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Physical Secure Key

(The one that looks like a mini calculator)

Having a spot of bother with your Physical Secure Key? Get the lowdown on how to fix most problems you might come across.

I want to switch to a Digital Secure Key

A Digital Secure Key is just a digital version of your Physical Secure Key. It’s built into our App and most of our customers use it rather than a Physical Secure Key.

Switching to a Digital Secure Key is simple. Here’s all you need to do:

Download the first direct App on a compatible device, if you haven’t already. Then log on using your username.
Use your Physical Secure Key to generate a code, and enter it into the App.
Enter the answer to your memorable question.
Once you’ve logged on, open the menu (tap the 3 horizontal lines).
Select 'Security Settings' and then 'Activate Digital Secure Key'. And that's it – you're done.

As soon as you've activated your Digital Secure Key, we'll automatically deactivate your old Physical Secure Key to help keep your account secure.

Want to recycle your old Physical Secure Key? You can post it to us at FREEPOST, HSBC, SKR CENTRE or pop it in to any branch of HSBC UK.

I can’t log on

If you can’t log on to Mobile or Online Banking, our Digital Banking help tool will get you back up and running in no time.

Use our Digital Banking help tool >

I need to change my PIN

If you need to change the PIN for your Physical Secure Key, here’s what to do:

1. Press a button on your Physical Secure Key to wake it up.

2. When the welcome screen appears with the ‘HELLO’ message, press and hold down the number 8 until a ‘NEW PIN’ message appears.

3. Enter your new PIN and press the yellow button.

4. When you see the ‘PIN CONF’ message, re-enter your new PIN and press the green button.

5. You’ll see the ‘HELLO’ screen again when your new PIN is confirmed.

PINs should be between 4 and 8 digits long.

If you make a mistake when entering your PIN, you can press the green button to delete the last digit.

I’ve lost my Physical Secure Key

If you’ve lost your Physical Secure Key, please call us on 03 456 100 100 so we can deactivate it for you.

Once you've done that, we'd recommend using a Digital Secure Key instead. It sits on your smartphone as part of our App, which makes it more convenient – and harder to lose, too.

Find out how to get a Digital Secure Key >

If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet and need a replacement Physical Secure Key, that’s fine. Just tell us when you call and we’ll have another one sent out to you in the post.

The battery has run out

If the battery has run out on your Physical Secure Key, please call us on 03 456 100 100 so we can deactivate it for you.

Once you've done that, we'd recommend using a Digital Secure Key instead. It sits on your smartphone as part of our App – which means it will always have battery power as long as your phone does.

Find out how to get a Digital Secure Key >

If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet and need a replacement Physical Secure Key, that’s fine. Just tell us when you call and we’ll have another one sent out to you in the post.

Error messages (and what they mean)

Your Physical Secure Key is a smart piece of tech – smart enough to tell you if something’s gone wrong. Here are details on how to handle any error messages you might encounter.

‘FAIL Pin’

You’ll see this message when setting up your PIN for the first time, if the two PINs you enter don’t match

‘NEW PIN not SAFE’

You'll see this if you need to pick a more secure PIN. Your PIN can be made up of any numbers as long as they don’t follow a logical or sequential pattern. Make it as hard as you can to crack

‘PIN FAIL’ (followed by a number)

Whoops, wrong PIN. If you enter an incorrect PIN, the first time around you’ll see the message ‘FAIL 1’. Press the green button (don’t hold it down) to try again.

You get three attempts to enter your PIN correctly. After the third incorrect attempt (‘LOCK PIN FAIL 3’) your Secure Key will become locked. If that happens, please refer to the ‘LOCK PIN’ (followed by a 7-digit code) FAQ.

‘LOCK PIN’ (followed by a 7-digit code)

If your Physical Secure Key is locked, you’ll see a 7-digit code on screen every time you turn it on.

To reset your PIN and unlock your Secure Key, log on to Online Banking, enter your user ID and select ‘Forgotten your Secure Key PIN’. Follow the instructions and you’ll be given a PIN reset code.

Once you have the code, press the green button on your Physical Secure Key (don’t hold it down). Then enter the PIN reset code when it tells you. You’ll then be prompted to pick a new PIN code.

LOCK PIN FAIL

You’ll see this if you’ve entered the PIN reset code incorrectly. Press the green button, and you’ll be prompted to enter the reset code again.

Take care when entering your PIN reset code. If you enter it incorrectly three times your Secure Key will be locked for an hour. When it unlocks, you’ll be back to square one and will need to reset again.

LOCK NEW PIN

Your Secure Key is unlocked and you need to create a new Secure Key PIN.

LOCK FAIL PIN

You'll see this if your PINs don't match when you're setting up a new one. Press the yellow button to return to the PIN setup and set up a PIN.

‘button’

You'll see this if you’ve held down a button for too long.

If you press and hold a button for more than 7 seconds, your Physical Secure Key will switch off to preserve battery life.

‘bAtt’ (followed by a number)

This means you’re running low on power.

Here’s what the different codes mean:

bAtt 2: 2 months remaining
bAtt 2: 1 month remaining
bAtt 0: replacement needed

You can’t change the batteries yourself – you’d need to order a whole new device. But rather than doing that, we recommend you replace your old Physical Secure Key with a Digital Secure Key instead.

A Digital Secure Key is built into our App, and lets you log on to Mobile or Online Banking without needing a separate Physical Secure Key device. You'll also be able to log on to Mobile Banking using your face, voice or fingerprint.

Find out how to set up a Digital Secure Key

If you’d prefer to stick with a Physical Secure Key, you can order one by calling us on 03 456 100 100.

Please bear in mind it can take up to 10 working days for your Secure Key to arrive. So if you need to get access to Online Banking quicker, you’ll find a Digital Secure Key much faster to set up and easier to use in the long run.