FAQ _

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General Information

Cardholders
  • My ServiRed card has been lost or stolen. What should I do?
    Report this as soon as possible, either by
    • contacting the Financial Institution that issued the card, or
    • calling our emergency telephone number
      (902 19 21 00)
  • How can I get a ServiRed card?
    ServiRed does not issue cards directly. ServiRed Member Financial Institutions do. Each Financial Institution has its own criteria for issuing cards. Ask your bank for details.
  • What kinds of ServiRed cards exist?
    The cards issued by ServiRed Member Financial Institutions are invariably associated with one of the international cards brands --Visa or MasterCard. They can be further divided into two major categories:
    • Personal cards: designed to meet the payments needs of private consumers purchasing goods or services.
    • Commercial cards: designed to meet the payments, purchasing and financing needs of independent professionals, small businesses and large companies.
  • Where can I go to find out more about my ServiRed card?
    The Financial Institutions that sign contracts with ServiRed cardholders are the owners of the cards, and as such are responsible for all related matters: cancelling cards, authorizing transactions, debiting transactions to customer´s accounts, and keeping all records.
    When you have a question or a problem involving your ServiRed card, you should contact the Financial Institution that issued it to you.
  • How can I use on-line banking services?
    Most ServiRed Member Financial Institutions allow their customers to carry out all types of banking transactions on-line, including the request of ServiRed cards, consulting account balances and terms of card use, changing credit limits, and notifying of lost or stolen cards.
    To learn more about on-line options, contact your Financial Institution.
  • How can I request an increase in my credit limit?
    Ask your Financial Institution. If it agrees to raise your limit, the change may not become effective immediately, so be sure to make the request in advance.
  • How can I use my ServiRed card to pay for my purchases in monthly instalments?
    Ask the ServiRed Financial Institution that issued your ServiRed credit card.
  • Are merchants showing the Visa/MasterCard emblem allowed to set a minimum purchase amount, or to demand cash payments for items on sale?
    No. Merchants in Spain who accept Visa/MasterCard cards must accept them for all purchases, regardless of product, price, season, etc.
  • I want to return a purchase I made with my ServiRed card, and the merchant refuses. What can I do?
    Merchants are free to set their own policies regarding returned merchandise. However, the policy must be the same for cash and card purchases.
  • I´m about to take a trip. What insurance coverages do I get from my ServiRed card?
    ServiRed does not issue insurance to cardholders. ServiRed Member Financial Institutions do. They are the ones who decide the more suitable insurance packages for their cardholders.
    I´ve read all the information above, but I still have a question.

If you need further information, write to us informa@servired.es and we´ll answer you as soon as possible.

Business
  • Where can I obtain the ServiRed card that suits my needs?
    ServiRed Member Financial Institutions will help you determine the arrangements that best suit your requirements as a self-employed professional, a small business or a large company, and may issue you a company card.
    To obtain the ServiRed company card you need for your business, contact any ServiRed Member Financial Institution.
  • How can my business accept payments made with ServiRed cards?
    Contact any ServiRed Member Financial Institution, it will set up a merchant account for you, and supply a point-of-sale terminal, thus enabling your customers to pay for their purchases safely and conveniently.
  • What should I do when my terminal can´t read a card?
    If the problem is in the terminal, it won´t work with any card. In this case, call the technical service number your Financial Institution gave you when you opened your merchant account.
    If the problem is in the card, you should telephone your Financial Institution´s Transaction Authorization Center, supplying the relevant information. If the transaction is approved, you can print a receipt with your terminal.

Electronic Commerce

Cardholders
  • Can I use my ServiRed card to pay for Internet purchases?
    With the “Verified by Visa” and the “MasterCard SecureCode” systems, the security of your on-line purchase transactions is protected by a code or password known only to you. You can register to use either or both systems at the financial institution that issued your card. Whenever you decide to make a purchase on line, the system will contact your financial institution to request authorization. Your code or password will verify your identity to the financial institution.
  • Can I make purchases with my ServiRed card in virtual merchants where prices are given in a foreign currency?
    Yes. With your ServiRed card you can buy any product sold over the Internet in any currency. The international Means of Payment Networks will convert it automatically and bill you in your own currency.
  • What about customs duties on foreign purchases made on-line with ServiRed cards?
    It is your responsibility to find out about the import duties or restrictions your country may impose on merchandise you order from abroad, and it makes good sense to find out before you place a firm order. Customs duties or other taxes are not usually included in the price given by the merchant.
    In Spain, the kinds of goods (physical or digital) and the merchant´s location determine whether taxes and/or duties must be paid. When you are in doubt about such matters, you should contact tax authorities at the Agencia Estatal de la Administración Tributaria
  • What if I change my mind about an Internet purchase made with my ServiRed card?
    ServiRed cardholders who make purchases on the Internet may find that the merchandise they receive is not what they ordered, or is defective. Or they may not be certain that the order went through properly. When any of this happens, there is a procedure to follow.
    First, check out the policy of the virtual merchant on returned goods and refunds, and then lodge your complaint or request with the merchant.
    If this doesn't work, then contact the Bank or Financial Institution that issued your ServiRed card. An investigation will be conducted, and you will be informed of the result.
Empresas
  • ¿Qué tengo que hacer para vender on-line?
    Contactar con alguna de las entidades financieras miembros de ServiRed. Ellas le guiarán en el proceso de implantación de su negocio en la red, facilitándole las herramientas necesarias para aceptar pagos con tarjeta de forma cómoda y segura.
  • ¿Qué sistemas de seguridad puedo implementar?
    El comercio on-line, además de estar preparado para aceptar pagos con tarjeta, también ha de disponer de un sistema que garantice la seguridad de los pagos en la red.
    Para obtener información y asesoramiento sobre el sistema de seguridad que más se ajusta a las características y necesidades de su negocio, contacte con alguna de las entidades financieras de ServiRed.
Business
  • What must I do in order to sell my products or services on line?
    Contact any of ServiRed’s member financial institutions. There you will be receive complete instructions for putting your business on the Internet, as well as the tools you need to accept card payments in a way that is both convenient and secure.
  • What security systems can I use?
    Your ServiRed member financial institution will advise you about the choices of systems that will protect you customers’ on-line card payments.
Smart Cards
  • What is a smart card?
    A smart card or chip card is a plastic card that looks like your ServiRed card with magnetic stripe. But embedded in the card is a tiny integrated circuit or chip. This chip is a microprocessor that can store and process information. In fact, it is a mini-computer without keyboard or screen.
  • What advantages does it offer?
    Smart cards have several advantages over traditional magnetic stripe cards.
    • Memory capacity: they can store much more information.
    • Information processing: while the magnetic stripe can only store a limited amount of information, the chip card can both store and process information, automatically updating it and increasing the number of functions you can perform with your card.
    • One card, many applications: the chip can store and perform several applications which benefit both cardholders and Issuing Financial Institutions.
    • Enhanced security: using cryptographic techniques, chip cards offer greater protection against the fraudulent use of your card.
  • What is a multi-application smart card?
    While magnetic stripe cards can hold only one application (program), a multi-application smart card that can contain several different applications, both financial and non-financial. Thus a single smart card can replace several traditional cards.
  • What makes smart cards safer to use?
    Their processing capability thanks to the chip. They allow the secure storage, processing and retrieval such personal information as card numbers, passwords, etc. that are needed to conduct confidential transactions.
  • What additional advantages do smart cards have for cardholders?
    They are more convenient and secure, and a single card can perform many applications, such as making payments, storing personal information, admitting cardholders to restricted zones, collecting loyalty program points, securely verifying the cardholder´s identity when making purchases over the Internet, and other functions that can be added by Card-issuing Institutions.
  • What is ServiRed´s role in the chip technology field?
    ServiRed´s work in chip technology is done by its technological unit SERMEPA, which is responsible for facilitating the emigration to chip cards by ServiRed´s Member Financial Institutions. For this reason, it intervenes in most of the links of the chip technology value chain. ServiRed has been a pioneer in the development and use of this technology and SERMEPA plays an active role in international financial smart card forums.
    SERMEPA's Advantis smart card operating system allows ServiRed Member Institutions to issue the smart cards best suited to their needs and the applications for which they are to be used.

Emergencies