Federal Bank Debit Card: Features & Benefits, How to Apply, Fees & Charges

In order to avail any of the debit cards, it is important to have an account with the Federal Bank. Here is the basic eligibility criteria for debit cards:

• You must have a savings or current account with the bank
• You must be an Indian resident

Note: This is the basic eligibility criteria and it varies from card to card. For an instance, you must have a FedFirst Savings Account to apply for FedFirst Contactless Debit Card. Similarly, you must have a Celesta Savings Account to apply for Celesta Contactless Debit Card.

Just like Federal Bank credit cards, you can shop and earn benefits on your expenses on your debit cards as well. You can earn rewards, cashback, complimentary lounge access and other additional privileges with your debit card. Below mentioned are some of the major features and benefits of debit cards:

• You can easily withdraw cash from any bank’s ATM
• You can earn reward points and later redeem them as per the variant of your card
• You can use your card for domestic as well as international transactions
• You can avail free domestic and international airport lounge access as per the variant of your card
• You can make contactless payments just by tapping your card at the PoS machine

No doubt debit cards allow you to easily access your funds along with other benefits. However, there are a few limitations imposed on Federal Bank Debit Cards as per the below details:

The bank gives you a debit card whenever you open a savings account. However, you can also apply for it separately if you do not have a debit card. All you need to do is download the application form through the official website of the bank. You are required to submit the duly filled application form along with relevant documents (if required), to any of the nearest branches of the bank. After this, the bank will verify your details and issue a debit card to you as per the eligibility.

Click here to download the application form.

In order to use your card, you are required to activate it by setting the four-digit PIN. You are required to enter this PIN every time you make a transaction via your debit card. The PIN protects you from any kind of fraud by ensuring that the transaction was made with the right debit card. Here is how to activate Federal Bank Debit Card:

Step 1: Send an SMS to 5676762 or 9895088888 in the following format:

SP <<space>> last four digits of debit card

Step 2: You will receive an SMS that contains OTP to enable a soft PIN. This OTP is valid for 24 hours.

Step 3: Visit any Federal Bank ATM within 24 hours to activate your debit card. At the ATM, select Soft PIN option on the ATM screen before inserting the card.

Step 4: After selecting the Soft PIN option, you will be asked to insert the card.

Step 5: After inserting the card, you are required to enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number.

Step 6: After entering OTP, you will be asked to enter the new PIN that you wish to set.

Step 7: Enter the new PIN once more and submit.

Step 8: You will then receive a success/ failure message on the screen. You will also receive an SMS on your registered mobile number regarding the same.

Step 9: Upon successful transaction, the new PIN will be updated and the card will be activated.

You can use your debit cards for online as well as offline transactions, just like your Federal Bank credit cards. Here is how a debit card works:

Using Debit Card for Online Transactions:

To use your debit card for online transactions, you are required to enter your card details, including card number, expiry date and CVV. Then, you are required to enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number at the merchant website. After this, you will receive a confirmation message on your mobile number regarding the transaction.

Using Debit Card for Offline Transactions:               

To use your debit card for offline transactions, you can swipe your card at the PoS machine and enter the four-digit PIN. It is important to enter the correct PIN to complete a transaction; the PIN ensures that the transaction is carried out from the right debit card. Also, just like online transactions, you will receive a confirmation message on your mobile number.

Q. How can I apply for a Federal Bank Debit Card?

A. You can apply for Federal Debit Cards by downloading the application form and submitting it to the nearest branch of the bank. You are required to submit the duly filled application form along with relevant documents. The bank will verify your details and process your request.

Q. Do I have to enter a Federal Bank Debit Card PIN every time I make a transaction?

A. Yes, you are required to enter the four-digit PIN every time you make a transaction via your debit card. The PIN works as an added layer of security by ensuring that the transaction is made through the right debit card.

Q. How will I know that my Federal Bank Debit Card is contactless?

A. In order to check whether your card is contactless, you can look for the contactless symbol on your card and also on the machine at the shop. If you can see the symbol, then your card is a contactless debit card and you can make transactions just by tapping it at the PoS machine.

Q. How can I track the application status of my Federal Bank Debit Card?

A. For Federal Bank debit card tracking, you can visit the official website of the bank and check your status. To do so, you are required to enter the application number that was generated when you applied for the card. Apart from this, you can also contact the Federal Bank customer care and ask the representative about the same.

Q. What are the types of Federal Bank Debit Cards?

A. Federal Bank has classified debit cards under three variants, i.e., Visa, Mastercard and RuPay. Under these variants, the debit cards are classified into four categories, including Celesta, Imperio, Crown and FedFirst. You can apply for any of the debit cards as per your requirement and eligibility.

Q. How does a Federal Bank Contactless Debit Card work?

A. The contactless cards have a chip and an antenna. Whenever you tap your card against a contactless-enabled PoS machine, the details get transferred wirelessly from the card to the terminal and your transaction gets processed. In such transactions, you are not required to enter the four-digit PIN.

Q. Can I avail Federal Bank Debit Card EMI on my transactions?

A. Yes, you can avail Federal Bank Debit Card EMI facility on your transactions. To do so, you can check whether the merchant offers Federal Debit Card EMI facility or not. If yes, then you can opt for the same. Besides this, you can also contact the customer care of the bank and ask the representative to convert your required transaction into EMI.