How to Block Your Bank Card if You Lose It

Losing a bank card is stressful, but it is not a reason to panic. The most important thing is to act quickly. As long as your card is not blocked, anyone who finds it could use it to pay or withdraw money. The good news: blocking a card usually takes about a minute, and there is nothing you can do wrong here. This guide walks you through every single step, even if you have never done this before.

A banking app is a small program on your smartphone that lets you view and manage your bank account without visiting a branch. You can recognise it by your bank's logo on your phone's home screen.

How to block your card, step by step

The exact wording of menu items can differ slightly from bank to bank. Do not let that worry you — just look for similar words like "card," "block," or "settings." Here is the typical process:

1. Open your bank's banking app on your smartphone by tapping the icon with your bank's logo.
2. Log in to the app — for example with your fingerprint, your face, or your PIN (a personal secret number only you know).
3. Tap the "Cards" menu item, usually shown with a small icon that looks like a credit card.
4. Tap to select the card you lost.
5. Open the card settings — often hidden behind three dots ("...") or a gear-shaped icon on the card details screen.
6. Look through this list for an entry called "Block card" or "Report card lost."
7. Tap "Block card."
8. Confirm the block in the dialog box that appears — sometimes it will ask for your fingerprint or PIN again.

Once you confirm this last step, your card is blocked. Nobody can use it to pay or withdraw cash anymore — including you, for the moment, but that is fine, because that is exactly the point right now.

Important: the difference between "block card" and "pause payments"

Many apps also offer separate switches, such as "disable online payments" or "turn off contactless payments." These only restrict one specific way of paying — the card can still be used for everything else. That is not enough if your card is lost. Always choose the full "block card" option when a card is lost, not just a partial feature.

What to do after your card is blocked

At most banks, a blocked card cannot simply be unblocked again, even if you find it later. So order a new card. This is usually possible directly in the app, often under the same "Cards" menu, or by calling your bank. The new card typically arrives by post within a few business days. If you would like to compare accounts that come with a banking app, you can find an overview at /en/personal-accounts.

Watch out for scammers

After losing a card, scammers sometimes call pretending to be "your bank." A typical script sounds like this: "Hello, this is your bank. We noticed suspicious charges, please confirm your PIN or the code from the text message." A real bank will never ask for this over the phone. If this happens, hang up immediately. Then call your bank back yourself — using the phone number on the back of your old card or inside the banking app, never a number the caller gave you.

What to do if something goes wrong

Quick recap

1. Open your banking app
2. Log in
3. Tap "Cards"
4. Select the affected card
5. Open card settings
6. Look for "Block card"
7. Tap to block it
8. Confirm the block

And if you cannot reach the app: call the emergency block hotline 116 116.