Holiday season

Credit or debit card stolen while holiday shopping? What you owe and what to do

In plain words: on a stolen credit card you owe at most $50, and nothing for charges made after you report it (15 U.S.C. 1643). A debit card is riskier: report it within 2 business days of learning it's gone and you owe at most $50; wait longer and it can be up to $500, or more if you miss your statement's 60-day window (15 U.S.C. 1693g). Report the moment you notice.

What you can owe

Credit card (15 U.S.C. 1643)

No more than $50 for unauthorized use
$0 for anything charged after you notify the issuer
Beyond that, you owe nothing for charges you didn't authorize
If the issuer sues, it must prove the charge was yours or that the $50 conditions were met

Debit card: report within 2 business days

No more than $50, or the amount taken before you told the bank, whichever is less (15 U.S.C. 1693g(a))

Debit card: report later

Up to $500 total for losses the bank shows a 2-business-day report would have stopped
Losses after 60 days from the statement showing the charge, if the bank shows a timely report would have stopped them, can fall on you
Extended travel or a hospital stay can stretch these time limits

Who has to prove it

The bank must prove a debit transfer was authorized, or that the conditions for making you pay were met (15 U.S.C. 1693g(b))
Your agreement with the bank can limit you to less, never more (15 U.S.C. 1693g(d))

Do this now

1. Call the number on the back of the card or in the app. Notice counts once you've taken the steps the bank normally needs, whether or not a particular person reads it (15 U.S.C. 1643(a)(2), 1693g(a)). Write down the date, time and the name of who you spoke to.

2. Dispute each charge. For a debit or bank account, tell the bank within 60 days of the statement, with your name, account number, the amount and why it's wrong (15 U.S.C. 1693f(a)). If the bank asks for written confirmation, send it within 10 business days.

3. Watch for the recredit. The bank must finish within 10 business days, or put the money back provisionally within 10 business days and finish within 45 days. You can use that money meanwhile (15 U.S.C. 1693f(c)).

4. Freeze your credit for free. If your wallet or ID went too, ask each credit reporting agency for a security freeze. It's free and must be in place within 1 business day of a phone or online request, or 3 business days by mail (15 U.S.C. 1681c-1(i)).

If the bank says no

It must send its explanation within 3 business days of finishing, and give you copies of the documents it relied on if you ask (15 U.S.C. 1693f(d)). If it didn't provisionally recredit you in time and didn't investigate in good faith, or knowingly got it wrong, a court can award triple damages (15 U.S.C. 1693f(e)). Free help: free legal help.

A charge you did make, but the item never came or was wrong

That's a billing dispute, not theft. See returns, refunds and card disputes. Tricked into paying: holiday scams. Package taken from your porch: package theft.

Wallet, license or ID gone too

Replace your license: driver's license replacement. A collector calling about a debt that isn't yours: debt collector rights. Danger or a crime in progress: call 911.

Read 2026-11-05 from the United States Code on this house's law shelf (2024 edition): 15 U.S.C. 1643, 1681c-1(i), 1693f and 1693g.