Securing Your Finances and Identity—Steps To Take if Your Chase Debit Card Is Stolen
JPMorgan Chase® dates back to over 200 years ago, currently holding over $3.9 trillion in assets[1]. It’s one of the longest-standing financial institutions in the U.S. and is trusted by more than 80 million consumers and 6 million small businesses[2].
Despite Chase being an overall reputable card issuer, its users are not exempt from card fraud and other forms of crime. Debit cards can be lost, stolen, and misused if the cardholder isn’t careful. The numbers can also be obtained by fraudsters online using numerous card-not-present fraud methods.
While it’s best to prevent having your Chase debit card lost or stolen, it’s also crucial to know what to do if it happens to you. This article aims to educate on:
- How to act if your Chase debit card is stolen or lost
- What you should do with your digital wallet to mitigate the consequences
- What you should do if the device linked to your Chase debit card is lost or stolen
- What precautions Chase takes to prevent payment card fraud and minimize the damage
How To Deal With a Lost or Stolen Debit Card From Chase
If you can’t find your Chase debit card, you can lock it immediately within your Chase Mobile® banking app[3]. The following steps explain how to lock a Chase debit card[3]:
- Sign in.
- Choose the account you want to lock.
- Click on the horizontal ellipsis to open the menu.
- Go to Account services.
- Choose Lock and unlock your card.
- Drag the toggle switch to change the card’s status.
You can still use the locked card for transactions via your digital wallet[4], and locking the card also won’t halt recurring payments[4]. If you find your debit card, you can activate it again the same way you locked it[4].
Chase also gives you the option to change the PIN of your debit card to ensure a potential thief can’t use it. To do so, you should get in touch with Chase’s customer support[5].
Can You Track a Lost or Stolen Chase Debit Card?
Neither you nor Chase can track your misplaced debit card. The closest option available is to check your transaction history and see where the last purchase took place. Your best bet is to notify Chase when your card goes missing and request a replacement.
How To Report a Stolen Chase Debit Card and Unauthorized Transactions
If you have reasons to believe your Chase debit card was stolen, call Chase’s customer support at 1-800-935-9935[6]. The representatives will instruct you on what to do next and may deactivate your card[8].
In case you notice unauthorized charges on your Chase debit card, regardless of whether your debit card was physically stolen or not, you should report it to Chase as soon as possible. You can do so by:
- Dialing 1-800-978-8664[8]: Support is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight ET and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays[9].
- Submitting an online request[9]: Sign into your account on the Chase website. Select the arrow on the right of the suspicious transaction to view the details. Click on Report a problem and answer the questions[10].
Before you report the charge, you should confirm that it was fraudulent[8]. Review the details of the transaction in question within your account, particularly the following[8]:
- Location of the transaction
- Time and date of the transaction
- Merchant’s name and whether you purchased from said merchant before
Keep in mind that some merchants use different names or addresses for billing purposes[8].
You should also try to remember if you’ve let people you know use your debit card[8]. If so, issuers and merchants may consider your report friendly fraud and will likely deny it or may even suspend your account. It’s also important to lock the debit card immediately after noticing a suspicious transaction to prevent further charges[8].
Chase has a Zero-Liability Protection policy, which implies that you’re not responsible for unauthorized charges on your Chase debit card if you report them promptly[11]. The policy doesn’t apply to unapproved purchases made by an authorized user[11]. Your finances may also be protected by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, depending on when you report the unauthorized charge.
Can Banks Find Out Who Used Your Card?
In case of Chase debit card fraud, the bank will initiate an investigation to determine what happened. It may check the time and location of the last purchase, but that’s as far as it can go. It likely won’t be able to identify the exact person who stole your card.
If the incident resulted in exorbitant losses, Chase may involve law enforcement, which can then use advanced techniques to find the culprit.
How To Replace the Stolen Chase Debit Card
If you believe that your card is gone for good, you can order a replacement through the app, like so[6]:
- Log into the Chase app.
- Tap the account of the debit card you want to replace.
- Find the Replace a lost or damaged card option.
- Choose the debit card to replace.
- Provide the reason for replacement.
- Review and submit the request.
You can also request a replacement card via the Chase online banking platform—Chase Online℠[6]. The new card should arrive within five to seven business days[6]. In case it doesn’t, follow the same steps as when ordering a replacement and select the option Didn’t receive card as the reason, then follow the on-screen instructions[6]. You can also call the number listed on your statement[6].
You may be able to access the new card quickly after your application is approved, thanks to the Chase Spend Instantly feature[7]. You can add the card to a digital wallet within the Chase Mobile app while waiting for the physical version to arrive[7].
What To Do With Your Digital Wallet if Your Debit Card Is Lost or Stolen
When you lock your misplaced debit card, you can keep using it with your digital wallet[4], such as Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, and PayPal®. Once you get a replacement, the new card might be automatically associated with your device’s Digital Account Number, which means you can continue using the digital wallet as usual[12][13]. If not, you can connect the new card to the wallet the same way you did the previous one[12][13].
What To Do if the Device Connected to Your Chase Debit Card Is Lost or Stolen
If the iOS mobile device connected to your Chase debit card goes missing, you can suspend Apple Pay on it by turning on Lost Mode within the Find My iPhone app or on the iCloud website[12]. You can also remove all cards from your Apple Pay remotely, even if the device is offline[14]. If you’re a Google Pay user, you can suspend the digital wallet service on your lost or stolen device within the Find My Device app[13].
Chase can also help remove all cards from your digital wallet in case you misplace your mobile device[12][13].
Chase Debit Card Protection Measures
Chase has numerous protocols to fortify the security of your financial information. You can learn about some of them in the table below:
Use Virtual Cards To Safeguard Your Chase Debit Card Transactions
Even with Chase’s many fraud mitigation and management measures, you can never be too careful. Instead of providing your actual card information online, consider using virtual cards to shield it during transactions. A virtual card replaces your card or bank data with randomly generated numbers at checkout, preventing potential hackers from accessing it.
More and more banks are starting to offer virtual cards, such as Citi®, Capital One®, and American Express®, but Chase isn’t one of them. If you want to protect your Chase debit card, you can opt for an independent virtual card provider like Privacy, which offers even more features and customization options than banks.
Privacy Virtual Cards—The Key to Safer Shopping
Use Privacy Virtual Cards to create an integral layer of security around your Chase debit card transactions. By doing so, you’ll ensure that potential hackers can only access your virtual card number in case of a data breach while your actual debit card and bank account information remains protected.
Privacy is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® and offers the same level of security as your bank, employing protective measures such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and transaction alerts.
Privacy Cards work with most vendors and websites that accept Visa® and Mastercard® payments, including user favorites like AliExpress, Wish, Shein, and eBay.
Types of Privacy Cards and Card Controls
Privacy offers three types of virtual cards:
Privacy also allows you to:
- Pause or close cards: You can pause and close virtual cards without impacting your debit card or bank account. This feature allows you to limit unexpected charges from sneaky merchants and subscription services you’re trying to cancel.
- Set spending limits: Thanks to the spending limits, you can control how much companies can charge you and keep your expenses within budget.
Safe and Convenient Payments Wherever You Go
Privacy has a browser extension that autofills your virtual card details at checkout. It’s available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. iOS users can also leverage this feature with the new Safari extension for mobile.
The extension allows you to make purchases quickly and seamlessly, without having to reach for your wallet and type in card numbers each time.
With the Privacy App, you can generate, customize, and manage virtual cards on the go. It’s compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Privacy—Pricing and Setup Process
Privacy offers four pricing plans, including a Personal plan that’s free for domestic purchases. This plan offers 12 virtual cards per month, web and mobile app access, browser extension access, and all card controls.
If you require additional virtual cards (up to 60 per month) and features, opt for the Plus ($5/month), Pro ($10/month), or Premium ($25/month) plan.
To elevate your online security with Privacy, do the following:
- Create an account
- Enter the details needed to verify your identity
- Link a debit card or bank account
- Request Privacy Virtual Cards
