Security Card Key problems - no security codes show up ...

[cloudycity]

I just received a security card and tried to activate it.  Pushing the "Press" button does nothing except one time where I got a number - not sure what I did .  I've tried waiting a long time after pressing, and pressing for a long time, but 

What am I doing wrong?

Tom

[PayPal_Lilly]

Hello cloudycity,

Thanks for stopping by!

Try to run through these steps to make sure the card is fully activated. 

Here’s how to activate your PayPal Security Key:

1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click “Profile” near the top of the page.
3. Click “PayPal Security Key” under Account Information. (Don’t see this step? Follow the instructions below.)
4. Select which Security Key you want to activate, and then click “Activate.”
5. There are 3 steps to complete before your security is activated:
   • Enter your serial number.
   • Press the button on your security key and enter the 6-digit code that appears.
   • Press the button again and enter the next 6-digit code that appears. If you’re using a security key token, it'll take 30 seconds for the code to appear.
6. Click ‘Activate.’

OR

1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click “Profile” near the top of the page.
3. Click 'My settings.'
4. Click 'Update' near 'Security Key.'
5. Select which Security Key you want to activate and click ‘Activate.’
6. There are 3 steps to complete before your security is activated:
   • Enter your serial number.
   • Press the button on your security key and enter the 6-digit code that appears.
   • Press the button again and enter the next 6-digit code that appears. If you’re using a security key token, it'll take 30 seconds for the code to appear.
7. Click ‘Activate.’

After you’ve activated your Security Key, you’ll need to enter your user name, password, and the code generated by your Security Key to log in to your account.

Hope this helps!

Lilly

[cloudycity]

Tried.  Like I mentioned no 6 digit key code appears on the card no matter what I try.

I'm thinking that I wasted $5 on this.  The card doesn't appear like the picture - no serial number appears on the front.  The serial number is on the back edge and is the same as what the process displays.

[PayPal_Lilly]

Hello cloudycity,

Sorry to hear that the card isn't working for you.    The pictures on our website are of the security key, and you have the security card.  I would suggest giving our Customer Service a phone call.  They can take a look in your account to make sure the card is ready to activation. 

Hope this helps!

Lilly

[Larsco]

I've had the same issue since ordering my security card on January 2nd, 2011.

So far, PayPal technical support keeps sending me new cards but they all act the same way - nothing shows up on the display. There is no way to activate the card since Step 2 of the activation procedure asks for my 6 digit number and I don't get one when I press the card's button!

I received my 4th replacement card today (March 19, 2011) with the same results.

Very time consuming and frustrating for me. I haven't had the same technical person 2 times yet - they keep passing the buck and not resolving anything.

It feels like I'm working with a government office rather than a corporation.

[cloudycity]

I'm glad (not happy) that I wasn't the only one.  I feel like it was a waste of my $5 - the response pretty much lowered my opinion and trust of PayPal 

Oh well

[mgmiller68]

Same problem here.  I'm on either my 4th or 5th card and that darn button is almost impossible to press and get the resulting 6-digit code.  I liked the old keychain versions better and I would've kept using mine if the battery hadn't died (and unfortunately, the battery is not user replaceable for the keychain version).  Well, I did manage to get the card key one to finally activate and so I'll just hope for the best when I use it.  As another person said, I'm glad I'm not the only experiencing this problem, although it offers little comfort. 😞

[Matia]

I received my card today and I thought it was broken too.  However, I found that if I press really hard on the button, it works every time (the code will appear instantly).  And I mean REALLY freaking hard!  I wanted to check the forums to see if this was normal for the card, which I now suspect it is.

[cloudycity]

Thanks, you're right - pressing "freaking hard" with my thumb I can get it to work.  Not very practical as it's almost painful and I can only use my thumb

[PayPal_Frank]

Thank you to everyone in this thread for reporting this issue to us.  It appears that a few of our newer security keys have a button that requires more pressure to refresh the screen.  The newer security keys have a white screen while the older version has a dark green screen.  We're working to make sure that future security keys do not have this problem.

We've found that there a couple things you can try to get the security key working.

1. Warm the card up by rubbing it between your hands.  This is the preferred way as it doesn't risk damaging the card.

2. You can bend the lower right corner slightly while pressing the button and this seems to help alleviate the issue over time.  Please use caution with this method because bending the card too far can cause permanent damage.

If you are still experiencing issues with security key button not working, please contact Customer Service .

- Frank