possession of the card).
- There’s no need to queue for so long; contactless speeds up the time it takes to make a payment.
- You are in control because your card never has to leave your hand when making a payment at the reader.
- You will have a record of all your everyday purchases on your account statement.
Direct access to your money
Visa is accepted at over 35 million outlets worldwide across 200 countries, so you can easily and conveniently access your Gold Bank Account.
There are no charges for cash withdrawals in the same currency as your account. However cash withdrawal limits apply. When you withdraw cash or make a purchase in a different currency to that of your card, we will charge a foreign exchange commission, which will not exceed 3%.
Lost or stolen Visa card
If your card is lost or stolen while travelling
- An emergency card can be delivered within 48 hours by calling Visa. Please note that you won’t be able to use your emergency card at ATMs as these cards don’t have a chip facility
- If your card is lost or stolen at any time, normally you will not be liable for any fraudulent transactions, as long as you tell us as soon as you become aware that your card is missing and you have satisfied certain security requirements
Our charges for the Gold Bank Account
| |
£ |
Euro |
US$ |
| Annual Gold Visa debit card fee |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
| Cash withdrawal charge |
Nil* |
Nil* |
Nil* |
| Monthly fee |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
| SWIFT Payment out via Internet Banking |
20 |
30 |
40 |
| SWIFT & CHAPS Payments out via Telephone Banking |
30 |
45 |
60 |
*We will not charge for cash withdrawals from ATM's in the same currency as your account but foreign banks may levy a charge. When you withdraw cash or make a purchase in a different currency to that of your card, we may charge a foreign exchange commission, which will not exceed 3% of the total withdrawal or purchase amount.
For full details of other charges that may be applied to your account, please refer to our Charges leaflet.
Protection against fraud
We take the security of your accounts very seriously and apply a range of protection measures:
- Our Gold Visa debit card benefits from the Chip and PIN secure card payment systems.
- Verified by Visa adds an additional layer of protection to online purchases made with your Gold Visa debit card. Please click on the Verified by Visa tab to find out more.
- We apply a range of protection measures whenever you communicate your travel plans with us through our Telephone Banking or Online Banking services.
- We also guarantee you against any losses from fraud committed against you while you are using our Online Banking service, as long as you have taken all the necessary safeguards and precautions with your security details.
Click here to download the Gold Bank Account leaflet for international customers.
Click here to download the Gold Bank Account leaflet for Channel Islands and Isle of Man residents.
Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for the Gold Bank Account.
Subject to availability and may be withdrawn without notice. Rates and information correct as at 18 February 2020.
What is Verified by Visa?
Verified by Visa helps ensure that payments are made by the rightful owner of the Visa card, to make online purchases more secure.
How does it work?
When making an online payment using your Santander International Visa card with a retailer that has enabled Verified by Visa;
- A Verified by Visa message box will appear on screen after you have entered your card details.
- The screen will ask you to choose whether you would like to receive your One Time Passcode (OTP) by email or mobile phone (if applicable) – see screen example 1.
- You will then receive your OTP by email or mobile phone.
- Enter your OTP on the Verified by Visa screen, and click ‘submit’ – see screen example 2.
IMPORTANT: do not share your OTP with anyone else, not even a Santander International employee
 |
 |
| Screen example 1 |
Screen example 2 |
Do I need to register for Verified by Visa?
No – all of Santander International Visa cards are automatically registered to give our customers an extra layer of protection when shopping online. However, not all online retailers enable Verified by Visa, so you may not have seen or experienced the screens.
Do I need to provide Visa with my email address and/or mobile phone number?
No – we will provide the Verified by Visa processor with your email address and mobile phone number that we hold on file for you. This information is sent to them securely in line with our data and privacy policy. Please ensure that this information is up-to-date, otherwise there could be a delay when using your card to shop online.
If the online retailer doesn’t use Verified by Visa, is the payment still secure?
Yes – as long as you have taken every precaution to ensure your card details have not been compromised. Verified by Visa provides an additional layer of protection to online purchases.
How do I know if the Verified by Visa screens are genuine?
- You will see details of your online purchase on screen shortly after you enter your card details online.
- You will see the last four digits of your mobile and/or email address.
Please contact us if you have any queries or need help making an online payment.