Oslo, Sweden-based Handelsbanken has partnered with EDB Business Partner to launch a regional card blocking service in Norway. Cardholder can log into the service and tick the choices displayed on the menu. If a cardholder wants to select a region he is travelling to, he can do so online or by contacting the bank directly.
The bank said that 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.
Sigbjørn Hoff, Head of Card Services at Handelsbanken, said: “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.”
Wiljar Nesse, Executive Vice President, bank and finance, EDB, said: “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.”
