At IB, they have a few different security devices, which they hand out when you first register the account depending on where your account size lies. I think under $100K you get a plastic card, between $100K to $500K you get an electronic card device. And $500K and higher you get an even more advanced electronic device. If you start with humble beginnings and grow your account so that you fall into another classification, do you get to request the better security device? Does IB automatically send you a new security device as soon as you 'bump up' into the next category? Or do you have to request it?
I have been using a platinum login token since they were first issued 7 years ago. It has always worked great, easy to use, with a combination of numerical characters and the letters of the alphabet. The platinum token is about 13 times more secure compared to the replacement digital gold card+. Two weeks ago, IB sent me an email urgently instructing me to login to my account management and order the new replacement digital gold card+ as my platinum card had reached it's expected battery life, could fail at any time, and was being discontinued. So I did as instructed. When I received the new digital gold card+, I logged into my account with the platinum token and activated the new digital gold card+, logged out of my account, and tried to log back into my account to try out my new digital gold card+. I could not login into my account through the IB website. I tried to login to TWS and that worked; However, the account management link in TWS would not get me into my account management. I called IB customer service and reached a very pleasant login card assistant who tried to help solve the problem and did manage to fix the login through TWS but was not able to fix the account login through IB's website. He did not know the reason that was causing my login problem, but he was not going to provide me any further help because my firefox browser version was not version 23 or later. For two weeks now and counting I still can not login to account management through the IB website. As for the digital gold card+, the card buttons work well if the card is laying on a flat table top. However, when I am holding the card in my hands, the buttons frequently activate from touching the back side of the card, frequently do not activate from the top side of the card if fingers are touching the back side of the card, and moving fingers across the back of the card can activate several unintended numbers in one login attempt. This new digital gold card+ is cheap ($20.00 hold on account compared to a $150.00 hold for the platinum card) and does not function reliably which the platinum card did. I hope others are having a much better experience with the use of their new digital gold card+. If you have a need to carry your login device in a billfold, like a credit card, the new digital cards will have that ability. The IB customer service rep that worked with me said I cannot go back to the platinum card even though it only needs 2 new coin cell batteries to extend it's live for many more years.
I have the same experience with the replacement of the alpine device. The new credit card like device looks cheap and I was uspisious. However, now after a year use, it works actually rather fine. It works best with a flat support, but apart from teh on-button, the other buttons only need a very light touch. Still I think it looks a bit cheap, but seem to work Ok.
If I could login with my digital gold card+through IB's website, the card would be a keeper. The lack of the cards stiffness and problems with the unintended triggering of buttons from the cards back side is a easy fix for me with about an hours work. I think it would function for me as well as the platinum token at a far lesser cost, although not as secure (but hopefully secure enough).
Uh oh, my platinum card is at least that old. Seems like I've used it forever. Guess I'll expect a message soon. Maybe I'll just try and replace the batteries when they fail. I hate login problems...
Not sure you will get the opportunity to keep using your platinum device, I didn't after passing on the offer to upgrade a couple of days, although my device is not old. It seems IB is in a hurry to replace the older devices. I'm avaiting the digital + card and reading the post about logging problems i'm quite worried. Would hate beeing stuck out of account (and funds) management.
Thanks. Yeah I kinda thought replacing the batteries would be too easy... Guess I'll just get the new one and hope for the best. Good trading to all.
FWIW I received the digital + card and although it looks and feels more fragile than the platinum device, it's working fine so far.