EDB and Handelsbanken launch blocking service for payment cards

Oslo - Handelsbanken’s customers will be the first card users in Norway to use a new geographic blocking service. With just a few keystrokes on their Internet banking connection, customers will be able to protect their cards against the most common forms of fraud.

“We place great emphasis on protecting our customers against card fraud. The new solution that we are launching allows customers to choose the geographic areas in which their card can be used, either through internet banking or by contacting us directly. For example, someone who never visits Australia or South America does not need to have their card valid for use in these regions”, explains Sigbjørn Hoff, Head of Card Services at Handelsbanken. Sigbjørn Hoff goes on to point out that Norwegian cardholders are already well protected if they take normal care when using their cards, and do not suffer any loss if they are affected by card fraud.

“The majority of card frauds take place when people are travelling abroad. However, this kind of fraudulent transaction does not necessarily take place in the country or region where the customer has used the card, and can instead take place from a quite different location. By limiting the geographic locations in which the card is valid, a card user can avoid the unpleasant experience of card fraud”, comments Wiljar Nesse, Executive Vice President - Bank & Finance at EDB.

Solution from EDB
The new regional blocking service, developed by EDB in collaboration with Handelsbanken, makes it possible for customers to use their Internet banking account to manage the geographic areas in which they want their Visa and MasterCard to be valid. You can select the regions of the world for which you want your card to be valid by logging into the service and ticking the choices displayed on the menu. You can also use the menu to unlock a new region before you travel there, and if you forget to do this before you travel you can still make this change by contacting your bank directly. In the first instance, the solution will be available only for customers of Handelsbanken, but EDB expects most banks in Norway to launch this kind of service in the near future.

“Card fraud is a major problem both in Norway and internationally. We therefore think that this solution has great potential since it can help banks to make big reductions in fraud losses, and it helps them to protect their customers from fraud. The blocking service will also be available using mobile banking and SMS banking. We intend to introduce additional functionality in due course, including the ability to block/unblock cards for use on the Internet”, adds Wiljar Nesse.

Over the course of June
“The card blocking service will become available for all our customers over the course of June”, comments Sigbjørn Hoff. This means that it will be possible to block your card for the regions that you do not intend to visit before the summer holidays get underway.

About Handelsbanken
Handelsbanken is best described as ’the largest local bank in the Nordic countries’. The bank has a presence in a number of countries, and operates 700 branch offices in total. At Handelsbanken, the branch is the bank. We know the area in which we operate, and we are where our customers are.

About EDB
EDB Business Partner is one of the leading IT groups in the Nordic region. The company offers solutions for the full range of business-critical IT services. EDB aims to be a close and attentive partner that leverages its deep industry knowledge and international capabilities to help its customers realise the full potential of IT. The company has local presence in 13 countries, 6,200 employees and an annual turnover of around NOK 8 billion. EDB Business Partner is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.