Lost or Stolen MasterCard? Here’s What to Do

Lost or Stolen MasterCardUnfortunately, it happens to the best of us: you reach into your wallet or purse to pull out your debit MasterCard, and find out that it’s not there. Or worse, you realize your whole wallet or purse is gone, along with all of your payment cards and other personal information. If it happens to you, here’s what to do to minimize your losses and disruption to your life.
First, call your card issuer and tell them to cancel your lost or stolen card. By doing this, you are not closing your account – you are just telling that to deactivate the particular piece of plastic that was lost or stolen (the physical debit card that you used to access your account). If your card was a prepaid debit MasterCard, you can use the resources at GetDebit.com to locate the contact information associated with your card. Don’t wait – call them as soon as you realize you no longer have your card.

You can also use MasterCard’s global directory to get in touch with a MasterCard customer service agent (they are open 24/7, every day of the year). You can access the MasterCard global directory here.

Many MasterCard debit card issuers (including prepaid debit card issuers), will work with you to make sure you get a temporary debit card if you need a card quickly. Be aware that some issuers may charge an expedited delivery fee to get your replacement debit card shipped to you immediately (be sure to ask).

By reporting your card lost or stolen immediately, you may be protected under the MasterCard Zero Liability policy for unauthorized purchases.

Next, make sure to carefully scan your online bank statement or prepaid debit card statement to look for any suspicious transactions that you did not authorize. If you find any, report them immediately to reduce the chance that you may pay for them by mistake or that you won’t qualify for any protections under the Zero Liability policy.

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