What to do when your credit card is lost or stolen

Who do I call to report a lost or stolen credit card?

Credit card providers have 24/7 hotlines you can call when your credit card is lost or stolen. You can do it online too or via your banking app.

4 steps to take if your card is lost or stolen

1. Cancel or lock your credit card.
2. Check your transaction history to make sure there are no unauthorised transactions.
3. Contact your credit card provider and let it know what's happened.
4. Wait for your new card to arrive. In the meantime, cancel any automatic payments on your old card and update them with the new one.

If you use mobile or Internet banking, you should be able to log in to your account and lock your card. This will stop anyone else from being able to use it.

If you know your credit card has been stolen, you can also cancel your card completely online. While logged in to your account, you should check your transaction history to ensure there have been no unauthorised transactions.

Reversing transactions

You can also phone your credit card provider and let them know what has happened. This is important if someone has used your credit card.

Getting transactions reversed should be a simple process thanks to your card's zero liability protection.

You can read our guide here for more information on what to do if you suspect fraud and how to avoid it happening to you.

Our expert says: You have to report your stolen card

"One reason I love my credit card is because of the security and protections it offers. If someone steals my card and spends $500 at Dan Murphy's (this really happened), I can get that transaction reversed really easily. But these protections require you to report the card lost or stolen. So contact your bank or log into your app as soon as you can. "

Richard Whitten

Money Editor

What happens after I report a stolen or lost credit card?

Once you have reported a lost or stolen credit card, your card can no longer be used. In some cases, you will be locked out of your account completely for a period of time.

If you have locked your credit card, no transactions will be authorised, but it is not the same as cancelling your card and a new one will not be automatically sent out. If you have cancelled your card, a new card will be sent out to you.

How long does it take to get a new credit card?

Most banks will send out a replacement card immediately. You can find a comprehensive list of how long banks will take to send out cards here. According to Westpac, customers will receive a new card within 4 to 6 working days.

Some banks will automatically update your digital wallet with your new details, meaning you can continue to make transactions without the need to activate your replacement card.

Please note that if you are reporting your credit card as lost or stolen from overseas, you may be able to request that the bank courier your replacement card (fees may apply). This will take longer than if you were in Australia.

How much does it cost to replace a lost credit card?

Your replacement credit card may not cost you anything. However, some banks do have fees for replacement credit cards. Commonwealth Bank, for example, has a $20 emergency issue/lost/replacement card fee. IMB Bank also has a charge of $10 for every card replacement in excess of 1 per year.

Finder survey: Have Australians ever experienced credit card fraud when travelling overseas?

How your credit card protects you from fraudulent transactions

Each credit card network (Mastercard, Visa and American Express) have some form of policy that protects you if someone uses your card illegally.

You are protected as long as you take reasonable care to protect your card and keep your account details secure.

• Mastercard's Zero Liability Agreement. Mastercard relieves you of liability if you've shown that you took care to protect your card from loss, theft or unauthorised use, and notified your financial institution immediately after discovering that your card was missing. You must also not have reported more than 1 such incident in the last 12 months, your account must be in good standing, and be in compliance with the terms and conditions of the cardholder agreement.
• Visa's Zero Liability Policy. Visa's Zero Liability Policy similarly protects you from fraud, except it does not apply to ATM transactions or transactions that were not processed by Visa. Certain commercial card transactions are also not covered by the policy.
• American Express Fraud Protection Guarantee. Amex's guarantee covers you for fraudulent card charges "as long as you've taken reasonable care to protect your Account details, PIN and any device on which you have added your Account information."

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Richard Whitten as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Rebecca Pike

Senior Money Writer

Rebecca Pike is Finder’s senior money writer, with over 10 years of experience in mortgages and personal finance. A frequent TV and radio commentator, she frequently appears on Sunrise, A Current Affair, 9News, and Sky News, and contributes expert analysis to publications like Yahoo Finance and The Latch. Rebecca previously served as Editor of Mortgage Professional Australia. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism as well as ASIC-recognised certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products, which comply with ASIC guidelines. See full bio

Rebecca's expertise

Rebecca has written 225 Finder guides across topics including:

• Home loans
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