Security

How secure is my personal information?

What is SSL?

What Credit/Debit Card security do you use?

How secure is my personal information?

All personal information is held on a secure server using SSL. For more information on this see below.

Payment information

We do not keep your credit or debit card details on file. Instead we register a code with your card issuer that they recognise as your card details. This code cannot be used by any other retailer.

Passwords

Your website password is set by you and not visible to our staff. Should you use the Forgotten password option you will be sent an automatically generated password that again staff do not see. This can be changed after use by you. Should you not receive your Forgotten Password email you can contact our staff who can reset your password manually. Staff will enter a random password which cannot be seen by them after entry. However you should change this password as it was not created by you.

Contact Details

Foyles will not pass your details to any third party. We will contact you to keep you up to date about your order. If you would like to receive newsletters, news of special offers and other information that may be of interest to you, you can join our mailing list on any page of the site or change your contact preferences in Your Account.See more information on our Privacy Policy

Please Note: If you are ordering a book from a cyber-cafe or from any public computer, you should either turn the cookies off or delete the cookies at the end of the session. Cookies are little files written to the hard drive of the computer you are using, and they help a system remember who you are. Leaving them on a public computer may allow somebody else to access your account.

What is SSL?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is the software that encrypts the information transmitted between your browser and the server.

Most newer browsers handle SSL without any difficulty, but if you have an old browser, or if you are accessing the site through an office firewall, you may have difficulties.

The recommended solution if you have an old browser is to upgrade it, or renew your security certificate from the Thawte certification site.

If you are having trouble accessing the site because of an office firewall, we recommend that you contact your system administrator for advice. You have the option of ordering with SSL turned off, but you should be warned that this does not encrypt the information you send over the internet, and is therefore less secure than ordering with SSL turned on.

What Credit/Debit Card security do you use?

We use a variety of measures to ensure your credit/debit card is only used by the authorised card holder. These are listed below.

Card Verification Code

The Card Verification Code system has been introduced by banks as a measure to combat credit card fraud. If you are using an American Express card, the code will have four digits and be printed on the front of the card. If you are using Visa or Mastercard, it will be a three digit code on the back of the card.

The diagrams below indicate where to find the code on your card:

American Express	Visa / Mastercard

Verified by VISA and MasterCard SecureCode

VISA and MasterCard have created a higher standard of security for online card transactions. Currently, it is still up to the card holder to decide whether or not to sign up to this service. This new process is the online equivalent of the now familiar 'Chip and PIN' procedure used in shops and restaurants.

The service requires the card holder to record a password (and sometimes a personal message) with the card issuer that is not revealed to anyone else. Then on those websites that have enrolled with the service, at the point at which the card payment is charged - or, in the case of Foyles, authorised but not charged - the card holder is taken to the secure site of the card issuer and asked to verify their card details by confirming their password. When this is input correctly the card issuer authorises the card or charge.

You can find more information at the following Card Issuers' websites:

VISA
MASTERCARD

Why did Foyles decide to implement this?

These verification processes provide an extra layer of protection for customers using credit cards online. As Foyles takes customer card security very seriously, we want to provide the highest possible levels of security on our site.

Do I have to use Verified by VISA (VBV™) and MasterCard SecureCode (MCSC™)?

Foyles does not require you to use this service. At this time signing up with your card issuer is voluntary. You will only be asked to enter your password if you have already signed up for this service. However, please note that if you have enrolled with the card issuer we cannot complete your order unless you successfully enter your password.

I don't remember enrolling for this but you are asking me to connect to my bank. What do I do?

You should contact your card issuer as their records indicate that you have enrolled and they therefore require you to use the service. You can use another card on our website that you have not enrolled.

What happens if I can't remember my password?

On the secure sites you are taken to during the process, the card issuers offer a Password reminder service. If this is not successful you will need to contact your card issuer in order to use this card on our website and complete the order. There is also a Help Option on the Password entry page that the Card Issuer updates with help and contact details. You can use another card that you have not enrolled into VBV or MSC.

If you enter your password incorrectly 3 times then the Card Issuer will decline the transaction. You may see messaging about this directly from them. You will see the following message from us afterwards;

'Dear Customer,

Unfortunately, your card has not been authorised for this order by your card issuer. The most likely cause is simply incomplete or incorrect details. If you wish to re-check your data and try again with this or another card, please go to your Order History and click 'Continue checkout' on the relevant order. Foyles recommends that where start dates and issue numbers exist on your card, it is best to complete them just in case your card issuer requires them.

If you are certain that the information is correct, but your order is still not going through, we suggest you contact your card issuer as they may be able to tell you the cause and resolve the problem with your input. Please feel free to contact Foyles with any information regarding this transaction provided by the bank as, if we can help in any way, we will. However, we can only reply during the Charing Cross Rd bookshop's opening hours.

You have not been charged for this order and it is held in your Order History where it can be completed or removed.

You may also find our Help pages useful.

Yours sincerely,

Foyles Customer Services.'

Once I use this service, does that mean you then hold my password details?

No, Foyles does not see or store your password, which is submitted directly to your card issuer over a secure link.

Can I place my order with you by other means?

You can place your order with Foyles branches by phone, fax or email see Our Bookstores but please do not fax or email your credit card details. When you use any of these methods, unless there is a technical problem preventing you from completing your order online, in-store pricing and despatch rules will apply, which will not necessarily match online pricing, despatch rules and special offers.

Back to Top

Back To Main Help