My UK bank now asking for a UK mobile number for verifications - I no hab

[Saltire]

I have two credit cards with the co-operative bank, had them for many years.

 

I have kept them in use for online purchases and several times on the line to their customer services I have told them I now live in Thailand. They never raised any issue with that.

 

My cards are registered at my brothers UK address and up to now they have not needed a phone number, but a recent email tells me that without a UK number I won't be able to use the card online.

 

I did a bit of Googling and see there are many companies offering virtual UK numbers, but mainly for business and sales use, and come with fairly expensive monthly charges.

 

Anyone had this issue and can recommend a provider? I don't mind a monthly fee as long as it's cheap.

 

Thanks

 

[tonray]

7 minutes ago, Saltire said:

My cards are registered at my brothers UK address

Why not just use your Brother's UK phone # ?

[Kwasaki]

Said many times on this question my UK bank only has my Thai address and Thai house phone number and my mobile number.

 

Can't you use your Thai mobile number or your brothers mobile number.  

[johng]

6 minutes ago, Saltire said:

My cards are registered at my brothers UK address and up to now they have not needed a phone number, but a recent email tells me that without a UK number I won't be able to use the card online.

If you need  to respond to OTOP /SMS  codes to access banking, ask you brother to send you a UK SIM card   I read that  3  or Gif Gaf  have cheap prices    you will of course have to keep the SIM topped up with credit  and maybe have to  make a call or send a SMS message every once in a while to keep it activated  and turn off international roaming  to keep charges down..SMS will still work.

[johng]

You may also be able to  use a credit/debit card along with a "pin sentry/card reader  for authentication instead of OTOP/SMS  online.

[Saltire]

6 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Said many times on this question my UK bank only has my Thai address and Thai house phone number and my mobile number.

 

Can't you use your Thai mobile number or your brothers mobile number.  

Everything in settings is UK choices only - I can't edit my address to Thailand and it won't accept a Thai number,

 

Not sure my brother would be happy with OTOP/SMS for me coming in at all hours.

 

[Saltire]

4 minutes ago, johng said:

You may also be able to  use a credit/debit card along with a "pin sentry/card reader  for authentication instead of OTOP/SMS  online.

I don't think they offer this and I fear if I told them officially I no longer live in the UK they would cancel my cards. I need them mainly in case of a medical emergency,

[Saltire]

9 minutes ago, johng said:

If you need  to respond to OTOP /SMS  codes to access banking, ask you brother to send you a UK SIM card   I read that  3  or Gif Gaf  have cheap prices    you will of course have to keep the SIM topped up with credit  and maybe have to  make a call or send a SMS message every once in a while to keep it activated  and turn off international roaming  to keep charges down..SMS will still work.

This could be what I need. I will talk to my brother. I would need to buy a cheap phone as well.

[Saltire]

14 minutes ago, tonray said:

Why not just use your Brother's UK phone # ?

He would get the notifications at all hours, he helps me a lot but pretty sure he'd not be happy ????

[Kwasaki]

4 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Everything in settings is UK choices only - I can't edit my address to Thailand and it won't accept a Thai number,

 

Not sure my brother would be happy with OTOP/SMS for me coming in at all hours.

 

Sorry for your problem can you not telephone the manager of the bank,  my bank may an exception for me because I have been with them a long time. 

They have no problem with me living in Thailand. 

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, Saltire said:

This could be what I need. I will talk to my brother. I would need to buy a cheap phone as well.

SIM will be free from Giff Gaff.  £10 credit will last ages, only need to send an SMS (£0.30) once every 6 months to keep it alive.  Incoming SMS's are free.

[Rampant Rabbit]

tellthem youdont  hve a mobile and ask for e mail verification, worked for  me 

[Yorkshire Tea]

9 minutes ago, Saltire said:

This could be what I need. I will talk to my brother. I would need to buy a cheap phone as well.

Why do you need another phone.  Get a giffgaff Sim & put it in the second sim slot, or swap sims if no second slot.

[Johnny Mac]

22 minutes ago, johng said:

and turn off international roaming  to keep charges down..SMS will still work.

Surely you only get charged if you use the SIM, ie text or calls? And wouldn't int roaming roaming be automatically on, if it wasn't then how would it work here?

 

Would also assume the SIM would need to be activated in the UK first?

Edited July 22, 2021 by Johnny Mac

[hotandsticky]

Get a Giff Gaff sim sent to your brother and have him send it on.

 

Despite what Kwasaki says above it is less about any long-standing relationship with the bank (which counts for zip) and more about their technology. Several banks cannot/will not accept an overseas number for OTP's.  I am with 5 UK banks and only HSBC use my Thai number for OTP's.

 

One obvious reason for getting the UK sim is that you have to be (or seen to be) a UK resident to open a bank account in the UK; if the banks extend that principle to existing account holders then those with overseas addresses and contact numbers may become a target. 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by hotandsticky

[Saltire]

3 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

tellthem youdont  hve a mobile and ask for e mail verification, worked for  me 

This is what I get from Santander, Worth a go but if they insist, may revoke my cards

[Saltire]

4 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why do you need another phone.  Get a giffgaff Sim & put it in the second sim slot, or swap sims if no second slot.

I have only one SIM slot. and it's an IPhone. Easier to get a regular SIM and a basic phone?

[Yorkshire Tea]

4 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

Surely you only get charged if you use the SIM, ie text or calls? And wouldn't int roaming roaming be automatically on, if it wasn't then how would it work here?

 

Would also assume the SIM would need to be activated in the UK first?

Giffgaff will post to Thailand.  Can activate card here.  When you put it your phone, make sure you turn "data" off.

[worgeordie]

Tried to open an Amazon UK account the other day, they wanted phone

number ,I don't own a phone, i don't want a phone , I don't need a phone.

Why do they expect everyone to have a phone.....I did end up using my daughters

number, 

regards Worgeordie

[Saltire]

4 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Get a Giff Gaff sim sent to your brother and have him send it on.

 

Despite what Kwasaki says above it is less about any long-standing relationship with the bank (which counts for zip) and more about their technology. Several banks cannot/will not accept an overseas number for OTP's.  I am with 5 UK banks and only HSBC use my Thai number for OTP's.

 

 

Agree though Santander send me SMS no problem to my Thai phone.

[MJCM]

Although not from the UK, I have a SIM Card from my Home Country and I use it in an old iPhone 5s  just for this.

 

The only bad thing about this, that I sometimes at Dinner time in Europe (which is late in the evening here) get those marketing calls ????

Edited July 22, 2021 by MJCM

[hotandsticky]

Just now, worgeordie said:

Tried to open an Amazon UK account the other day, they wanted phone

number ,I don't own a phone, i don't want a phone , I don't need a phone.

Why do they expect everyone to have a phone.....I did end up using my daughters

number, 

regards Worgeordie

 

 

You obviously do not a phone - as your post confirms.

 

Using your daughter's phone (whilst a practical solution) probably breaches the terms and conditions of your account.

 

 

I doubt that you give much of a toss about that.

[hotandsticky]

2 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Agree though Santander send me SMS no problem to my Thai phone.

 

Interesting....Santander use my UK number..........I suppose I must have supplied that one instead of my Thai number.

[Johnny Mac]

3 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Giffgaff will post to Thailand.  Can activate card here.  When you put it your phone, make sure you turn "data" off.

Mobile data, right? Is that to stop you hooking up to random wifi and being possibly charged?

 

 

[worgeordie]

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

You obviously do not a phone - as your post confirms.

 

Using your daughter's phone (whilst a practical solution) probably breaches the terms and conditions of your account.

 

 

I doubt that you give much of a toss about that.

I will be F#cked if they go to a cashless society.......

regards Worgeordie

[johng]

16 minutes ago, Saltire said:

it won't accept a Thai number,

Have you tried   removing the precoding  0 from your Thai mobile  phone number  then

0066  then the rest of the number ?

For example your Thai number  is 089 2333 789     for the bank this  becomes 006689 2333 789

[samtam]

15 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Get a Giff Gaff sim sent to your brother and have him send it on.

 

Despite what Kwasaki says above it is less about any long-standing relationship with the bank (which counts for zip) and more about their technology. Several banks cannot/will not accept an overseas number for OTP's.  I am with 5 UK banks and only HSBC use my Thai number for OTP's.

 

One obvious reason for getting the UK sim is that you have to be (or seen to be) a UK resident to open a bank account in the UK; if the banks extend that principle to existing account holders then those with overseas addresses and contact numbers may become a target. 

 

 

Is this now a requirement? I have HSBC in UK and Jersey. For both I completed a non-resident form to avoid tax on interest income, (which is b-all). And yes, use my Thai number for all app banking with these two, and indeed HSBC Hong Kong.

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, samtam said:

Is this now a requirement? I have HSBC in UK and Jersey. For both I completed a non-resident form to avoid tax on interest income, (which is b-all). And yes, use my Thai number for all app banking with these two, and indeed HSBC Hong Kong.

 

Yes. It is a requirement to be a UK resident to open a UK bank account.

 

Try opening one from here.........

[simon43]

In a similar vein, is there a Thai mobile provider where the SIM can be topped up via the internet?  Bangkok Bank uses SMS PIN verification for transfers, and since I now live in Laos, the only Thai mobile number that I can use with my bank account is of my ex-wife!  This works OK, but also means that she gets notification of every expense that I make with my ATM card! I'd rather have my own Thai SIM card for verifications, (although I will probably have to visit the bank in Thailand to get my phone number changed on my bank account...)

[johng]

20 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

Surely you only get charged if you use the SIM, ie text or calls?

No if you don't disable international roaming  the phone might try to use the cellular network for  system or app updates  there is also the issue of "background data"  that some apps use to send telemetry these could use cellular data and eat up your credit very fast.