Lost or stolen card in Spain: what to do first

Key rules

• Reporting deadline: Tell your bank about an unrecognised card payment within 13 months of the debit.
• Your maximum loss: On a lost or stolen card, the most you can lose before you report it is 50 euros.
• Police report: You do not need a police report to block your card, but file one for fraudulent payments.
• Block first: Use the app, online banking or the bank's 24-hour line before anything else.

Block the card first

Block the card straight away. Do not wait to search for it. You can do it in three ways:

• In your bank's app, using card controls or the freeze option.
• In online banking.
• On the bank's 24-hour phone line for lost cards. The number is usually on the bank's website and in the app, so save it in your phone now.

The bank then cancels the card and issues a new one. You do not need a police report (denuncia) to block a card. File one anyway if you can. It helps your case, and the bank may ask for it if there were fraudulent payments.

Get a replacement

The new card normally comes by post to your registered address, or you can collect it at a branch. Posted cards usually take 3 to 10 working days. Some banks manage it in a day or two. Ask the bank which option you want and whether there is a fee. Many banks charge nothing. Others charge a few euros. Your contract will say.

While you wait, check your app for a virtual card. Many banks offer one instantly, and you can add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay. Expect the new card to have a new number and expiry date. Update any subscriptions or online accounts that use the old card.

Payments you do not recognise

Go through your recent transactions and list anything you did not make. Then tell the bank right away by phone or in the app, and follow up with a written claim for each payment.

Your losses are limited by law. The time limit and the cap are in the box above. A few more points:

• Once you have told the bank, you bear no further losses.
• The bank carries the loss if you could not have noticed the loss of the card, or if it did not require strong authentication.
• You bear all of it if you acted fraudulently or with gross negligence. Never share your PIN or codes, and never write them on the card.
• The bank should refund an unauthorised payment by the end of the next business day. It can delay if it suspects fraud and informs the Banco de España.

If the bank does not help

Every bank must have a customer service department. It must answer your claim within one month. If the answer is missing or unsatisfactory, you can complain to the Banco de España's complaints department. You must complain to the bank first.

Wrong transfers that you sent yourself are covered on a separate page. If someone tricked you into paying, go to the fraud page instead. The timeline and checklist below give the order of steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Block the card in the bank app, online banking or the 24-hour phone line: immediately, as soon as you notice it is lost or stolen

• Tell the bank in writing about any payment you do not recognise and file a police report: the same day if you can

• Use a virtual card from your bank app while you wait: straight away, if your bank offers one

• Receive the replacement card by post or collect it at a branch: within 3 to 10 working days, and sometimes in a day or two

• Expect the bank to refund an unauthorised payment: by the end of the next business day after it is notified

• Wait for the bank's customer service answer to your claim: within one month

• Complain to the Banco de España if the answer is missing or unsatisfactory: after the bank's one month answer period, once you have complained to the bank

• Tell your bank about any unrecognised card payment: within 13 months of the debit Deadline: 13 months after the debit date.

Checklist

• Block the card at once in your bank's app (card controls or freeze), in online banking, or on the bank's 24-hour phone line for lost cards.

• Find the 24-hour number on your bank's website or in the app and save it in your phone.

• Ask the bank to cancel the card and issue a new one.

• Choose whether the new card is posted to your registered address or collected at a branch.

• Ask whether the replacement has a fee.

• Go through your recent transactions and list any payment you do not recognise.

• File a written claim with your bank for each payment you do not recognise.

• File a police report (denuncia), which the bank may ask for if there were fraudulent payments.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a police report to block my card?

No, you do not need a police report to block a card, so block it first. A report (denuncia) is still worth filing, because the bank may ask for it if there were fraudulent payments.

Will I have to pay for a replacement card?

Many banks issue the replacement card free, but some charge a small fee, commonly a few euros. Ask your bank before you confirm the order.

Will my new card have the same number?

No, your new card usually has a new number and a new expiry date. Update the card details on any subscriptions or online accounts that charge it.

How quickly must my bank refund an unauthorised payment?

The bank must refund an unauthorised payment by the end of the next business day after it notices or you tell it. The exception is when it suspects fraud and informs the Banco de España, Spain's central bank.

What can I do if my bank ignores my card claim?

If your bank gives no answer or an unsatisfactory one, you can complain to the Banco de España's Complaints Department (Servicio de Reclamaciones).