How to Lock or Freeze Your Credit Card
Locking is for a misplaced card
If you cannot find your card but think it is nearby, use your issuer app to lock (or freeze) it. This instantly stops new purchases, ATM withdrawals, and cash advances, yet you can unlock it just as fast once the card turns up, with no need for a replacement. It is the low-stakes, reversible option for a card that is temporarily missing.
What a lock does and does not stop
A lock blocks new transactions, but it generally still lets recurring charges and previously authorized payments go through, so a locked card will not break your subscriptions. It also does not affect your account standing or credit. If the card is truly gone or you see fraud, do not just lock it, report it as lost or stolen so the issuer closes it and sends a new one.
Three different tools, do not confuse them
Keep these separate: a card lock pauses one card in the app; reporting a card lost or stolen permanently closes that card number; and a credit freeze or lock at the bureaus blocks new accounts from being opened in your name (see credit freeze vs lock). For unauthorized charges, your fraud protection covers you regardless.
Frequently asked questions
Related reading
