How to Reset a Password on a Consumer's Online Account

Modified on Thu, Mar 6 at 2:50 PM

When a consumer registers with the website they are required to enter an email address and choose a password. This email/password combination is used to validate the user on each login to the website.

If a user forgets their password or enters the wrong password too many times they will be locked out of their account. An agent with appropriate permissions must reset their account.

When this happens, the consumer will receive an email with a password reset link in it. They can use this link to create a new password. The link will expire after 24 hours.

Instructions for an Agent to reset a Consumer Password

1. Locate the Consumer’s Account

Search for the user’s account using their reference number.
If the consumer has multiple reference numbers, you can use any of them.
For details on accessing an account, refer to the instructions on how to view a consumer account.

2. Resetting the Password

Once the account is open, locate and click on Reset Online Password in the Actions bar.
If this option is missing, either:
- The reference number is not associated with a web user, or
- You do not have permission to perform this action.

3. Sending the Password reset link to the consumer

On the next screen, verify the Old Email Address, which is the email currently associated with the account.
Enter the email address where the reset link should be sent in the Send Reset to Email Address field.
Click Reset to send the password reset email.

4. Confirm the Email Has Been Sent

Once you click Reset, a confirmation message will appear above the old email address, showing where the email was sent.
In most cases, you should send the reset email to the consumer’s current email address.
To avoid typos, it’s best to copy and paste the email address.

5. Special Circumstances

In rare cases, you may need to send the reset email to a different address.
For example, if the consumer cannot receive emails at their primary address due to a firewall or email policy, you can enter a secondary email address instead.
Emails are typically sent within one minute. If the consumer is on the phone with you, wait for them to confirm receipt.

Additional Security Information

Agents should never ask a consumer for their password, nor should consumers share their passwords with agents.
Agents can only send password reset emails - these emails do NOT contain passwords.
For security reasons, the password reset link is only valid for 24 hours.

Below is an example of the email the consumer will receive

After clicking the link, the user will see a screen to reset the their password.