Frequently Asked Questions about Internet Banking with HSBC Bank International

What is Internet Banking?
It is simply doing many of your banking transactions using your PC and the Internet (subject to minimum browser restrictions). The advantages? No banking hours, no queues. Just banking from wherever you are connected. It's easy, convenient, and best of all, it's available to you anytime.

What banking transactions can I perform with Internet Banking?
Internet Banking enables you to manage your accounts and investments more easily. It also gives you greater control over balances, transfers and fixed deposits. You can:

• View the balances of your accounts, investments and HSBC Bank credit cards
• Check entries for your accounts and HSBC Bank credit cards
• Transfer funds between your accounts with us or to any other account worldwide, subject to criteria
• Pay UK bills 
• Open a new Online Saver, Serious Saver or Currency Savings account by using the Open new account function
• Open a Fixed Deposit account and change existing maturity instructions
• Buy, sell and switch funds in existing investments held with HSBC Fund Administration (Jersey) Limited or HSBC Funds Nominee (Jersey) Limited
• Order a new cheque book
• Request a brochure/call back
• Create, change and delete Standing Orders and cancel Direct Debits
• Choose to receive your statements electronically or by mail
• Download entries from Internet Banking into other financial management software such as Microsoft Money® and Quicken®

How safe is Internet Banking?
It's as safe as banking any other way, provided a few precautions are put in place.

The security of your accounts and the reliability of our service are of utmost importance to us. Internet Banking uses 128-bit encryption, one of the most advanced technologies available, for safeguarding your online banking. Encryption is a process that transforms sensitive information into a string of unrecognisable characters before they are sent over the Internet, and helps provide a secure channel for data transmission to keep information private between the bank's computer system and your internet browser.

What are the requirements to use Internet Banking?

• You need an HSBC Bank International Limited account.
• You must be a customer who has registered for our automated telephone banking service. For your convenience, the 10-digit Personal Banking Number and the 6-digit Direct banking PIN used for Phone Banking are also used for Internet Banking.
• You need a PC with Internet access and a compatible browser. (There's no special software needed. Just go to www.offshore.hsbc.com and logon.)

Are there fees for Internet Banking?
No. You pay the usual tariffs associated with your account/s but nothing extra to bank online.

Does Internet Banking work with Microsoft Money® or Quicken®?
Yes. You can download your banking transactions from Internet Banking using a QIF file format, then import the file into personal financial management software such as Money® or Quicken®.

Does Internet Banking have online help?
Yes. There are several assistance options:

• You can use the questions and answers supplied through our FAQs.
• There is an online Help function within Internet Banking.
• The International Direct Banking number for Internet Banking queries is 0044 1534 616000. Lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The helpdesk will assist you with any queries you may have regarding Internet Banking.

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How safe is Internet Banking?
Internet Banking uses 128-bit encryption, one of the most advanced technologies available for safeguarding your online banking. Encryption is a process that transforms sensitive information into a string of unrecognisable characters before they are sent over the Internet. Encryption helps provide a secure channel for data transmission to keep information private between the bank's computer system and your Internet browser.

Is it safe to enter my Password online?
Yes. Thanks to 128-bit encryption, sending and receiving information online is reliable. Encryption helps keep information private (such as your Password or the transactions you perform) between the bank's computer and your Internet browser. 

Please note you should not use the functionality on your computer or browser that allows your security details to be saved on the screen, as this would potentially compromise their confidentiality.

What type of browser do I need to use Internet Banking?
You'll need a browser that supports a minimum of 128-bit encryption.

What if I forget Username, Memorable Answer or Password?
If you have forgotten all your security details, you can call International Direct Banking 0044 1534 616000. However, if you know your Username but need to reset your Memorable Answer and/or Password you can follow the online reset function, accessible from the Internet Banking logon page. Alternatively, You can also change your Memorable Answer or Password online at any time by clicking on “Change memorable question & answer” or "Change internet banking password" from the Services option in our Internet Banking site.

For your protection, memorise your Username, Memorable Answer and Password and do not write them down. Choose a Password that would be difficult to guess by someone unauthorised to access your financial information. If you think someone knows your Password you must change it immediately

Why do I need to accept "Cookies" to access my financial information online?
A cookie is a text file that resides on your computer. When you access our site, we will ask you to accept this text file so that we can identify your computer each time you log in. We use cookies to check, for example, whether or not you have accepted our terms and conditions. More generally, cookies give us information about your browser preferences and security requirements, which we then use to improve our service to you.

If your browser prompts you when a cookie is "served," you must accept it or the access to confidential information will be denied. Since cookies are specific to each website that you visit, only HSBC can access, decode and make use of the information.

Why do the Internet Banking pages expire?
For additional security, page expiry occurs to prevent the pages from being stored in your browser's memory. This means that if you access Internet Banking from a shared computer, other users will not be able to access your account information from your browser's history files. This feature is meant to secure the confidentiality of your accounts.

How do I know I am visiting a secure Internet site?
Internet Banking is accessed through a "secured" Internet site, which helps ensure your financial information remains private and secure. You will know you are at a secured site when you see the https:// in the address field on your browser and the padlock symbol at the bottom of your screen.

How do I know whether I’m logged on?
Throughout the website (including the product information pages as well as your account information), in the top right hand corner of the screen you’ll see a status message.

When you are not logged on, this message reads: “You are not logged on to Internet Banking” together with a red LOG ON button.

When you are logged on, this message changes to: "Welcome, you are currently logged on to Internet Banking", together with a blue LOG OFF button.

Please remember to log off the Service by clicking the blue log off button, wherever you are on the website.

I continually receive a message regarding the display of secure and non-secure items. What is this?
When using Internet Explorer® 5.5 the following message often appears: "This page contains both secure and non-secure items. Do you want to display the non-secure items?"

Don't panic! All of the items displayed are secure. The warning message is the result of a browser problem and can be fixed by downloading the appropriate service pack from the Microsoft® website. To eliminate the warning message:

• Go to www.microsoft.com
• Select  "Downloads"
• Select  "Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 2"

Total download size for a typical installation is approximately 17 megabytes (MB). However, because set-up only downloads files that are necessary for your computer, the size may vary between 6 and 17 MB.

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To start using the Internet Banking service, you first need to be a customer of HSBC Bank International Limited.

Steps to register for Internet Banking:

1. Input your PBN in the field marked Personal Banking Number. The PBN is a 10 digit number that is allocated to you when you first register for either Internet Banking or our automated telephone banking service. This number allows the Bank to uniquely identify you as a customer and must be used when registering for Internet Banking and for accessing our automated telephone Banking service.

Forgotten your Personal Banking Number /PIN?

2. You should input your 6 digit number in the field marked 'PIN'. The PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a 6 digit number allocated to you when you first register for our automated telephone banking service. This PIN must never be given to any other party and is not even known by staff in the bank.

3. You will then be asked to create a Username that will be used to identify you every time you logon to Internet Banking. It needs to be between 5-76 alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9).

4. You will then be asked to select a Memorable Question from the drop down list, and input the corresponding answer. Changing your memorable answer can be carried out by selecting the 'Change memorable question & answer' option in the Services menu on the left hand blue bar.
5. You will also need to create your own password. To do this you will use your mouse to select characters on the virtual keyboard. The password must be 8-30 alphanumeric characters, letters or numbers, (A-Z, 0-9).

6. The next stage is to set-up ‘Online reset’. This is the process to allow you to reset either your memorable answer or password online, should you forget them. You need to select two security questions from the drop down lists and input the answers.

7. Finally, you must Accept the Terms and Conditions of Internet Banking to allow you to access the Service.

What are the System Requirements for Internet Banking?

You need a PC or Apple Mac with Internet access, and a browser (such as Internet Explorer®) that supports 128-bit encryption. You should also be sure your browser options are set to accept cookies.

Full support is available with the following browsers:

Should you encounter problems with these browsers, we recommend you upgrade to the versions fully supported. If in doubt or for further information, please call International Direct Banking on 0044 1534 616000.

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Can I make international transfers involving Foreign Exchange?
Yes, you can transfer money to over 60 countries in a wide range of currencies. To successfully transfer money, you should have the following information:

• Beneficiary Name and Account Number
• Beneficiary Bank Name and Address
• UK Sort Code (if applicable)
• Beneficiary Bank details 

For all transactions involving a foreign exchange of £20,000 (or currency equivalent) and above, you will need to contact International Direct Banking on +44 1534 616162.

Is there a cut-off time for next day business?
The following cut-off times apply for Internet Banking. All times are listed as GMT/BST.

• For transfers between your own HSBC Bank International Limited accounts - 18.00 hrs
• For GBP (£) sent to the United Kingdom - 12.30 hrs.
• For GBP (£) sent overseas - 10.30 hrs.
• Non-GBP sent overseas - 13.00 hrs.

Instructions received after these times will be sent the following working day.

Are there transfer limits for Internet Banking?
Yes. With Internet Banking you are restricted to certain monetary limits. These limits are the maximum combined limits that you can transact over both Internet Banking and the automated Telephone Banking service in any one day (i.e., 24-hour period). These limits have been set to enhance existing security levels, which we already have in place. 

The monetary limits are:

• Transfers between your own Registered Accounts held with HSBC Bank International Limited £100,000, i.e., any number of transfers totalling £100,000.
• Transfers within and outside of the HSBC Group £20,000, i.e., any number of transfers totalling £20,000.
• Transfers involving Foreign Exchange £20,000, i.e., any single transaction that is over £20,000 or the currency equivalent.
• Paying UK Bills £10,000

If you attempt to pass a transaction of any kind that exceeds these limits (or the currency equivalents), a warning message will appear on the screen advising you to call International Direct Banking on +44 1534 616000, who will then process the instruction on your behalf.  It may sometimes be necessary to ask you to provide us with a fax to confirm your request.

Can I set up regular payments, i.e. Standing Orders?
Yes. You can set up payments to be processed on any date or timeframe you specify.

There is also a standing order and direct debit facility which can be used to set up regular sterling transfers to the United Kingdom from an Offshore Bank Account.

Within the 'Future Transfers' option, you can view, change or delete any transfers, which are diarised for a future date.

What proof do I receive for transfers made via Internet Banking?

For your security, all transfers require your confirmation before the instruction goes through. Upon clicking ‘Confirm’ on the review details page, the instruction will be sent for processing. For each instruction you will be given a unique Transaction Reference. This reference is your proof that the instruction is being accepted and processed. You will find this reference on the Acknowledgement page and it should be quoted on any queries you may have.

If I make a transfer to the wrong beneficiary, can I cancel or stop it?
If you schedule a transfer to be processed immediately, you may not be able to stop the transfer.

Any other future or recurring payments may be cancelled if done within at least one full business day before the processing date (Standing Orders and Direct Debits from the Offshore Bank Account to the UK require 3 working days).

Use the cancel or change options with the Future Transfer sub-menu or call International Direct Banking on 0044 1534 616000.

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