OP Pohjola increases security by adding security limits to all personal customers' Current Accounts

OP Pohjola will set daily and transfer-specific security limits for all its personal customers' Current Accounts in stages during 2026. The customer can adjust the security limits as needed. Currently, customers have set security limits themselves for just over 20 per cent of personal customer accounts.

OP Pohjola is increasing the security of its customers' funds by adding security limits to all personal customer Current Accounts during 2026. Security limits for the Current Accounts of customers with digital IDs will be set at the beginning of June. Security limits for the Current Accounts of customers without digital IDs will be set in November.

Security limits will be set for Current Accounts for which no security limit has previously been defined.  Security limits limits will be set at 10,000 euros. The daily limit determines how much money can be used from the account in one day (24 hours). The limit on single transfers determines how large an individual payment or withdrawal can be.

"Today, a typical scam involves phishing for banking IDs, which are then used to steal funds by means of bank account transfers.  Account security limits aim to prevent the accounts of a person who has been the target of fraud from being completely emptied. The purpose of security limits is therefore to prevent scams, but it is easy for the customer to adjust the security limit to their own needs," says Niina Pakkala, Director of Accounts, Daily Services and Management of Finances at OP Pohjola.

The appropriate level of the security limit depends on the customer's use of their accounts.

"It is advisable for the customer to choose the limits so that regular everyday expenses and spending can be taken care of effortlessly. If the account is not actively used, it is recommended to set stricter limits. It is a good idea to choose particularly strict limits for savings accounts if the funds in the accounts are not actively used."

Customers have limits themselves

OP Pohjola customers have also set limits on their accounts themselves in the past. Currently, approximately 20 per cent of accounts have security limits. The share is increasing, as a year ago the share was 7 per cent. OP Aina, which operates in our digital services, will already use artificial intelligence to suggest security limits to customers this spring and will assist in setting the security limit.

The share is still low compared to people's perceptions of security limits. In March 2025, OP Pohjola commissioned a survey from Taloustutkimus, according to which over 70 per cent of Finns said they had set security limits on their accounts.

"Security limits are also used on cards, and this can sometimes confuse consumers. There may be an assumption that the account security limit has already been set, even though it was a security limit set on a bank card. Account security limits are an easy way to improve the security of the money in customers' accounts. Raising security limits requires SMS confirmation, meaning that the customer must also be sure in future that they do not accept a confirmation request that they did not make.

Media enquiries:

OP Pohjola Communications, tel. +358 10 252 8719, viestinta@op.fi 

OP Pohjola is Finland’s largest financial services group, with more than two million owner-customers and approximately 15,000 employees. We provide a comprehensive range of banking and insurance services for personal and corporate customers. OP Pohjola consists of OP cooperative banks, its central cooperative OP Cooperative, and the latter's subsidiaries and affiliates. Our mission is to promote the sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing of our owner-customers and operating region. Together with our owner-customers, we have been building Finnish society and a sustainable future for 120 years now. www.op.fi