What is the freeze card setting?

If you can't find your debit card, freezing it stops it being used by anybody else. On Online Banking, as soon as you click the 'Freeze card' button, it'll be frozen instantly. If you are using your mobile app, you can use the 'Card Freeze' setting.

That means there’s no rush to report your card lost or stolen. Instead, you can take some time to look for it.

Freezing your debit card temporarily stops it working:

at cash machines
for online payments and purchases
with Apple and Google Pay
for card subscriptions (like Netflix)
with a card reader (e.g. confirm a new payment)

But it still allows direct debits, standing orders and refunds.

Will all my card payments be blocked, if I freeze my debit card?

No, we'll still make some of them, including:

pending payments we authorised before you froze your card
payments a retailer has approved, without being able to check with us first (such as for something bought on a flight or a road toll payment)

If I've frozen my debit card, can I still get cash out of my account?

Yes. You can use the Get Cash service on our mobile app to withdraw cash from an ATM.

Will the freeze card setting work on a flight?

Not usually. A purchase on a plane usually goes through as an offline transaction. Retailers approve these without checking with us first and, when this happens, we can’t stop them.

Will freezing my card affect what I can do, using Online Banking?

Yes. While your debit card is frozen, you won’t be able to use it with your card reader. So you won't be able to:

Access full Online Banking service when prompted to use card reader at login
Make a payment for the first time
Create or update standing orders
Update your personal details (email address, mobile number etc)
Manage your activity alerts

Once you unfreeze your card, you'll be able to use it exactly as before, to make purchases and withdraw cash. Please be aware that your card will not work with a card reader until after 4am GMT.

Can I freeze someone else's debit card?

You can only freeze your own cards. If you have a joint account holder, you will not be able to freeze their debit card. The joint account holder will have to freeze their own debit card from online banking or the mobile app.

How do I freeze my credit card?

If you need to freeze/unfreeze your card or set payment controls, please use our mobile app to do this & select which cardholder on your credit card account you wish to manage’.

What if my card is lost or stolen?

Freezing your debit card gives you time to search for it, if it's gone missing. If you still can't find it, or you're convinced it's lost for good or stolen, let us know and we'll send you a replacement. You can find out how to report your card lost or stolen on How do I report a lost, stolen or damaged debit card and order a replacement?.

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What is the freeze card setting?