I lost my debit card how can i get cash

Whether you misplaced your wallet, think you left your card at a bar or fear you've been pickpocketed, realizing you can't account for your debit card can induce panic. Taking quick action can help to ensure no one empties your checking account.

"The maximum potential loss increases drastically if you do not report it either before any loss is incurred or within two business days of realizing that your card has been lost or stolen," says Erik M. Baskin, founder and financial planner at Baskin Financial Planning in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "Your bank account can definitely be zeroed out if you do not report this loss quick enough."

What to Do When You've Lost Your Debit Card

What should you do first?

• Freeze or cancel your card. If you have the ability to "freeze" your card (i.e., put it on hold) with your bank's mobile app, you may want to do that as soon as possible. If you then discover your card was simply misplaced, rather than lost or stolen, you may be able to "unfreeze" it with the same app.
• Notify your bank or credit union. As soon as you're reasonably certain you won't find your card, contact your bank or credit union and request a replacement. Typically, you can do this by phone or by visiting a branch location. Your lost card will be canceled, and it may take up to seven days to receive a new one. If there's a fee for expedited delivery, you can ask to have it waived as a courtesy.
• Monitor your account online at least once a day. If you find any fraudulent transactions, notify your bank as soon as possible. Don't ignore small transactions that you don't recognize; fraudsters could be testing their ability to access your account.
• Send a follow-up letter or email to your bank to create a written record. Include the information you provided by phone or in person. Ask your bank to acknowledge receipt electronically or by certified U.S. mail.
• Update your autopays. Contact any businesses or other entities that you pay with an autopay service connected to your card so you won't miss a payment and possibly be charged a late fee.

What Is Your Liability for Fraudulent Charges?

How much you could lose as a result of fraudulent charges depends on how soon you notify your bank. If you report your missing or stolen card before any transactions are made, you won't be responsible for any losses. Report within two days of realizing you don't have your card, and your total losses are limited by law to $50. Report within 60 calendar days after your bank sends your statement to you, and the cap is $500. After that, there's no limit on how much you could lose.

"After 60 calendar days, you could be on the hook for all fraudulent charges," says Elliott Appel, founder and financial planner at Kindness Financial Planning in Madison, Wisconsin. "This is why it's really important to monitor your transactions and report any fraudulent charges as soon as possible."

It can take up to 90 days for your bank to research and resolve any fraudulent charges. During that time, you may be given a temporary credit for missing funds.

Having a debit card needn't mean living in constant fear of losing it if you take proper steps to keep it secure.

• Consider setting up a digital wallet, which lets you make payments or withdraw funds from ATMs with an app on your phone rather than your physical plastic card. With a digital wallet, you don't have to carry your card with you to use it.
• Set up alerts on your bank accounts so you'll be notified whenever a transaction occurs. Alerts can give you an early warning of fraudulent activity.
• Consider using a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards aren't directly linked to your checking account. Many come with zero liability for unauthorized transactions.
• Never share your debit card or card information with anyone you don't trust. Cyberthieves don't need to have your card in their possession to use it without your permission.
• Don't carry cards you don't plan to use in your wallet.
• Be protective of your personal identification number associated with your card. Never write your PIN on anything in your wallet.
• Review your account online at least once a week to make sure all the charges are valid.

"By taking these steps and remaining vigilant," Baskin says, "you should be able to detect any fraudulent activity early and ensure that your liability is minimized in the event of a loss or theft of your debit card."

A lost or stolen debit card is an anxiety-producing event—and for good reason. If somebody uses that card, funds come out of your bank account immediately. You need to act fast so you can put this moment of panic behind you before anything bad happens.

The details will be covered below, but if you've just lost your card, immediately call your bank or card issuer and let them know. You need to freeze or cancel the card first and foremost so that anyone who finds your card won't be able to use it.

What to Do if You've Lost Your Debit Card

Here are the steps you need to take if you can't find your debit card.

Contact Your Bank

Contact your bank as soon as you realize your card is missing. If there's any uncertainty about where your card is, you should still reach out to your bank. For example, maybe you think you remember leaving your wallet in a booth at a bar. However, you don't know for sure that's where you left it, and since you aren't at the bar anymore, you can't be sure that it's still there.

Note

Any uncertainty benefits thieves—not you—so it's best to quickly contact your bank out of an abundance of caution.

If you regularly check your bank statements on a web browser or phone app, then you can use that log-in information to contact your bank. Most websites and apps will have a section dedicated to reporting lost or stolen cards, and some of these services will immediately cancel a misplaced card. While you're online, check your account balance and recent transactions to ensure that a thief hasn't already started draining your funds.

If you don’t have contact information, perform a web search for your bank or card issuer’s website. However, don't let your desperation cloud your judgment. Scammers may build imposter websites designed to catch worried customers in a hurry to contact their bank. An online scammer can't do much with the fact that you've lost your card, but if you start talking to the scammer and reveal sensitive information—thinking that you're talking to a legitimate bank representative—then you could be putting yourself at risk.

Note

Check out the website before calling anyone or giving out any information; ensure that the website is secure, free of grammatical errors, and has an accurate URL.

In some cases, such as during bank holidays, you might not be able to reach your bank. However, card issuers typically have 24/7 fraud departments or contracts with service providers who can freeze your card. No matter the day or hour, you should be able to reach someone who can help you freeze your card.

Ask for a Freeze or Cancel the Card

Notify your bank or card issuer that you do not have your card, and it’s either lost or stolen. If you simply lost the card, and you think you might be able to find it, then you can ask for a temporary freeze. That freeze will prevent the card from working while you try to find out where it is.

Note

If you've noticed any fraudulent activity on your account, this is a good time to bring it up.

Not all cards can be frozen, and if yours can't (or you're worried you won't be able to find it) then you'll have to cancel the card and get a new one. Getting a new card is usually a pretty quick process, though some providers charge a fee for new cards.

Cancel Automatic Billing

After your card is disabled, notify any entities who might try to charge the card legitimately. Billers like your electricity or internet provider might automatically take payments from the card each month, but those payments may not go through successfully if you've canceled your card. Notify billers ahead of time, and provide a replacement card number so that you can avoid late fees and other inconveniences.

In some cases, your bank might allow a few charges to come through if those charges are known to be legitimate. For example, monthly charges that have a long track record of going undisputed won't be seen as suspect. Still, it's best to contact your biller ahead of time rather than depending on your bank to judge the charge as legitimate.

Follow Up

It’s a good idea to follow up with your card issuer in writing, especially if you’re worried about somebody using the card fraudulently. Send a letter to the issuer explaining that you do not have the card and would like to cancel it. Be sure to include today's date on the letter and any details of your conversation with the card issuer on the phone. You should also ask the delivery service for a tracking number so you can confirm that your letter is delivered.

Note

The Federal Trade Commission has helpful tips about lost credit and debit cards.

Why Should You Report a Lost Debit Card?

In a worst-case scenario, a thief can use the card to drain your bank account. Even worse, your bills won't stop coming in just because your money was stolen. If your account is fully drained by a thief, then checks will bounce, and you may be unable to fund automatic payments and other purchases. As a result, you could be left paying late penalties, overdraft charges, and other fees.

Note

If you have an overdraft line of credit on your account, scammers may be able to spend more than you have available in your account.

While a thief might try to drain your account, you do have some protections against excessive losses. However, these protections only apply to people who act quickly once they realize something is wrong.

Once you tell the bank that your card is missing, the bank should freeze or cancel the card. After that, there shouldn't be any fraudulent charges on your account, and if there are charges from the lost card, it should be easy to remove them.

If there were charges on the card before you noticed them, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) limits your losses to $50. However, your losses are only limited to $50 if you notify the bank of the fraud within two days of losing your card. If you forget to let the bank know or otherwise wait longer than two days, then your maximum loss increases to $500. If you fail to notify the bank that your card is missing for more than 60 days, then you lose loss protection, and any funds stolen from you will be gone forever.

Note

Banks may choose to be even more forgiving than the law requires, but it's up to the bank's discretion.

Preventing Issues

To prevent another issue with a lost debit card, consider carrying a credit card instead of a debit card for everyday use. Credit cards typically have more robust consumer protection than an account-linked debit card. This allows you to reduce your risk without sacrificing the convenience of card payments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I cancel a charge on a debit card?

To dispute a charge on your debit card, you'll need to contact your bank directly. Their decision may take several days to go through. However, this usually only works for charges that you believe are fraudulent. If you simply want to stop a payment that you've made, you will likely need to ask the merchant to cancel the transaction or issue a refund.

How can I cancel my debit card?

Depending on the company that you have a debit card with, you may be able to cancel it through your online account. Otherwise, you will need to contact customer service to verify your identity and cancel your card.

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The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.