Introduction

Everyday, millions of people in Nigeria and all around the world carry out transactions using their credit/debit card or a mobile money app. To carry out transactions online or with their cards, they have to authenticate their identity and this is done using PINs. Payment gateways mandate the user to input his PIN in order to identify the user and authenticate the transaction.. This makes it necessary for you to understand the importance of PIN in your transactions and how to safeguard it from fraudulent and malicious individuals.

What is a PIN?

PIN also known as a personal identification number is a code used to identify the user. It is numeric in character and is used in association with card payment transactions. It is also used in transactions carried out via a mobile app. For example, when using an Allawee card or when making a transaction on the Allawee personal app, you are required to input your PIN or Passcode before making any transactions. The security of your funds is of utmost importance.

Importance of a PIN

A PIN is important to the security of financial transactions. Some of the importance of a PIN include

• Security measure is used to guard against stolen identity,
• Guard against fraudulent transactions carried out by malicious actors.
• To let the user know that he is carrying out the transaction on his own account.
• A PIN provides an additional layer of security to any financial transaction.

Ways to safeguard your PIN

As a cardholder, there are various ways to safeguard your PIN so a malicous actor does not get a hold of it. Some of those ways include:

• When setting your PIN, it is better to make it longer instead of shorter.
• You should not use the same PIN for different accounts. For example, let’s say you have an Opay account, and an Allawee account, the PIN for carrying out transactions on these platforms should be different to avoid a malicious actor from using your PIN to defraud you and others.
• Never reveal your PIN to anyone, even your friends and family.
• When using a mobile financial app, be careful when typing your PIN and check that no one sees when you are doing it.
• If you can check the devices you scan your card against, then do it. It is important that your card be scanned at a legitimate POS terminal.

Conclusion

This article has discussed what a PIN is in relation to card and online transactions, importance of a PIN, and ways to safeguard your PIN in any transaction. Various financial/card issuing platforms mandate users to authenticate their identity with a passcode or PIN. One such platform is Allawee. You can order a card for your loved ones or manage your business expenses with an allawee business card. Get started by visiting allawee.com.