Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Discover what happened when we lost our credit card at Costco. Find out how we managed the situation and what you can learn from it.
What Do I Do If I Lost My Credit Card?
Yes, the unimaginable happened to us last week at Costco as we lost our Costco Capital One MasterCard.
With a $7000 credit limit on the lost credit card, we went into action and fast to find what we’d lost.
How often do you think about your wallet or purse when you’re shopping?
If you’re anything like me it’s quite often.
There’s something about losing a credit card, wallet, purse, or even cash that has me on protection mode.
Don’t worry it’s not obsessive by any means however it is at the back of my mind when I’m out and about.
I’ve watched far too many programs about pickpockets or even people stealing purses out of grocery shopping carts.
If you’ve ever fallen victim to theft of your personal belongings, you’ll know what I’m talking about when the panic sets in.
For this reason, Mrs. CBB recently purchased a crossbody purse that wraps around her shoulder and locks in front of her.
She lost everything, and this was the best way to store her financial cards, personal info, and Galaxy Note 10.
Grocery Shopping With A Credit Card
We choose to shop with a credit card to avoid carrying cash, and even when shopping online, we get cash back rewards points.
Related: How we managed to earn over 5 million Shoppers Optimum Points Fast.
With COVID-19 still wreaking havoc on society, things are far from normal which includes going shopping.
I don’t know what it is, but shopping these days seems to get the best of Mrs. CBB and me.
No matter who goes into the shop, we come out shaken or feeling pushed around.
Wearing a mask is a 100% priority in any shop we go to, and we self-distance from everyone and sanitize.
It’s not a nice feeling to have anxiety when you shop, but that’s the reality for Mrs. CBB, even though she tries to overcome it.
In the past, she has never had any form of anxiety while grocery shopping but lately it has cornered her from all directions.
This won’t stop her as she’s not someone to be pushed down, but perhaps you can relate and understand.
I’m not too bad; however, I do understand her elevated emotions in the stores while shopping, especially with a disability.
We as a society have been through so much in the past four months with this pandemic. We’re all going in different directions.
One store is different from the next and online grocery shopping is not cutting it for everyone.
Grocery Shopping Online To Avoid A Lost Credit Card
Some of our friends have not stepped foot in a grocery store since the pandemic started because of anxiety and fear.
For the most part, we’ve stayed out of the stores but have slowly trickled back in to try and gain some form of normalcy.
We wear our masks and follow all the health rules by getting in and out without window shopping.
From our experience, it’s still a marathon grocery shopping expedition, knowing that others are waiting to get in.
You feel almost guilty if you fall out of order and people see you doing something that you shouldn’t.
Trying to save money while watching arrows on the ground and not smashing into someone is not easy.
Lost Credit Card Panic
Last Thursday, we took a family trip to Costco where Mrs. CBB went in this time and without a line-up.
I stayed in the vehicle while she went in to pick up staples such as cream, milk, eggs, avocado, and many other keto products that she stockpiled from Costco.
We tend to double-up when grocery shopping, so we don’t have to return as often, especially to Costco.
The only items we don’t tend to buy in bulk are fresh produce as we can’t eat it fast enough.
After our Costco visit, we head to Zehrs and purchase some fruits and vegetables for the week.
Just as I backed into a parking spot, Mrs. CBB got frantic, looking for my Costco credit card that she had just used.
It’s not like her to lose anything as she is quite focused on personal belongings as I am, but this time she had.
The only difference was that she did not bring her purse in but rather just my credit card.
That was the first problem and I did mention that to her before she left.
Lost and Stolen Credit Cards, Wallets and Purses
This isn’t her first rodeo at losing a credit card so the panic was worse for her.
Years ago, someone stole her credit cards from the gym while she was working out.
The thief broke into her gym locker left with her wallet, and went on a shopping spree.
She was in her twenties, but she went nutty for lack of better words (her words).
She was so scared that she’d have to pay back the money on all her credit cards.
Not only that, but the thief had her bank card as well as her identification, so who knows what else could have gone wrong.
She scrambled to figure out what was in her wallet and who she needed to call after she calmed down.
This is why we created a credit card tracking sheet for our budget binder along with our Ultimate Guide For A Stolen or Lost Wallet.
Note: You can find the free budget binder printable for your credit cards on my Free Downloads Page under Free Tools Ahead.
We keep a list of what credit cards and other important financial cards we could lose or have stolen on the form.
The form stays in our budget binder, and in this case, with the lost Costco Canada credit card, we would have had that information.
Of course, if you keep your monthly credit card statements, you will also have access to your personal information and a number to call.
Backtrack Your Steps Immediately
Just as fast as I backed into the Zehrs parking lot, I pulled out so we could backtrack our steps to Costco.
Besides cashing out, she made a pit stop for a chocolate ice cream sundae using the self-checkouts.
So, from the food counter out the front door to the vehicle she somehow ended up with a lost credit card.
She jumped out of the truck as fast as possible, still panicking (my card made it worse for her).
Her eyes were on the ground the entire walk back to Costco where she explained to the employee what was happening.
He directed her to the service counter, where she waited in line for nothing, only to be told to go to the pickup window.
As she approached the food area she stopped an employee to ask where she would go to see if her lost credit card was turned in.
Her fingers were crossed at this point, as it would have turned into an afternoon of phone calls to the credit card company.
The gentleman who came out asked her name, and she gave my name since it was on the card.
He came out saying that nothing had been turned in.
Leave Contact Information For Your Lost Credit Card
So, she asked if she could leave our phone number if it did show up.
As she said my name again, he said, oh, I do have that card.
He wondered if he had heard her name wrong as she stated a male name, mine.
She even told him that the lost credit card belonged to her husband.
In all fairness, wearing masks is not easy to speak through, so she let it go and went on her way.
Leaving a phone number and contact info is critical if you have a lost credit card.
If you backtrack to the last spot you were shopping at always talk to a manager and leave contact info.
Luckily, the credit card was picked up off the ground outside the food area.
It was given to a Costco employee and kept in the back shipping and receiving area.
I’m unsure how Costco Canada contacts people for a lost credit card or if they do.
They probably don’t and hang on to them just in case the owner comes back looking for it.
Ways To Avoid A Lost Credit Card
Once she came out smiling with the credit card, we talked about how she had possibly lost it.
We also discussed ways we handle this situation so it wouldn’t happen again.
The first thing we talked about was always bringing her crossbody purse especially since she’s prone to setting things down.
She has the habit of putting what’s in her hands down to look at a product which is a no-no.
It’s far too easy to get distracted, especially with the pandemic, and shoppers are often blurry-eyed.
From now on, we bring in purses and wallets and no loose cash or credit cards that are too easy to drop or lose.
If you’re a purse or wallet shopper, always keep that on you and ensure you don’t set it in the shopping cart.
Safeguard your finances so you don’t have to go through what thousands of Canadians do each year.
Google Pay or Samsung Pay
Another way to avoid a lost credit card is to not bring them with you at all provided you have a smartphone.
You can leave your credit cards at home using a digital wallet on your phone with Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
Whether you tap or swipe a card using a digital wallet is simple as long as you have a data plan or access to free wi-fi.
Using contactless payments using Samsung Pay or Google Pay uses near field communication (NFC) and magnetic secure transmission (MST) so you can leave home without your cards.
Report Lost Credit Card
How do I report my credit card when I’ve lost it?
We have online access to our Capital One credit card which is where we can report a lost credit card.
If you have a Capital One online banking account, sign in to your online banking account and click on the “View Account” button. On the next page, click “More Account Services” on the navigation bar, select “Report Fraud” and follow the on-screen instructions
However, we like to talk to a human on the telephone, which is what we would have done in this case.
To contact your credit card companies, simply fill out the budget binder printable with the information you need, so all you have to do is open your binder.
In this case, to contact Capital One to report a lost credit card, we would have called Toll-free within Canada and the U.S.A 1-800-723-3500
Explain to the customer service representative your situation and what you’ve done to try and locate your lost credit card.
They will likely stop the credit card from being used; however, if you have set up auto-payments, you’ll want to call them as well.
I know some people who pay their property taxes with their credit card that is kept on file so those types of contacts will need to be informed.
Replacement Credit Card
How do I get a replacement credit card after I’ve lost it?
Once your credit card company successfully terminates your lost credit card, they can issue you a new credit card.
Typically, this can take up to two weeks to arrive by mail or even shorter, depending on where it comes from.
Will the new number on my credit card be different if I lost my credit card?
If you report a lost credit card and get a replacement credit card the number on the new card will be different
Fraud Purchases On Lost Credit Card
Most often your credit card company will not hold you liable for any charges to your stolen or lost credit card.
You will have to prove that it was you not using the credit card which in most cases is easy if you’re in a panic.
They know the difference between fraud by the credit card owner and a lost credit card that was used by a random person.
When an unauthorized transaction is made with your credit card, your maxium liability, by law, can’t be more than $50.00.
Your credit card agreement must explain your maximum liability if your card is used without your permission.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Interac have committed to protect you against financial loss if your credit or debit card is used without your permission.
According to this public commitment, you will not be held responsible for the unauthorized transactions and won’t have to pay any fee.
Can’t Locate Lost Credit Card
If you’ve backtracked and still can’t find your lost credit card you should do the following immediately.
- Call your credit card provider and notify them that you lost the card
- Change the passwords for your credit card online
- Report any unauthorized transactions for your credit card
- Make a call to your local police to let them know your credit card was lost and stolen
- Call the credit bureau to let them know not to process anything on your account since the card is missing.
- Ask for a replacement number and card so you can update your bill providers.
- Lastly, check your credit report to make sure that your lost credit card has not affected it.
Credit Cards Are Gold
My advice is to do any of the above that will protect you from losing your credit card.
Had Mrs. CBB not stopped for icecream she likely wouldn’t have dropped the credit card but maybe she may have.
No one knows for certain, but what we do know is that she did, and we must protect our finances.
Discussion: Have you ever lost your credit card? What happened and did you get it back?
Leave me your comments below.
Left my debit card at the bank in the tellers machine. Thankfully I don’t use my debit often, I knew exactly where it was.
Went back but policy is a new card is issued. It was right away.
My friend uses her debit for online purchases as well as everyday expenses. There was a number of fraudulent charges online that put her into overdraft. Not so great when the money is gone and you need it.
My advice: use a credit card for online. Use Apple Pay on phone or watch (same with Samsung and Google Pay). Use tap, and put it back.
I have as little as possible when shopping, my phone case comes with an outer wallet that holds a few cards and my drivers license. Everything else stays out of stores.
Side note: does anyone else think about the crap your purse might pick up if you put it on the counter at a store? I do. I work in a retail store and people always throw their purses on the counter. Then on the floor. I sanitize the counters after each person but I have a crazy imagination. I make my husband put his lunch bag in a designated space under the island with my purse and lunch bag. Reduce contamination. But that’s off topic.