What is the freeze card setting?

If you can't find your debit card, freezing it stops it being used by anybody else. That means there’s no rush to report your card lost or stolen. Instead, you can take some time to look for it.

Freezing your debit card temporarily stops it working:

at cash machines
for online payments and purchases
with Apple and Google Pay
for card subscriptions (like Netflix)
with a card reader (e.g. confirm a new payment)

But it still allows direct debits, standing orders and refunds.

You can freeze your debit card using:

Online Banking

Choose ‘Cards’ in the main menu and under Debit card select ‘Freeze/Unfreeze card if you think you've misplaced it’. From the list of debit cards, select the required card and then click the ‘Freeze card’ button.

Mobile app

Select the account with the debit card you wish to freeze, select ‘Manage my card & Apple Pay/Google Pay’ and activate the ‘Card freeze’ toggle to block the card.

Will all my card payments be blocked, if I freeze my debit card?

No, we'll still make some of them, including:

pending payments we authorised before you froze your card
payments a retailer has approved, without being able to check with us first (such as for something bought on a flight or a road toll payment)

If I've frozen my debit card, can I still get cash out of my account?

Yes. You can use the Get Cash service on our mobile app to withdraw cash from any NatWest International, Isle of Man Bank, NatWest or Tesco cash machine.

Will the freeze card setting work on a flight?

Not usually. A purchase on a plane usually goes through as an offline transaction. Retailers approve these without checking with us first and, when this happens, we can’t stop them.

Will freezing my card affect what I can do, using Online Banking?

Yes. While your debit card is frozen, you won’t be able to use it with your card reader. So you won't be able to:

Access full Online Banking service when prompted to use card reader at login
Make a payment for the first time
Create or update standing orders
Update your personal details (email address, mobile number etc)
Manage your activity alerts

Once you unfreeze your card, you'll be able to use it exactly as before, to make purchases and withdraw cash. Please be aware that your card will not work with a card reader until after 4am GMT.

Can I freeze someone else's debit card?

You can only freeze your own cards. If you have a joint account holder, you will not be able to freeze their debit card. The joint account holder will have to freeze their own debit card from online banking or the mobile app.

What if my card is lost or stolen?

Freezing your debit card gives you time to search for it, if it's gone missing. If you still can't find it, or you're convinced it's lost for good or stolen, let us know and we'll send you a replacement.

What is the freeze card setting?