What is the Visa Debit card?

The Visa Debit card is a next-generation debit card that is replacing the Maestro® card. Just like the Maestro® card, the Visa Debit card lets you manage your day-to-day spending, because each purchase is debited directly from your account. You can use it for in-store purchases in Switzerland and abroad and to withdraw cash from ATMs around the world (except in countries subject to sanctions or embargoes). Unlike the Maestro® card, however, you can use it to pay for online purchases.

On what date will I receive my new Visa Debit card?

BCV is going to gradually replace the Maestro® cards with Visa Debit cards. Cards that expire in December 2022 will be replaced between September and November 2022. Cards that expire later (December 2023 and December 2024) will be replaced in 2023.

Can I order a Visa Debit card to replace my Maestro card?  

Yes, but you should be aware that BCV is going to gradually replace all of its customers’ Maestro® cards with Visa Debit cards, free of charge. Why is the Maestro card being replaced with the Visa Debit card?If you wish to get the Visa Debit card sooner, you will be charged CHF 40.

Why is the Maestro card being replaced with the Visa Debit card?

The Visa Debit card is a next-generation card. It offers new features and can be used to pay for online purchases securely.

When I get my new Visa Debit card, will it have the same personalized settings as my Maestro card (limits, PIN, contactless payment function deactivated)?

Yes, this information will be transferred.

How was the design chosen for the Visa Debit card?

We ran a survey, submitting five different designs for the new Visa Debit card to around 600 customers.
Most respondents agreed that the selected design evokes Vaud Canton and conveys the close relationship between BCV and the people of Vaud. The new card shows Vaud Canton in dark green against a light green background, together with nine points of light - like a constellation - representing BCV’s nine regions.

Does the Visa logo mean that this is a credit card?

No, your new card is a debit card (just like the Maestro® card). Your payments will be debited directly from your account.

What features does the Visa Debit card offer that the Maestro® card did not have?

With the Visa Debit card, you can:

• make online purchases
• make online purchases from the same merchant easier by saving your card number on the merchant’s website or in its app (e.g., Swiss railway app)
• pay for monthly subscriptions (such as Netflix)
• make online bookings (e.g., hotel and car rental) by paying for them in advance or by using the debit card as a payment guarantee. Because that will reduce the amount available in your account, a credit card may be preferable for these types of payments.

Outside the Eurozone, the daily limit is CHF 3,000 (versus CHF 300 with the Maestro® card).

New features for customizing your card are available on BCV Mobile: activating and deactivating the “contactless payment” and “online merchant transaction” features, and changing the 3-D Secure password.

The other features of the Visa Debit card are the same as with the Maestro® card.

Have the general conditions changed?

The general conditions were updated and now contain contractual provisions on the new features offered by the Visa Debit card. Visa Debit Card Terms and Conditions of Use 

Conditions d’utilisation de la carte Visa Debit (250,1 kB)

Are the fees for the Visa Debit card the same as they were for the Maestro® card?

Yes, the fees have not changed. No fee is charged for online payments (which were not possible with the Maestro® card) unless the payments are made on foreign websites in a foreign currency (CHF 1 per transaction).

There is no space for a signature on the Visa Debit card. Why not?

That’s because signatures are no longer sufficient for security purposes. In-store transactions are now processed through payment terminals, and PIN codes are used to ensure your transactions are secure.

What are the limits on Visa Debit cards?

The standard daily and monthly limit on Visa Debit cards is CHF 5,000, which is the same as on the Maestro® card. You can change these two limits yourself in BCV Mobile (go to More and then Cards) or by contacting BCV. The daily limit on the Visa Debit card outside the eurozone is CHF 3,000 and cannot be changed.

How do I change the limit on my Visa Debit card?

You can change the limit on your Visa Debit card yourself in BCV Mobile (go to More and then Cards), or you can contact your advisor or our customer service team.

Can I make payments outside Switzerland with the Visa Debit card ?

Yes, you can use the Visa Debit card to make payments outside Switzerland and to withdraw cash from ATMs around the clock. The default daily and monthly limits in the eurozone are CHF 5,000 per day and CHF 5,000 month.

For security reasons, your card’s daily limit outside Switzerland and the eurozone is CHF 3,000. This is the maximum amount you can withdraw from ATMs or pay for purchases with a Visa Debit card on any given day.

When you go outside Switzerland, we recommend you take a credit card in addition to your Visa Debit card for reservations and travel purposes.

How do I activate the contactless payment function when I get my Visa Debit card at home?

For security reasons, the contactless payment function is deactivated when your Visa Debit card is sent to you by mail.

To activate it, you must simply make an in-store payment by inserting the card into the payment terminal and entering your PIN, or make a withdrawal from an ATM. Please note that changing the PIN code on your card does not automatically activate the contactless payment function.

How do I deactivate the contactless payment function?

You can deactivate the contactless payment function in BCV Mobile (go to More and then Cards) or by contacting us.

What is the purpose of the multi-account function?

With the multi-account function, you can use a single card at a BCV ATM to view several of your BCV accounts and withdraw money from any of them.

How do I activate the multi-account function?

You have to contact us to do this.

What do I need to do to make online purchases with my Visa Debit card?

1. Activate 3-D Secure
To activate 3-D Secure in BCV Mobile:

• go to More and then Cards
• under the Visa Debit card icon, click on “Activate 3-D Secure”
• enter and confirm a six-digit password for 3-D Secure, which you will need to enter when making online payments
• for better security and to simplify the process of authorizing purchases in the future, you can link your 3-D Secure password to your phone’s fingerprint ID or facial recognition function.

2. When it comes time to pay, all you need to do is enter the 16 digits that appear on the back of your card, the expiration date and the card verification code (CVC).
If a merchant does not offer “debit card” as a payment option, simply select “credit card” or “Visa card.” The transaction will be processed as a debit card payment.

3. Authorize your payments with 3-D Secure
Some online merchants require payment payment approval. If so, you will receive a payment approval request on your smartphone via push notification. To confirm payment, you simply have to click on the alert.
If you do not receive the push notification, you can see whether 3-D Secure verification is in process by clicking on the card icon located at the top of the home screen.

Are online payments made with a Visa Debit card secure?

Online purchases are secured in two ways: with 3-D Secure and with a powerful, automatic fraud-detection system.
For security reasons, if you want to be able to make online payments, you must first activate 3-D Secure: in BCV Mobile, go to More and then Cards, click on the Activate 3-D Secure button below the Visa Debit card icon, and then follow the instructions. This process will take only a few seconds.
When making a purchase from an online merchant that uses 3-D Secure, you will receive a push notification when you need to confirm a payment.
You can deactivate and reactivate the online purchase function at any time in BCV Mobile (go to More and then Cards).

What is 3-D Secure?

3-D Secure is a security standard for online payments.
It assesses the risks before you make an online purchase. If an additional step is required to authenticate your identity when making an online payment, you will have to confirm the payment in BCV Mobile.
3-D Secure increases the level of security for you and the merchant.

How does 3-D Secure work?

When it comes time to approve a Visa Debit card payment on a website that uses 3-D Secure, you will receive a push notification on BCV Mobile asking you to confirm the purchase.
If you do not receive the notification, you can open BCV Mobile and click on the card icon in the upper right corner of the home screen. There you will see whether a 3-D Secure payment approval request has been made.
Not all online merchants use 3-D Secure.

I didn't receive a push notification to confirm my online purchase. What should I do?

• See whether your smartphone has a network signal.
• Make sure it is not in airplane mode.
• If you are outside Switzerland and not connected to a WiFi network, make sure you have enabled data roaming.
• Check to see if there is a 3-D Secure payment approval request (click on the card icon in the upper right corner of the BCV Mobile home screen).
• You may need to wait a few minutes for the approval request to arrive.

If you make repeat purchases from the same online merchant, your payment habits may be recognized. If so, you may not always have to confirm such payments separately.

Not all online merchants use 3-D Secure.

What if I forget my 3-D Secure password?

You can change your 3-D Secure password in BCV Mobile:

• go to More and then Cards
• click on the settings (gear) icon below the Visa Debit card
• in the “Online merchant transaction” section, click on Change your password
• you will be asked to enter a new 3-D Secure password, which will replace the old one.
  

Is 3-D Secure required to make online payments?

Not all online purchases require additional approval through BCV Mobile. That depends on the merchant, the amount, and the cardholder’s purchasing habits.
Here are some reasons why 3-D Secure may not be used:

• The merchant does not use 3-D Secure.
• If you make repeat purchases from the same online merchant, your payment habits may be recognized. That way you will not have to confirm such payments separately.

But in order to use your card with all online merchants, you must activate 3-D Secure when your get your Visa Debit card.

What happens with 3-D Secure if I get a new smartphone?

3-D Secure is paired with a given device. So if you get a new smartphone, you will have to re-register for 3-D Secure with your new device (this will automatically deactivate 3-D Secure on your old one).

I can't activate 3-D Secure because my card does not show up in the Cards section of BCV Mobile. What should I do?

Make sure you have the latest, updated version of BCV Mobile on your smartphone. 

Can I add my Visa Debit card to my digital wallet (e.g., TWINT, Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay)?

No, Visa Debit cards cannot be saved in digital wallets. TWINT is already directly linked to the customer’s account and can be used to make in-store and online purchases in Switzerland. 

What are the main differences between the Visa Debit card and a credit card?

The features of the Visa Debit card are similar to those of a credit card. However, unlike with a credit card, all payments - whether in-store or online - are immediately debited from your account.

Do I still need a credit card?

It still makes sense to have a credit card alongside your Visa Debit card, for several reasons:

• A credit card is better for making a travel-related booking (for a hotel room, a rental car, etc.), because the amount reserved will not be debited immediately from your account. If you pay with your Visa Debit card, on the other hand, the amount will be debited from your account immediately, which will automatically reduce the amount available on your card.
• The daily Visa Debit card limit outside the eurozone is CHF 3,000. If that is not sufficient, you’ll need to use a credit card.
• The credit cards offered by BCV (Silver Visa/Mastercard®, Gold Visa/Mastercard®, and the Visa Platinum) come with different kinds of insurance, depending on the type of card.
• With a BCV credit card, you can also participate in our surprize loyalty program, which gives you access to special offers and bonuses.
  

Which should I choose: a Visa Debit card, credit card, or prepaid card?

The new Visa Debit card is perfect for all day-to-day purchases, whether in-store or online.
A credit card is good to have alongside the Visa Debit card, especially for travel expenses and major purchases. The transactions are invoiced at the end of the month, and you can pay off that balance in installments. 
Because you can add money to prepaid cards, they come in handy in certain circumstances.

How do I block a lost or stolen card?

En cas de perte ou de vol de votre carte Visa Debit, bloquez-la immediatement:

• If your card is lost or stolen, be sure to block it immediately: in BCV Mobile, go to More and then Cards, or
• contact BCV