If you’ve misplaced your card, you don’t necessarily need to cancel it and request a replacement. Chase lets you temporarily lock your card directly from the mobile app, preventing certain new transactions while giving you the option to unlock it when you find the card.
Here’s exactly how to lock and unlock your Chase credit card, what a card lock actually does, and when you should contact Chase instead.
How to Lock Your Chase Credit Card
Start by opening the Chase app and going to your main account screen. You’ll see your accounts listed on the screen. If you have several accounts, scroll down until you reach your credit cards.
Select the credit card you want to lock. Once you tap the card, you’ll arrive at its main account screen.
Look for the row of options below your card image. Select “Lock/Unlock Card.” This will take you to the screen where you can manage your card’s lock status.
From there, you’ll see your card details and a “Lock Card” button. Before selecting it, it’s worth reading the information under the “How it works” section.
What Happens When You Lock Your Chase Credit Card?
When you unlock your Chase credit card later, you’ll be able to use it normally again. But while the card is locked, Chase says the lock prevents new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers made with your card number.
However, locking your card doesn’t stop everything associated with the account.
Fees, credits, digital wallet purchases, and recurring transactions aren’t necessarily blocked. Transactions that were already authorized can also continue processing.
That means locking your Chase credit card won’t necessarily stop subscriptions you’ve already set up.
What About Apple Pay and Google Pay?
One important detail is digital wallets.
If your card is stored in Apple Pay or Google Pay, you may still be able to use the digital version of the card even while the physical card is locked. Chase notes that digital wallet payments can continue to work in stores, online, and in participating merchant apps.
The same applies to recurring payments. Services such as streaming subscriptions, gym memberships, and other recurring charges you’ve already authorized can continue processing.
So, if you misplaced your physical card, locking it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to worry about all your existing subscriptions suddenly stopping.
When to Lock Your Card
The most straightforward reason to use the lock feature is when you’ve misplaced your card but think you can find it.
For example, maybe you left it in another jacket, your car, or somewhere around your house. Instead of immediately canceling the card and requesting a replacement, you can temporarily lock it.
Once you find the card, you can unlock your Chase credit card through the same menu and continue using it.
This can save you the hassle of getting a replacement card with a new number and then updating your payment information across your subscriptions and other accounts.
Locking Isn’t the Same as Reporting Fraud
This is one of the most important things to understand about the Chase lock feature.
If your card is stolen, don’t simply lock it and assume the problem is solved. Likewise, if you notice transactions that you didn’t make, locking the card alone isn’t a substitute for reporting the problem.
A card lock is essentially a temporary pause on certain new transactions. It isn’t a fraud report.
If your card has actually been stolen or you see unauthorized charges, contact Chase and report the card as lost or stolen or report the fraudulent transactions. The lock can help stop certain new spending while you take action, but reporting the issue is what starts the appropriate process.
How to Unlock Your Chase Credit Card
Once you’ve found your card and you’re ready to use it again, unlock your Chase credit card through the same section of the Chase app.
After locking the card, the button that previously said “Lock Card” will change to “Unlock Card.”
Tap “Unlock Card,” and the card will be unlocked immediately.
You should see a green check mark confirming that you’ve unlocked the card. Chase also sends an email confirming the change, giving you a record that the card has been unlocked.
There’s no complicated process involved, so you can unlock your Chase credit card as soon as you’re confident that you’ve found it.
Final Chase Credit Card Lock Tips
The Chase app makes it easy to temporarily lock and unlock your Chase credit card when you can’t find your physical card.
Remember these key points:
- Lock your card when you’ve misplaced it and expect to find it.
- Locking blocks certain new transactions made with your card number.
- Previously authorized and recurring transactions can continue.
- Digital wallet payments may continue even while the physical card is locked.
- Unlocking the card is done from the same menu in the Chase app.
- If your card is stolen or you notice fraudulent charges, don’t rely on the lock feature alone—contact Chase and report the issue.
For a temporarily misplaced card, the lock feature is a convenient alternative to immediately canceling the card. Find it, unlock your Chase credit card, and you’re back in business.
