Cards (credit, debit, prepaid) are delivered to customers physically using couriers.
You can find the process from card printing to delivery to the customer in my article below.
https://arifunal.com/yazi/kartlar-musteriye-ulasana-kadar-hangi-asamalardan-gecer/
In the error cycle I mentioned in the link above, if the card is physically intercepted and its PIN becomes known, the card could be used fraudulently before it reaches the customer.
The points at which the card could be physically intercepted before it reaches the customer (although the probability is low) are:
- The card could be intercepted by an employee of the card printing company
- The card could be intercepted by the courier staff who collect cards in bulk from the card printing company
- The card could be intercepted by the courier staff who sort cards by province/district at the courier center
- The card could be intercepted by the courier staff delivering the card to the address
- The card could be intercepted if it is not delivered directly to the customer themselves
At any of the steps mentioned above, if the card's status is active and the PIN is known, the card could be used without the customer's knowledge.
Even though binding contracts are made between banks and courier companies, it should not be forgotten that there may be malicious individuals among company employees.
For this reason, banks print cards as Temporarily Blocked and activate them only once the card is delivered to the customer themselves, preventing this risk.
So are only new card applications printed as Temporarily Blocked?
No. Not only new card applications; cards reissued due to Lost/Stolen are also printed as Temporarily Blocked.
So are there cards that cannot be printed as Temporarily Blocked?
Yes, there are. When the card number does not change after reissue, the newly printed card is printed in Active status and delivered to the customer so it can be used right away in place of the old card.
In which case does the card number not change?
The card number only changes when the card is reissued due to Lost/Stolen. In all other reissues, the card number does not change.
What do we mean by all other reissues?
- Reissue due to expiration
- Reissue due to a change in the customer's name (marriage, surname change, etc.)
- Reissue due to the card's magnetic stripe/chip not working
- Reissues due to card deformation (breakage, damage, etc.) can also be listed under this other reissue category.
