Lost or Stolen Card Abroad: What to Do First

Look through pending and posted transactions since you last used the card. A restaurant bill paid before the freeze can post the next morning, which is normal. A purchase you never made needs reporting, whether it is still pending or already posted.

For each unknown entry, note the merchant name, amount, currency and date, and send it through the issuer’s app or secure upload. If the card turns up after you reported it, leave it cancelled: its details may already be exposed.

Protection depends on where the card was issued. In the US, the CFPB says you owe at most $50 of unauthorized charges when a credit card is lost or stolen, and nothing if only the number was stolen. For a debit card, the $50 cap applies if you report the loss within two business days. Visa’s Zero Liability Policy generally covers unauthorized use of Visa cards, except some commercial and anonymous prepaid cards.

List what you must pay before a new card can reach you: transport, food and the room. Example: a EUR 20 transfer, EUR 25 for food and an EUR 80 room balance make EUR 125 needed now, not the rest of the trip budget.

Pay that amount with your backup card or cash. Without a backup, ask the issuer about emergency cash. Visa says emergency cash is typically ready for pickup within hours after your bank approves it, and the timing depends on your bank, your location and local holidays.

A friend or relative can also send money through a transfer service. Before they send, make sure the recipient name matches your ID exactly, and confirm the pickup point, its opening hours and the fee.

Ask the issuer which options it offers where you are. Visa describes three: a physical replacement, typically delivered within three to five days after the request; emergency cash; and, at some banks, a digital card for Apple Pay or Google Pay, typically issued within hours of approval.

For a physical card, give an address where you will still be when it arrives, such as your hotel, and ask what happens if you move on before delivery. Ask about the delivery fee and the ID needed to collect it.

Visa cardholders can also report a card through Visa’s customer assistance service: from the US, call 1-800-847-2911; Visa lists numbers for other countries and also offers an online form and chat. Visa then works with your bank to cancel the card.

Move subscriptions, bookings and hotel or car deposits from the old card to the new one, or tell the merchant. Keep receipts and case numbers, answer the issuer’s questions about disputed charges and keep watching the account for unknown payments.

Then fix the gap that hurt most on this trip: a second card from another provider kept in a different bag, cash for one night, and support numbers saved where you can reach them without your phone.