How do you report a lost or stolen credit card?

Call the number on the back of your card — or your issuer's 24/7 fraud line — immediately. The issuer will freeze the account, cancel the card, and mail a replacement. Under federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act), your liability for unauthorized charges is capped at $50, and most issuers offer $0 liability.

A lost or stolen credit card requires immediate action — every hour of delay is an opportunity for fraudulent charges. The good news: federal law protects you from most unauthorized charges, and the reporting process takes less than 10 minutes.

Step-by-step: reporting a lost or stolen card

1. Call your card issuer immediately. The fastest path is the number on the back of the card. If you don't have the card, call the number on your monthly statement, log into the issuer's app (most have an instant 'freeze card' button), or find the fraud hotline on the issuer's website.
2. Request the card be frozen and canceled. The representative will deactivate the card number so no new charges can be made. They'll issue a replacement card — typically arriving in 3–7 business days, with expedited delivery available.
3. Review recent transactions. Ask the representative to walk through recent transactions on the account. Flag any unauthorized charges immediately — you're initiating the dispute process, which is easier to do at the same time as the fraud report.
4. Update any autopay or subscription billing. After receiving your new card, update any recurring charges linked to the old card number — streaming services, utilities, insurance premiums — to avoid service interruptions.
5. Consider a credit freeze if your card information was part of a data breach. A lost card is typically low risk if reported quickly; a data breach that also exposed your SSN warrants a broader fraud response including a credit freeze at all three bureaus.

Your liability under federal law

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50 — and only if the card was physically stolen and used before you reported it. If you report the card lost before any unauthorized charges appear, your liability is $0. Most major card issuers voluntarily offer $0 fraud liability policies that go beyond what federal law requires. This is meaningfully different from debit cards, where liability limits are higher and the burden of dispute falls more on the consumer.

Credit card vs. debit card: why the difference matters

With a credit card, you're disputing charges on the issuer's money — the issuer investigates and issues a provisional credit while doing so. With a debit card, the money leaves your bank account immediately, and you must wait for the bank to investigate before receiving a refund. This is one of the primary consumer-protection reasons financial educators recommend using credit cards (paid in full) over debit cards for routine purchases.

Act within 60 days of your statement for maximum protection

Even with zero-liability policies, you should report any unauthorized charges within 60 days of the statement date that shows the charge. This is the FCBA's formal window for billing disputes. Waiting longer may reduce the protections available to you.

What the law says

• The Fair Credit Billing Act caps consumer liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50, and at $0 if the card is reported lost or stolen before it is used by someone else. — FTC — Fair Credit Billing
• The CFPB states that credit cards offer stronger fraud protections than debit cards, and that consumers should report a lost or stolen card immediately to limit their liability. — CFPB — Lost or Stolen Credit Cards
• Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), debit card liability can reach $500 or more if a consumer waits more than two days to report a lost card — a significantly weaker protection than the FCBA's credit card cap. — CFPB — Debit Card Fraud Protections

Key takeaways

• Call your issuer immediately — the faster you report, the lower your liability.
• Federal law caps credit card fraud liability at $50; most issuers offer $0 liability voluntarily.
• Flag any unauthorized transactions when you call — you're starting the dispute process.
• Update autopay and subscription billing after your replacement card arrives.
• Credit cards offer far stronger fraud protections than debit cards — report the loss and you're protected.

Related

• How do I dispute a credit card charge?
• What is a credit card chargeback?
• How do you freeze your credit?
• How do I recover from identity theft?
• How do I protect myself from identity theft?

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