Citibank One Time Password (OTP)

[Must...Fly!]

logged in yesterday and didn't have to input anything (i have registered for the very poor SMS service) :-|

 

[pauly7]

logged in yesterday and didn't have to input anything (i have registered for the very poor SMS service) :-|

I thought you only got the OTP if you wanted to transact? I can log in and view balances etc but if I want to process a payment etc then the OTP is sent.

(Exactly same as NAB's Ubank for those who use it)

 

[markis10]

I thought you only got the OTP if you wanted to transact? I can log in and view balances etc but if I want to process a payment etc then the OTP is sent.

(Exactly same as NAB's Ubank for those who use it)

Thats my experience!

 

[Must...Fly!]

I must have recalled incorrectly...my mistake!

 

[greenfrog86]

Thats my experience!

I'd be happy with that (as is the case for other banks using SMS technology) but with Citibank if I want to view my CC transactions I have to enter the code...

I don't actually want to do anything, just view the transactions in a list and see available balance etc

 

[oz_mark]

I thought you only got the OTP if you wanted to transact? I can log in and view balances etc but if I want to process a payment etc then the OTP is sent.

I can see the summary page, but if I do anything else (e.g. want to look at transactions), then I get the OTP.

 

[SIA1A]

Guys, I'm very reluctant to register for OTP due to its intrusive, disruptive characteristics and the fact that it prevents transactions if/when I am outside a mobile phone coverage area.

If I were to register for OTP and subsequently decide that it is not for me, is it possible or practical to then opt out?

 

[MarcB]

If it's too much of an annoyance, download the Citbank mobile app or use the mobile website - no OTP required. When I registered, I got the impression that over the coming months, it'll be turned on for all users on the website - i.e. you will not have a choice.

 

[SIA1A]

If it's too much of an annoyance, download the Citbank mobile app or use the mobile website - no OTP required. When I registered, I got the impression that over the coming months, it'll be turned on for all users on the website - i.e. you will not have a choice.

The Citibank mobile app (and mobile website) has limited functionality. In particular, functions available on the full website such as variation of future-dated payments etc are not available. Presumably, if OTP doesn't drive too many customers away from Citi it will eventually be implement on mobile platforms anyway.

There was an indication in Citi marketing docs that all users would be required to use OTP in coming months but that is speculative. I have just come off the phone with Citi customer service. Apparently, the new OTP system is generating a huge volume of calls from stranded customers who aren't receiving the OTP SMS messages. These people are rapidly losing faith in Citi's new system because they can't currently complete routine online transactions. Citi won't be forcing OTP on its customers unless customers develop a reasonable level of confidence in the Citi system. There would otherwise be a high risk that Citi loses many customers over this.

I think Australia is something of a guinea pig for Citi on the OTP front. Is this Citi's first implementation world-wide? Citi doesn't use OTP in its home market of the US. It doesn't use the security question stuff or the virtual keyboard either - just a regular username/password, the same as most major Australian banks.

 

[jingles]

I'd be happy with that (as is the case for other banks using SMS technology) but with Citibank if I want to view my CC transactions I have to enter the code...

I don't actually want to do anything, just view the transactions in a list and see available balance etc

I think one reason behind this is that a security question they sometimes ask when you call is for some of your recent transactions so someone with your online username and password would not be able to call citibank and have access to your account.

Guys, I'm very reluctant to register for OTP due to its intrusive, disruptive characteristics and the fact that it prevents transactions if/when I am outside a mobile phone coverage area.

If I were to register for OTP and subsequently decide that it is not for me, is it possible or practical to then opt out?

For most of the population if you are outside of a mobile coverage area then chances are your choices for internet will be limited (I guess those in very rurual Australia will soon not be able to sign in to their account)

As MarcB said, I also got the impression that it will eventually be mandatory.

I think it is still better than other banks who make you carry a security token device to access your account. However the token does win out if you have no access to phone service (Provided you remembered to carry it with you of course)

 

[wafliron]

For most of the population if you are outside of a mobile coverage area then chances are your choices for internet will be limited

I take it you're not with Vodafone...

 

[jingles]

I take it you're not with Vodafone...

No I am not. They cant be that bad in the major cities can they?

And with all the money they are currently spending on their network I have assumed that their coverage should be getting rather good.

I just finished writing a quick thread about signing in to the mobile site on a desktop computer which some here may find useful (And also about how to kill the on screen keyboard)
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....asily-accessing-citibank-online-no-42228.html

 

[markis10]

No I am not. They cant be that bad in the major cities can they?

And with all the money they are currently spending on their network I have assumed that their coverage should be getting rather good.

I just finished writing a quick thread about signing in to the mobile site on a desktop computer which some here may find useful (And also about how to kill the on screen keyboard)
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....asily-accessing-citibank-online-no-42228.html

Voda coverage is non existent at MKY and ROK airports as an example, it's quite weird to have work seeing you connected but wondering why voice calls go to voicemail when sitting in the QPs.

 

[wafliron]

No I am not. They cant be that bad in the major cities can they?

My comment was really intended to be tongue-in-cheek

But to answer your question seriously: their coverage in major cities is basically fine, but it rapidly becomes non-existant once outside of metropolitan areas and/or major regional towns. I'm not talking about sheep-station-in-the-middle-of-nowhere here, but rather, for example, more than a few KM from the centre of Ballarat.

And with all the money they are currently spending on their network I have assumed that their coverage should be getting rather good.

Can't really comment on this as I'm in Melbourne, which is the last city getting the upgrade (currently in progress). It's gotten worse rather than better for me recently, but I'm happy to bear with them for a month or two as some degradation during a major upgrade is somewhat understandable.

Vodafone jibes and coverage issues aside, I can tell you from experience that Citibank are making a big mistake here - operating a SMS-based OTP system with no fall-back option is a really, really bad idea.

We use a SMS-based OTP as part of VPN authentication at work - for the large part it's great, much better than everyone carrying a RSA token around with them, but it regularly requires "manual bypass" when a user simply doesn't receive their OTP SMS for some reason. We're only a network of ~100 users and I reckon we have to bypass the OTP system for one logon every two weeks or so (across all 100 users).

I just finished writing a quick thread about signing in to the mobile site on a desktop computer which some here may find useful (And also about how to kill the on screen keyboard)
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....asily-accessing-citibank-online-no-42228.html

Will check that out - thanks.

 

[pauly7]

Voda coverage is non existent at MKY and ROK airports as an example, it's quite weird to have work seeing you connected but wondering why voice calls go to voicemail when sitting in the QPs.

And their coverage even in major cities is poor, resulting in them losing another 178,000 customers in the first half of 2012.

 

[Foreigner]

I've gotten used to Citi's login ritual with pop up box to select password.

 

[cove]

I left it alone and did nothing. It is merely one extra step to log on and I tend to be looking about once a week just to make sure no-one is in my account vacuuming funds away to eastern Europe to my could be Ukrainian girlfriend.
i did get the annual summary and Citi had a stab at putting my spending into categories but pretty unsuccessfully. What I noticed was a month where I had to re-load the card 5 times.
Citi has actually worked well for both of us and their back office has been improving. That said, I don't think Mrscove would choose to call them anytime this decade.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Missed this thread - god that OTP is a pain - does work / doesn't work - you just never know.

And if your mobile not within reach you are back to old system anyway - sheesh.

And YES cove reloading card 3 or more times each month does add a bit of work - but I have gotten used to that now - when I was sitting in TPR in Sing 2 weeks ago sipping Veuve La Grande Dame I thought to myself - all this for using a credit card and shuffling a few funds - yeah I can tolerate that.

FWIW I also have Vodaphone - $49mth UNLIMITED calls to land and mobile + UNLIMITED local and inter SMS and MMS - bargain

No coverage outside cap cities but that suits me - add $10mth for 100mins inter calling - best value phone package I have ever had.

 

[pauly7]

Missed this thread - god that OTP is a pain - does work / doesn't work - you just never know.

And if your mobile not within reach you are back to old system anyway - sheesh.

And YES cove reloading card 3 or more times each month does add a bit of work - but I have gotten used to that now - when I was sitting in TPR in Sing 2 weeks ago sipping Veuve La Grande Dame I thought to myself - all this for using a credit card and shuffling a few funds - yeah I can tolerate that.

FWIW I also have Vodaphone - $49mth UNLIMITED calls to land and mobile + UNLIMITED local and inter SMS and MMS - bargain

No coverage outside cap cities but that suits me - add $10mth for 100mins inter calling - best value phone package I have ever had.

On topic, I've never had a problem with the OTP password, but I'm on Telstra which is a lot more reliable than Vodafail.

Off topic, your phone deal sounds good - what data allowance is built in??

 

[Cruiser Elite]

On topic

I've never had a problem with the OTP password, but I'm on Telstra which is a lot more reliable than Vodafail.

It's not a Vodafone problem - sometimes the OTP just does not come through - but there is link on same page just above it which you use if OTP doesn't arrive.

But if I am in China or Sing or Phils or USA I have my local SIM in phone - OTP useless there unless you go in and continually change your phone number - just give me the security question please.


Off topic

your phone deal sounds good - what data allowance is built in??

1 Gig - plenty for me