Found a lost credit card and wondering what to do with it?
This is a situation I found myself in recently. As a person who has lost a credit card before, I knew leaving it on the ground was not an option, but I was not sure what I was supposed to do.
In the same boat? Here’s the story of what I did and why.
My story
I spotted it while walking to work.
The credit card was in the middle of the sidewalk, the 8 a.m. sun shining on the letters spelling out VISA at the top right hand corner.
I knew I couldn’t leave it there so I did the natural thing: I picked it up.
And promptly realized, much like that time I encountered a fox on the trail, I had no idea what to do with it.
For a moment, I stood there, considering my options. In the end, I determined the only thing I knew for a fact was that leaving it on the ground for someone else to find was not an option.
So I slipped it into my pocket and continued on the walk to work.
At the office, I booted up the computer and did what felt most natural: I Googled the name on the card. Two options came up — one for an executive living in our city and one for a real estate agent living a couple towns away.
I felt fairly certain it was the executive, so I found an email address for her and started drafting.
But something felt off. I wrote and rewrote, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, I gave up and went right back to where I started: Google.
What to do if you found a lost credit card
The results of my second search made me glad I didn’t follow through with that email.
As it turns out, tracking down the owner is not the recommended course of action if you’ve found a lost credit card.
From problems verifying identities to concerns about liability for potential charges, playing private detective can actually cause more harm than good when it comes to a lost credit card.
So what should you do?
According to my very quick, unscientific search, the consensus was simple: report it.
How to report a found credit card
Armed with my phone, a sticky pad, a pen and the card, I left my desk and headed for the room on my floor designated for private calls.
Looking on the back of the card, I found the toll-free number right next to the trip, dialled and went through the menu options. Within two minutes, I had a customer service agent on the phone.
I made sure to note the time and the name of the agent before explaining to that I had found a lost credit card during my walk to work. The agent asked for the number, the expiration date and for the name on the card. I provided the information and that was it. The agent told me the account was locked, gave me instructions on how to destroy the deactivated card and thanked me for calling it in.
Before ending the call, I asked if this was the best way to handle a situation like this. Absolutely, the agent said. They thanked me for taking the time to call it in and then we hung up.
The entire call took less than five minutes.
Four reasons why reporting the card was the right thing to do
Reflecting on the situation, I totally understand why reporting to the issuer is the best option when you’ve found a lost credit card.
It eliminates the guesswork
When I searched the name on the card I found, two options popped up. I was pretty sure I knew which one it was…but pretty certain is not absolutely certain. When you’re dealing with a credit card, you want to be absolutely certain you’re dealing with the person it actually belongs to.
It preserve confidentiality
The thing I struggled with when drafting the email was coming up with a way to verify identity that didn’t involve sharing confidential information with a stranger. Even asking something as basic as what name is on the card could look fishy coming from a stranger. Reporting it eliminates this.
It keeps you safe as the finder
Here’s the thing: you might not be the first person to find the card. There’s a chance that someone may have already picked it up and used it. By reporting it to the issuer instead of trying to track down the owner, you avoid a situation where you could be questioned if fraudulent charges are made.
It’s easy
It took less than five minutes to report the card and I was able to do it from my office. Once the account was locked and the card deactivated, I was free to chop up the card and toss it, taking the matter out of my hands entirely and leaving any further communications up to the issuer.
Final Thoughts
The best thing you can do if you’ve found a lost credit card is report it. It’s easy to do and it works in the best interest of everyone — the issuer, the cardholder and the person who found the card.
Have you ever found a lost credit card? How did you handle it?
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