How do I set up online banking alerts?

Online banking alerts provide yet another layer of security to your online banking experience. With our free alerts, Vancity automatically sends you an email and/or a text message to your mobile phone to alert you of certain changes to your account made through online banking.

What's the difference between online banking alerts and enviro™ Visa* alerts?

enviro™ Visa* alerts help you manage your spending and identify transactions you did not make by notifying you of transactions on your card. Alerts you can setup are:

Outside Canada
Purchase amount
Online/phone transactions
Cash withdrawal
Transaction declined

Learn more about how to set up your enviro™ Visa* alerts. Online Banking alerts provide security information on your banking account and can indicate when fraud that has occurred on your online banking access or account. Alerts that you can setup for your bank account are:

New bill payee added (strongly recommended)
Online banking log-in
A new INTERAC® e-Transfer recipient has been added via online banking

Here’s how to set up, edit or delete banking alerts:

Online banking

Step 1: log in to online banking click “Messages and Alerts” (located in the menu, left-hand) click “Banking Alerts”
Step 2: Click “Add Banking Alerts Contacts”
Step 3: Click “Add Email” or “Add Mobile Phone”
Step 4: Read and accept Agreement click “Agree”
Step 5: Set up Alerts Contacts Select how you’d like to be notified – Add Email and/or Mobile Phone complete the fields click “Continue” For Mobile Phone, verify your Contacts verify mobile phone number by entering the passcode you receive in a text message, or click the link that you receive in the confirmation email
Step 6: To add a new alert select an alert below (or choose all) click “Add”
Step 7: Create alert indicate how you’d like to be notified for that specific alert you’ve selected click “Submit”
Step 8: Final confirmation confirm that your alert has been successfully added

Mobile app for personal members

Step 1: log in to the Vancity mobile app swipe left to the second home screen tap “Alerts”
Step 2: manage your alerts tap “Manage” tap the alert you’d like to activate, edit or delete note: If this is the first time activating an alert you’ll need to read and agree to the Terms and Conditions
Step 3: contact details Enter your phone number or email Tap “Save”
Step 4: Tap save again to complete the process If you want to get alerts on a different email click on the “add a new contact”
Step 5: the changes are now saved

Under ‘Alerts’ > ‘Settings’, you can enable or disable push notifications, change your language settings, add, delete or disable emails and phone numbers, and edit nicknames for text alerts.

Mobile app for business members

How alerts can help protect you from becoming a fraud victim

If I set up alerts will they stop fraudulent transactions?

Alerts are a tool to support you to better monitor your enviro™ Visa* and online banking account activity. They do not stop fraudulent transactions. You are responsible to notify the Visa Centre at 604.708.7810 or 1.888.990.9691 immediately if you receive any enviro™ Visa* alerts that you did not set up, any time you suspect your account information has been compromised, if there are transactions you suspect to be fraudulent, or if your card has been lost or stolen. Don’t forget to review your account activity and your statements regularly.

What precautions can I take to protect myself against fraud?

Protect your card and PIN at all times and never share them with anyone. NEVER click on a hyperlink from a text message or an e-mail, even if it appears to be genuine. Always type in the site name yourself (e.g. vancity.com) – fraudsters will make the hyperlink look genuine but when you click on it, you will be directed to a fake site that asks you for your log in details. If you provide these, your account will be compromised. Clicking on a link (hyperlink) is also dangerous as it can allow a virus or other “malware” to be downloaded to your device.