What to do if you forgot your card PIN

What a PIN code is for

PIN stands for Personal Identification Number. As a rule, it is a 4-digit value. It is necessary to identify the cardholder. Only the owner should know their PIN code. This condition prevents bank card compromise and keeps funds secure.

What to do if you forget your PIN code

Today, banks strive to increase the security of using their products, including bank cards. If a user forgets or loses their PIN code, several solutions are available. 

A PIN code is forgotten not only when the card is unused for a long time. In some cases, such information simply slips from your mind for inexplicable reasons.

A PIN code is extremely confidential information. No one should know it—neither a bank employee nor someone sitting at a computer in the main office. Such information is known exclusively to the owner. Most of the time, when a banking product is created, it is not saved automatically. It is only contained in the card envelope given to the owner along with the plastic card. 

Today, envelopes are not always used. Often, recipients are invited to set a password themselves. Trying to clarify the password with bank managers is pointless, just like looking for tools to remind you of it. 

Note that the password is not stored on the bank's website, in your online account, or in the mobile app. If a client forgets it, they have only two ways to solve this problem: block the bank card permanently or try to remember the information.

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Can a PIN code be recovered?

Often, a bank card password is set automatically using special software. Years ago, banks used envelopes containing the card with the PIN code hidden under a protective layer. The inner side of the envelope only displayed the combination used to activate the card account directly at the bank.

Credit institution employees never assign PIN codes directly, so this information cannot be recovered. You can obtain a new code for further use of the banking product. This approach complies with the main security and confidentiality requirements during card production and use. 

The PIN code and other confidential information can only be known to the cardholder. If such data is disclosed, the bank disclaims responsibility for the safety and security of the funds in the client's account.

Recovery via online banking or the mobile app

In some cases, you can recover your PIN code to use the card by logging into online banking or using the mobile app. These options do not require knowing the current card code. The main requirement is to have your phone or access to the web version of online banking. The phone is needed to confirm the PIN change.

To change the PIN, log into your personal account and select the card. Then go to settings. After receiving the new combination via online banking, you must confirm this action. To activate the changes, you need to perform any transaction at an ATM. It is not necessary to withdraw money; you can simply check your card balance or transfer a few rubles to a mobile phone account.

Getting a PIN code by phone

Some banks allow clients to recover their PIN code by phone. Special hotlines are available for clients to obtain a code for their plastic card. 

Bank employees are not authorized to request confidential information from clients. The PIN change is performed automatically using an auto-attendant. If users encounter any difficulties, they should call their bank's hotline for advice.

Asking employees to recover a forgotten PIN code is pointless. They do not have access to this information and can only provide advice on the matter and suggest how to solve the specific problem.

Getting a PIN code by visiting the bank

If the methods described above are not suitable for the client, they should seek help at the bank. The only exceptions are cases where the institution has no branches of its own or is located abroad.

To obtain a new PIN code, the client must visit the institution along with the card and an identity document. Depending on the specific financial institution serving the person, the recovery algorithm may vary. In some cases, employees may recommend reissuing the card. 

Most often, bank employees help the client set a temporary PIN using a special terminal. The entire process takes no more than 5 minutes. Afterward, the owner can use their card independently and change the temporary PIN to a permanent one.

What to do if you forgot your PIN code and the bank blocked the card

If a client enters the incorrect code 3 times in a row, the bank will block the card. This is a fraud-prevention mechanism to prevent unauthorized access to someone else's funds through guessing.

After this, the card is not unblocked automatically within 24 hours. The client will have to contact the bank in person and verify their identity. In addition, the ATM may retain the card. In this case, the client should find the hotline number on the ATM body, call it, and explain the problem to the operator. The consultant will advise how to get the card back. Most of the time, this requires filing an application for card return or reissue. It is impossible to retrieve the card from the ATM yourself. After 3 incorrect password attempts, the card is immediately dropped into the bin, from which it is retrieved by cash-in-transit personnel and other ATM maintenance staff.

How to find out your PIN code on your own

A client cannot always visit the bank or log into their online account to recover a PIN code. In this case, you should use memory stimulation techniques:

1. You can try going through all possible password options that come to mind and writing them down on paper. After that, engage in sports or physical activity. During this switch, your subconscious will try to solve the mental task in the background. Perhaps after a few hours or days, the PIN code will pop into your head.
2. You can try projecting the situation. Imagine that you are standing at an ATM and want to withdraw cash. Immersing yourself in the past can activate your memory.
3. If you set the PIN code yourself, try to retrace your thought process. Think about what you might have used as a password. Consider the passwords you use most often. These could be historical dates, children's birthdays, or home addresses.

All credit institutions insist that you should not use overly simple passwords, such as your own birth date or the last digits of your mobile phone. It is also not recommended to use the same password for all cards.

How to choose a memorable PIN code

This problem is much easier to prevent than to resolve later. There are several ways to stop forgetting your passwords.

1. Используйте для генерации паролей специальные программы – менеджер паролей. Данные хранятся в облаке. Для доступа к ПИН-коду потребуется только один пароль.
2. Старайтесь всегда изменять PIN-коды, которые выдает банк. Запомнить их довольно тяжело, поскольку этот набор цифр ни с чем не ассоциируется. Лучше сменить подобный код на собственный. Это должны быть цифры, которые обозначают для вас нечто важное.
3. Записывайте пароли от карт на бумаге. Это может быть блокнот, который будет храниться дома в укромном месте.

Чтобы избежать компрометации банковской карты, старайтесь не носить пароль от нее в кошельке вместе с банковским продуктом. Так, в случае кражи вашего кошелька, мошенники сразу получат доступ к денежным средствам.

How you can use your card if you forgot your PIN code

Воспользоваться средствами с банковской карты можно и без ПИН-кода, если по карте предусмотрена возможность бесконтактных платежей. Сейчас максимальная сумма покупки для карты без ввода ПИН составляет 3 тысячи рублей. Расплачиваться ей можно и по-другому, например, при помощи приложения на телефоне. В этом случае, Face-ID или сканер отпечатков пальцев выступает в качестве замены ввода кода.