Card missing or compromised? Block it immediately.
Use your bank/card issuer’s official mobile or internet banking facility, card-control facility, helpline or another verified reporting channel to block the affected card.
If there is a realistic possibility that the card is lost, stolen or compromised, don’t leave it active while you continue searching or wait to see whether someone tries to use it.
RBI requires card issuers to block a lost card immediately when informed. Any required formalities can follow in accordance with the issuer’s applicable policy.
What Should You Do Now?
Block the card
Use a verified official channel of your bank/card issuer. Do not rely on a customer-care number or link supplied by an unknown person.
Check recent transactions
Review your card/account activity for purchases, ATM withdrawals or other transactions that you do not recognise.
Report any unauthorised transaction separately
Blocking the card prevents further use. It does not by itself replace the need to report and dispute a transaction that you did not authorise.
Keep proof of reporting
Save the blocking confirmation, complaint/reference number, SMS, email or screenshot showing when the incident was reported.
Lost, Stolen or Compromised — What’s the Difference?
Card lost or stolen
You cannot locate the physical card or believe someone else may have possession of it. Block it without delay.
Card still with you, but possibly compromised
You still possess the card, but its details may have been exposed — for example, through a suspicious website, message, call or other interaction. Do not assume the card is safe merely because it remains in your possession.
Why does quick reporting matter?
If the customer notices an unauthorised transaction, it should be reported to the bank immediately.
Under RBI’s customer-protection framework, where the unauthorised transaction results from a third-party breach and the fault lies neither with the bank nor with the customer, zero customer liability can arise where the customer reports the transaction within 3 working days of receiving the bank’s communication regarding the unauthorised transaction.
Do not wait for this period to expire. If the customer becomes aware of an unauthorised transaction, it should be reported immediately.
Different rules apply where the bank is at fault, the customer has been negligent, or reporting is delayed. See the Unauthorised Card Transactions guide for the complete liability rules.
Did you find an unauthorised transaction?
Blocking the card is only the first step. Report the unauthorised transaction separately to your bank/card issuer and obtain a complaint/reference number.
Customer liability depends on factors such as how the transaction occurred and when it was reported. BankBodh covers those rules separately in the Unauthorised Card Transactions guide.
Keep a Record of What You Reported
Don’t rely only on remembering that you called the bank. Preserve the information that shows what was reported and when.
Keep the SMS, email, app confirmation or other acknowledgement showing that the card was blocked.
Save the number provided when reporting loss, theft, compromise or an unauthorised transaction.
Preserve when you discovered the problem and when you notified the bank/card issuer.