What to Do After You’ve Lost Your Debit Card: 5 Steps
When you’re dealing with a lost debit card, the situation occurs either because the card was stolen or you’ve misplaced it. Either of these scenarios can be unsettling. You’ll want to remain calm and notify your bank or credit union about the card right away.
Acting quickly should protect the money in your checking account and make sure your financial institution doesn’t hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges. But if you fail to report the loss in a timely manner, you could face increased liability if someone uses your card without permission.
The following guide will explain how to keep your money safe if you lose your debit card. You’ll also learn the steps you can take to report a stolen or lost debit card, along with how to report a compromised PIN.
Lost debit card: What to do
First, try not to panic if you lose your debit card. Instead, here are five steps you can take to protect your finances from fraud.
1. Report the loss to your bank or credit union
As soon as you discover your debit card is missing, reach out to your financial institution. Federal law may protect you from liability for any fraudulent charges on your bank account — but that protection depends on how quickly you report the problem.
- Within two business days: Your financial institution may only hold you liable for up to $50 worth of fraudulent transactions.
- More than two business days but within 60 calendar days after you receive your statement: Your financial institution may hold you liable for up to $500 worth of losses.
- More than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you: Your financial institution may hold you liable for all of the money missing from your deposit account.
Once you contact your bank or credit union, your financial institution should also freeze or cancel your missing debit card. Note: If you think you may have only misplaced your debit card, you could ask your bank if a temporary freeze is possible to give you a few days to look for it.
If your bank freezes or cancels your debit card, either of these actions should prevent additional charges from going through on your bank account. Your financial institution may also send you a replacement debit card, often with a new account number.
2. Check your account for suspicious activity
Next, look through your bank account history and most recent bank statement and search for any transactions you don’t recognize. Any suspicious transactions, even small ones, could be a sign of fraud.
Write a list of the transactions you don’t remember making. Record the transaction amount, date and merchant name so you’ll have this information when you call your bank to report the fraudulent activity.
3. Follow up with your bank
You should not only call your bank but also follow up with a written notification to document your lost debit card. Consider sending your bank an email, letter or secure message via your online banking portal or mobile app. Make sure to save a copy of the message and any confirmation or reply for your records.
If problems come up later, such as fraudulent transactions or disagreements regarding liability, you’ll want the written confirmation that you reported the loss of your debit card in a timely manner.
4. Update your debit card’s autopay
After your bank freezes or cancels your debit card, you’ll need to reach out to any companies using this payment method for recurring payments. Make sure to update the payment method on file.
The sooner you can update that information the better to avoid potential issues such as late fees, pauses in service and other unpleasant consequences.
5. If necessary, get a new debit card
Once you receive your debit card, keep your information safe moving forward.
- Set up account alerts. Alerts differ, but you could set up texts or emails to track purchases, including large purchases. These notifications could help you know right away if you’re a victim of fraud.
- Keep a copy of your account information. Consider making a digital or hard copy of your account information and the customer service number from the back of your debit card and storing it in a safe location. If your debit card is lost or stolen, you’ll still have access to the information you need to contact your financial institution right away.
- Protect your PIN and secure your card. Memorize your PIN and don’t share it with anyone. Sign the back of your card when you receive it, and store it in a safe place when you aren’t using it. Don’t leave it unattended.
How to report a stolen or lost debit card
In general, the process of reporting a lost or stolen debit card should be similar from one bank or credit union to the next. But you may notice some subtle differences depending on where you bank.
Below are basic tips to help you navigate the process of reporting a lost or stolen debit card at a handful of major banks.
Ally | Visit Ally.com or use your mobile app to temporarily lock your card. Next, order a replacement card online or using the mobile app, and report your debit card lost or stolen. |
Bank of America | Call customer service at 800-718-6710. You can also visit the member website to report a lost or stolen debit card online. |
CIT Bank | Call customer service at 855-462-2652 to report a lost or stolen debit card. Customer service hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT on Saturday. You can also use the CIT Bank mobile app to immediately disable your debit card. |
Capital One | Call the bank at 800-655-2265 to request a new debit card. Alternatively, you can request a replacement debit card online or via the Capital One mobile app. |
Chase | Call 800-935-9935 right away to report a lost or stolen debit card or visit chase.com/customerservice to learn call center hours. Chase will also let you request a replacement card online at chase.com/digital/replace-card. |
PNC | Report a lost or stolen debit card via the PNC Mobile App, through Online Banking, at a local PNC branch or at 800-558-8472. If you think you’ve only misplaced your debit card, you can lock your card temporarily with the PNC Easy Lock feature while you search for it. Use Online Banking or the mobile app to access this tool. |
TD Bank | You can use the TD Bank app to lock your debit card as soon as you discover it’s missing. Customer service is available 24/7 at 888-751-9000 to report the loss or theft of your debit card, or visit a TD Bank branch to report your missing card in person. |
Wells Fargo | Contact customer service at wellsfargo.com/replacemycard or 800-869-3557 to notify the bank about your missing debit card and to request a replacement. |
Lost debit card PIN: What to do
If you have your debit card but have lost or forgotten your PIN, it could be a challenge to withdraw cash from your bank account or even to authorize certain types of transactions. The good news is that many banks will allow you to reset your PIN so you can regain use of your card.
Below are some general instructions from several popular banks on how to change your PIN if you have forgotten it.
Ally | Call 833-414-4855 to reset your PIN. You’ll need to provide the last four digits of your debit card number and the expiration date to update your PIN. You can also call customer service for live assistance at 877-247-2559. |
Bank of America | Call customer service at 800-432-1000 (Monday to Friday: 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Eastern Time or Saturday to Sunday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., ET) and schedule an appointment to visit a local financial center for assistance. |
Capital One | Log into your account online or use the Capital One Mobile app. Select the appropriate checking account and click or tap “change PIN.” After you verify your identity, enter your new PIN selection and reenter the new PIN to confirm. |
CIT Bank | Call customer service at 855-462-2652. The bank will randomly generate another PIN and send it to you via mail. |
Chase | Call the number on the back of your debit card for assistance changing your PIN. |
TD Bank | Visit your local TD Bank branch or call customer service at 888-751-9000. The bank can send you a PIN via mail, but it may take seven to 10 business days to receive it. |
PNC | You can visit a PNC branch for help setting a new PIN for your debit card. Another option is to call the customer service number on the back of your debit card to get a new randomly generated PIN. Once generated, a bank representative will mail your new PIN to your address on file. |
Wells Fargo | Call the number on the back of your debit card and a Phone Banker can help by mailing a new system-generated PIN to you after verifying your identity. If you’d like a new PIN of your choosing faster, you can bring your debit card and identification into a local Wells Fargo branch for assistance. |