BCA Customers, Immediately Change Magnetic Debit Card To Chip Before Blocking As Of January 1, 2022

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Banking customers who use debit cards with magnetic stripe are urged to immediately replace their cards with chip-based ones. This is because national banks will block magnetic stripe-based debit cards in the near future.

The replacement of the card is in accordance with the direction of Bank Indonesia through SE BI No.17/52/DKSP. The circular stated that the use of magnetic stripe cards is allowed only on certain ATM or debit cards.

If there are still customers who use magnetic stripe, their card will be blocked. However, each bank has a different blocking schedule, such as BCA, which will only do so in early 2022.

Quoting bca.co.id, Tuesday, June 22, Bank BCA gives time for customers who hold BCA ATM cards or BCA Passport cards to be replaced with chip-based ATM cards before December 31, 2021. There are three reasons for customers to switch to chip-tech debit cards.

First, chip debit cards, such as the BCA Mastercard, can make debit transactions online. This is done by activating it via BCA mobile.

The second reason is that Bank Indonesia has announced the implementation of the National Standard for Chip Technology and the use of 6 Digit PINs for ATM/Debit Cards issued in Indonesia several years ago.

"So, you must immediately change to a Chip Passport instead of not being able to use it later because banks and merchants have started to replace EDC machines that can read chip cards gradually," BCA wrote.

Finally, magnetic strips are technologically easier to copy data than chip cards which are technologically more advanced. So, the magnetic stripe card is more at risk of being exposed to online crime. The sooner the card replacement is done, the better it will be to increase security in transactions.

Effective January 1, 2022, the old magnetic stripe-based BCA Passport can no longer be used for transactions. Customers can visit BCA branch offices to exchange their old BCA Passports through Customer Service.

Changes to a chip-based BCA Passport can be made at all BCA branches throughout Indonesia. In addition, customers can also exchange cards at the CS Digital machine. CS Digital is a service for customers to perform banking transactions related to CS services in one machine by self-service at the branch.

Don't forget to prepare your old BCA KTP and Passport to exchange your old ATM card for a chip card.