Amex Now Lets You Block Your Credit Card
Instead of rushing to cancel your credit card after briefly losing it on your sister’s couch cushions (just me?), Amex lets you freeze it temporarily, according to the Consumer Affairs Department.
You can block and unfreeze your card through your online account. No one can use the card to buy anything while it’s frozen, but recurring payments (like your cable bill and your Netflix subscription) will still be sent and you can make some online payments according to the department on consumer affairs. It will automatically rise after seven days.
It’s a nice bonus if, say, you left your card at a restaurant or bar you went to the night before, or at a friend’s house. It can also help you prevent further fraud. “If a cardholder detects a fraudulent transaction on their credit card statement, receives a purchase notification that they do not recognize, or receives a text or email notification of a fraud, that cardholder can immediately block the card to block other fraudulent transactions,” writes CreditCards .com .
But if you can’t find your card after about a day, you should cancel it and get a new one. You will be temporarily uncomfortable, but you shouldn’t risk your card floating in the desert.
Bank of America, Capital One, Discover and Wells Fargo offer similar on / off cards.