Guides
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4 min read
How to freeze your card from the lock screen
Lost your card, or not sure where it is? You can freeze it in one tap without unlocking your phone. How to set it up, and what happens next.
Clara Neumann
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Product designer, Cards
The worst moment to look for a setting is when you’ve just realised your wallet isn’t in your pocket. So we put the freeze switch where you can reach it without unlocking anything.
Set it up once
The lock-screen switch is a widget. It takes about a minute to add, and you only need to do it once per phone.
Open the app and go to Card, then Lock screen.
Tap Add widget and follow the steps for your phone.
If you have more than one card, choose which one the switch controls.
The widget shows the last four digits of the card and whether it’s active or frozen. It never shows the full card number, your PIN or your balance.
Freezing and unfreezing
Tap the switch once to freeze. Card payments, cash withdrawals and online payments are declined from that moment, and the switch turns grey. Tap it again to unfreeze, and the card works straight away.
Unfreezing asks for your face. Someone holding your phone can freeze your card, which is harmless, but they can’t turn it back on.
You can freeze and unfreeze as often as you like, and it costs nothing. Some people freeze the card every night and unfreeze it in the morning; the switch is built for that, too.
What freezing doesn’t do
It doesn’t cancel the card. Your card number, PIN and saved payment details stay the same.
It doesn’t stop direct debits or transfers from your account, only payments made with the card.
Subscriptions charged to the card are declined while it’s frozen, so unfreeze before a renewal you want to keep.
Other ways to stay in control
Freezing is the quick fix. For the things you want to set once and forget, the Card screen has a few more switches:
A monthly limit, so the card stops at an amount you choose.
A switch that blocks online payments when you don’t need them.
Single-use numbers for a site you don’t trust: one payment, then the number expires.
If the card is really gone
If you’re sure it’s lost or stolen, go to Card and tap Replace. We cancel the old number, post a new card to your address within five working days, and on Plus or Max you can pay with a virtual card in the meantime.
If you see a payment you don’t recognise, freeze first and ask questions second. Then tell us through Help, and we’ll look into it with you.
