Unlocking card details safely: the one-minute window

Your cards are listed in the Cards tab with their status, balance, expiry and billing address, but the full number and security code are not on the screen. To see them you tap Unlock number & CVV and prove it's you with a fresh authenticator code. The details then appear for one minute and hide again by themselves. This article explains why it works this way and how to make the most of that minute.

Why details are hidden by default

Number, expiry and security code: that trio is all a checkout needs. Anyone who sees them — over your shoulder, in a screen recording, on a screenshot synced to the cloud — can try to use the card. Keeping them hidden until the moment you need them shrinks the time they are exposed.

There is also a second layer. Your account is already protected by your password and an authenticator code at sign-in. Asking for a fresh code at the moment of reveal means that someone who finds your session open on a shared computer still cannot see the card details without your phone. Our article on why the authenticator is required explains the codes themselves.

How revealing works

1. Open the Cards tab and find the card you want to use.
2. Tap Unlock number & CVV. A small form asks for your authenticator code.
3. Type the six-digit code your app shows right now.
4. The full number and security code appear, with a countdown. The expiry date is shown all the time.
5. After a minute they are masked again automatically.

Each reveal is recorded, so if you ever need to check when a card's details were viewed, the team can see it. If you enter several wrong codes in a row, the form makes you wait before trying again — a protection against someone guessing.

Copy buttons

Each detail has a copy button. Using it avoids typos and keeps you from writing the numbers down. Paste directly into the payment form, field by field.

Making the minute count

A minute is plenty if you prepare first:

• Open the checkout before you reveal. Fill in everything else — name, billing address, email — so the card fields are the only thing left.
• Have the billing address ready. It is shown in the Cards tab next to the card, without needing a reveal.
• Unlock, copy, paste, done. If the minute runs out before you finish, simply unlock again with a new code.

Habits that keep details safe

Don't screenshot card details

Screenshots tend to end up in photo backups, chat apps and shared albums. If you need the details again, reveal them again — it takes a few seconds.

Avoid shared and public screens

Unlock number & CVV only on a device you trust, in a place where nobody can read your screen. On a shared computer, sign out completely afterwards and close the browser.

Be careful with saving cards at merchants

Many shops offer to save your card for next time. It is convenient for recurring purchases, but it also means the details live in that shop's systems. For one-off purchases, consider not saving them.

Never send details by message or email

No genuine support process needs your full card number, security code or authenticator code, and nobody on our team will request them.

Safe places to keep card details — and unsafe ones

Sometimes you will want the details outside your account, for example to enter them into a service you use regularly. Here is how the common options compare.

Reasonably safe:

• A reputable password manager, which encrypts what it stores and protects it with its own master password and often its own second factor. Many have a dedicated card entry type.
• The merchant's saved-card feature, for a merchant you trust and use regularly, with the understanding that the details now live there too.

Best avoided:

• Notes apps and documents that sync in plain form to cloud storage.
• Screenshots, which spread through photo backups and messaging apps.
• Email drafts or chat messages to yourself, which sit in mailboxes and chat histories indefinitely.
• Paper left near the computer.

The simplest option is still to leave the details where they are and reveal them when needed. It takes a few seconds and an authenticator code, and nothing is copied anywhere it might leak from.

If you think details were exposed

If you suspect someone saw or copied a card's details:

1. Raise a ticket at once, giving the card's last four digits.
2. The team can freeze the card while you check recent activity.
3. Change your password if there is any chance your account was accessed, and create new recovery codes.

The How it goes page covers where cards fit into the rest of the account, and our guide to opening an account explains the security settings you can manage yourself.

What the reveal does not show

The card view shows the details a checkout needs and the card's status, balance, expiry and billing address. It does not list individual merchant transactions. If you need to reconstruct what a card was used for, your own notes and the merchants' receipts are the best record.

Quick answers

Why do I need a code every time?

So that an open session on its own is never enough to see card details. The code proves the phone is in your hand right now.

Can staff see my card details?

Only through the same kind of protected reveal in the back office, which is logged. Staff never send card details to you or anyone else.

Can I make the details stay visible longer?

No. One minute is enough to copy them, and it keeps the exposure short. Unlock again if you need more time.

What if my authenticator code is rejected?

Check that the phone takes its clock from the network, then use the newest code. After several wrong attempts, wait a minute before trying again.

Summary

Details stay hidden until you ask with a fresh authenticator code, then show for one minute. Prepare the checkout first, use the copy buttons, avoid screenshots and shared screens, and contact support quickly if you think details were seen.