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Original poster

Would you ever share a PIN code?

44 replies

ravenmum · 03/04/2014 09:34

I guess this is a "money matters" question...

The other day my daughter (16) told me she'd forgotten she needed to take in some money (about 30 pounds) to school the next day, urgently of course! I couldn't make it to the bank before then and had no cash, so I could think of nothing else to do but give her my bank card and tell her the number.

My husband says I shouldn't ever do anything like this as the P in PIN stands for "personal" and the bank always tells you not to share your number. But I trust my daughter, and she has her own bank account she withdraws money from, so was in no more danger of being attacked or something than when withdrawing her own money. It was quite important and I couldn't go myself.

Would others do this, or do you also think like my husband that this is simply an absolute no-no?

OP posts:
tribpot · 03/04/2014 09:37

You've compromised the security of your account and your bank would not be pleased. I understand why you did it, and would probably do the same, but you now need to change your PIN again.

jeee · 03/04/2014 09:38

Are you absolutely sure that your DD won't write down the number - I'd trust my DD not to abuse the card, but I wouldn't necessarily trust her not to write the number down ('I needed to, mum, 'cos otherwise I'd just forget it.')

On the whole I think unless the account has very limited funds available, it has the potential for real problems.... and the bank would hold you responsible.

Original poster
ravenmum · 03/04/2014 09:39

I told her very clearly not to write it down and she confirmed that she understood why.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 03/04/2014 09:39

It's easy enough to change your pin number, so do it today.

posits · 03/04/2014 09:40

Its your daughter you have shared it with not some radom person, it will be fine. Over reaction by husband unless daughter has previously not been honest with you etc.

vickibee · 03/04/2014 09:42

My Son aged six knows my PIN, without me knowing he has watched me use it is shops and has memorised it that way. He only told me at the weekend but I intend to change it. The devious so and so.

SlimJimBra · 03/04/2014 09:43

I know DH's he knows mine... I trust him and it's a joint account anyway However in your situation it might be a wise idea to change your pin.

teenagetantrums · 03/04/2014 09:43

My son knows my pin code, he goes to the bank for me sometimes, hes 19, I know both the teenagers pin codes, plus two of my friends codes as I often use their cards for them if im out and they cant get out, not sure the banks would be happy but we are not going to tell them.

SlimJimBra · 03/04/2014 09:46

Vickibee's post has reminded me that my 3yo has observed and copied my iPhone pin (unlock code, not iTunes one) so he's probably observed my bank card pin too!! Good job he's not tall enough to use a cash point yet Grin

firesidechat · 03/04/2014 09:48

I think that potentially you run into problems if your account is compromised (fraud for example) and the bank then find out that you have shared the pin number. It is against their rules and they can refuse to help even if the fraud has nothing to do with sharing your pin. I wouldn't so it and I tend to agree with your husband.

rpitchfo · 03/04/2014 09:49

My girlfriend knows mine and she tells me hers (although i have been told a 1000 times i still couldn't tell you what it is!)

DefiniteMaybe · 03/04/2014 09:51

I know loads of people's pin numbers dp's, my mum's, my nan's and my sister's. Sometimes it's easier to send someone else. As long as you trust your daughter I can't see the problem.

Onesleeptillwembley · 03/04/2014 09:52

My partner and I know each others. My three grown up children all know mine as well. They've all used my cards for me for one thing an another while I was recuperating a couple of times over the last couple of years. But it wouldn't be a problem them knowing anyway.

Forago · 03/04/2014 09:55

me and DP have a system of shared pin numbers that we use for everything. I am the financial controller so when any new cards come I allocate the pin numbers. I do this primarily so that when we are on holiday and I want him to use a particular account but I can't be arsed moving I can make him go to the bar and get the drinks. Nobody else is supposed to know the pins but ds1 guessed one recently (the one we were using for the burglar alarm and the Virgin TV parental controls) as unknown to us he had been surreptitiously studying us for weeks to work out where we were pressing on the keypad. he was overjoyed, leaping around, unlocking the TV. Until I changed it to a new one in front of him. He was gutted. Now I change them every few months as I suspect he is still spying but has learnt not to tell us when he's got it.

I think it is fine between couples and handy when you forget your purse etc

Forago · 03/04/2014 09:55

I also know my mums as I often get things for her.

Mignonette · 03/04/2014 09:57

Just don't admit it to the bank!

However If there was an issue they would know that the money had been accessed by non cloning etc so you'd not have a leg to stand on.

LtEveDallas · 03/04/2014 09:57

You are not supposed to do it, and if your card was ever cloned one of the first questions the bank fraud dept asks you is "Does anyone else know your PIN?" so you would have to lie.

Saying that, DH knows my PIN, and even changed his own PIN to the same number for ease. I know both my parents PINs because they changed them to something I knew when they discovered the facility.

It's wrong, and probably 'dangerous', but I expect a lot of people do it. I remember when I had the only car out of a group of friends, being given all their bank cards and numbers to get cash out for them before a night on the piss!

Norfolknway · 03/04/2014 09:58

I know DP's, my DF's, best friends.

They know mine too.

They can't do much without my card, but I do trust them all.

Nothing untoward has happened in the last 15 years anyway.

ThedementedPenguin · 03/04/2014 09:58

I know most of my families pin codes and they know mine.

As a PP said if there was an attack on your account and fraud took place, if you mentioned to your bank that your daughter knew your pin it would be very unlikely you would get anything back. I worked in call centre for a bank and seen this all the time.

Also no matter how much you say you trust your daughter you need to be extremely careful as a woman I know rang her bak as she was missing nearly £150 and it turned out her daughter had used her bank card to top up her mobile. She thought she could trust her daughter.

So please be careful.

Pantone363 · 03/04/2014 10:00

My DM did this once.

I regularly stole £10s for the next 6 months until she found out Blush

gamerchick · 03/04/2014 10:04

I don't have a problem with family getting money out of my account but you can't know they took care at the machine. Did they check the light was flashing at the card slot.. did they do a sweep for tampering and did they cover their hand when putting in the pin type of thing.

I would change the pin.

RedHelenB · 03/04/2014 10:10

My dd takes my card shopping to use in shops. It's easy enough to change the pin if I ever found out she'd used it more than I'd allowed her to.

ResponsibleAdult · 03/04/2014 10:12

I wouldn't share a PIN number, only for bank security reasons. In the event of cash card theft/fraud I wouldn't be able to say hand on heart, no one knows my pin.

Our DCs got accounts and cards as soon as they got to 12, for birthday money, to encourage good habits and develop independence. They can't get overdrawn, and aren't pestering me for online shopping, downloads and music. They withdraw their own money.

I asked a mother of 3 grown up sons her best piece of advice. Her response, "Always have cash in the house so if the children are out they can always get home via a cab and they don't have to fear waking you up. Then they will always come home and you will know they are safe."

As a result I keep £30 emergency cash hidden in a drawer in case they or we need money but haven't any cash and can't go via a cash point. As soon as it is used I replace it.

In future perhaps try to keep a small supply of cash in the house, and get dd to open her own account.

ZenGardener · 03/04/2014 10:13

A woman I knew was very ill and had a bill to pay so she gave her PIN to her partner to take some money out and pay the bill, which he did. 10 years later she went to her bank and found it cleared out. Turns out he developed a bit of a gambling problem, had kept her PIN for all that time and cleared her out. They split up and he paid her back bit by bit but her story really scared me.

Original poster
ravenmum · 03/04/2014 10:16

That is kind of what I thought, that it is one of those things you know is wrong but take the risk on ... my husband's moral compass is more firmly set on this I guess. Odd considering that he's perfectly happy with speeding "when there's no reason for the speed limit"...

Where I live, for some reason you can't change the PIN like in the UK which makes it worse, though. Maybe I will order a new card and PIN, costs a fiver.

OP posts:
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