The information here is about alerts for debit and credit card transactions. It explains what these alerts are, how they work to protect you, and how you can set them up. We also explain why you might not get an alert on some occasions.
What are spend alerts?
Spend alerts are push notifications from Bank of Ireland that help you to detect fraud on your card. You can turn spend alerts on or off for each of your debit and credit cards in the Cards section of your app or 365 online.
How do I get spend alerts on my device?
To be sure that you get important notifications from us, including spend alerts, you must set your device to allow notifications for BOI Mobile. To do so, go to your device ‘Settings’, select ‘Notifications’, find the BOI app in your list of apps, then turn on ‘Allow notifications’.
To turn on spend alerts, go to the ‘Cards’ section of your app or 365 online.
Please note: We recommend allowing notifications as best practice for all customers who use the mobile app.
When are spend alerts sent?
When spend alerts are turned on and you make a card payment, we will send an alert – a push notification – to all your registered devices. We’ll include the last four numbers of your card in the alert, so you know which card we’re alerting you about.
Depending on how you have set up push notifications for the BOI app, the alert that we send you will be partially or fully visible on your device.
For joint accounts or business accounts, customers will only be sent an alert if a payment attempt is made using their card and they have spend alerts turned on.
Primary or main credit cardholders will only be sent an alert if a payment attempt is made using their card and they have spend alerts turned on. If an additional credit cardholder does a payment attempt using their card and they have spend alerts turned on, only that additional cardholder will be sent an alert.
A genuine alert from us will never contain a link.
On Android: Tapping an alert on an Android phone or tablet brings you to this page on the Bank of Ireland website.
On iOS: If the app is open on your iPhone or iPad but not being used, tapping an alert will bring you to the login page or back to your last position in the app. If you are using the app you will not get an alert.
What should I do if I get a spend alert but I didn’t make a payment?
If you get an alert, but you or any other cardholder did not try to make a payment, this may be fraud. Call us on the relevant number below:
Republic of Ireland: 1800 946 764
Northern Ireland/Great Britain: 0800 121 7790
Everywhere else: + 353 1 679 8993 or + 353 56 775 7007 (for lost/stolen cards or phone)
Do spend alerts arrive instantly?
Alerts to your registered device are usually instant. They tell you whether your payment was a success or not. However, there can be instances when an alert does not arrive instantly if, for example, network coverage is poor. The details of your alert may also change after you get it if you used your card in another currency.
Please note: Very rarely an alert might not arrive at all, even though a payment attempt was made with the card. We cover this in more detail below. As a general rule, you should log in to the app or 365 online to get a full and accurate view of any payment made using your card.
Why didn’t I get an alert?
We cannot guarantee you will get an alert each time you go to make a payment. There may not be alerts for certain types of transactions. For example, refunds or recurring payments, like subscriptions. Similarly, on some occasions, the store or seller may not ask for approval for the payment. A payment will be made as normal, but will not create an alert.
Please note: Do not depend only on alerts for an overview of your activity. If you do not get an alert, you’re still responsible for what you spend, and for any charges.
Can alerts be delayed?
Yes, delays can happen if the seller’s terminal is offline for any reason or you don’t have enough network coverage. Here are a few examples of when alerts may be delayed:
- The seller’s Wi-Fi is down.
- You make a purchase while on a flight.
- Your registered device was powered off, or had poor network coverage at the time you were making a payment.
Applies to personal credit cards only: If we have not been notified at the time when you’re making a payment, an alert will be sent to you when the merchant sends the request to us for payment and the transaction is posted to your account.
Why does the time stamp on my alert not match the time I made the payment?
The time of the alert is when your device gets the message, not the time of the payment itself. For example you might buy a cup of coffee during your hillside walk in a remote area. Two hours later, in an area with better coverage, your device notifies you that a payment was made.
Why did I get two alerts for the same payment?
From time to time, you may get two alerts for one payment. Usually this is because the card is also added to your Apple or Google wallet. The details of the payment will be identical. But one of the alerts will be sent by us, and the other will come from either Apple or Google, depending on the type of device you use.
Applies to personal credit cards only: If the credit card number changes from the time the payment was made to when the merchant sends the request to us for payment, you may get an second alert for the same payment. As a general rule, you should log in to the app or 365 online to get a full and accurate view of any payments made using your card.
Why do the details of my alert not match the transaction details on my statement?
Some details in the alert might not be the same as what you see on your statement. This can happen say if you are abroad and make a payment that’s not in euro. The alert will show the local currency amount and symbol. But later on, your statement would show the euro amount and symbol and any cross-border fees applied.
The name of the store or business where you made a payment could be different. Many companies trade under a name that does not match the one above the shop door or the web address. For example, you bought something from Boots but the name that appears in your transaction list is ROI ECOMm. This is the actual trading name for Boots in Ireland. Here’s a list of real company names that customers sometimes do not recognise.
What happens if a payment is declined but I feel it should have been approved?
If a payment has been declined but you think it should have been approved, check your balance to make sure you have enough money for the payment. If you do, get in touch with us and we’ll help fix the problem. Contact us on the most suitable number below.
Debit Card Call us on the relevant number below:
Republic of Ireland: 0818 365 365 or 01 404 4000, 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (including bank holidays), 10am to 2pm Saturdays.
Northern Ireland / Great Britain: 03457 365 555, 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm Saturdays and bank holidays.
Credit Card Call us on the relevant number below:
Republic of Ireland: 0818 251 251 (lines are open 9am-6pm, Monday to Friday)
Payments made within the European Economic Area that are not in euro (applies to personal credit cards only)
Customers do not get a spend alert if they make a payment that is not in euro but is made within the EEA. Instead, they are sent a text, but only for the first transaction made in that currency within the month.
For example, if you make a payment in Norwegian krone, you will get a text message for that payment. If you make any more payments in Norwegian krone later in the same month, you will not get any text or an alert for them.
Cross-border texts are sent only if you make a non-euro payment in another EEA country. You will get a spend alert if you make a payment in euro.
| European Economic Area countries |
Currency |
| Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. |
Euro |
| Bulgaria |
Bulgarian lev |
| Czech Republic |
Czech koruna |
| Denmark |
Danish kroner |
| Hungary |
Hungarian forint |
| Iceland |
Icelandic króna |
| Liechtenstein |
Swiss franc |
| Norway |
Norwegian krone |
| Poland |
Polish złoty |
| Romania |
Romanian leu |
| Sweden |
Swedish krona |