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What to Do When Your Credit Card Is Compromised

If your credit card account is compromised, call your issuer now, review every charge, and send a written billing-error notice within 60 days of the statement. Here is what to do next and how much liability federal rules allow.
From TheFinanceBase Team6 min to read

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If your card issuer has told you your account may be compromised, or you see a charge you did not make, call the issuer now. Use a phone number printed on your card or statement, or the issuer’s app after you have logged in through its official channel. Ask the issuer to secure the account and replace the card if it advises that, and write down the case number. Then send a separate written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days after the unauthorized charge first appeared on your statement. A phone call alone does not protect that right, and you should not wait for the deadline before calling.

What a “compromised” notice usually means

Many people first learn of a problem from a letter saying the account was “compromised” and that a new card with a new account number is on the way. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains in its Ask CFPB answer on compromised accounts, last reviewed August 28, 2020, that this “typically means that your account number may have been improperly obtained by someone who is not authorized to use it.” In other words, the issuer has reason to believe the number, not necessarily the physical card, has been exposed.

A notice like this tells you what the issuer has done so far. It does not tell you whether any charge has already been made, whether other personal information was taken, or whether the problem is over. That is why the steps below focus on checking your own account and keeping records.

Step 1: Contact the issuer through a channel you trust

Phishing messages often copy card-issuer language, so verify the contact before you share anything. Use the number on the back of your card or on a recent paper statement, or the issuer’s app or website after you have typed in its address yourself. Do not call a number supplied in an unsolicited email or text.

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  1. Tell the issuer that you received a compromise notice or see unauthorized activity, and say exactly which charges you do not recognize.
  2. Ask the issuer to place a block on the account or close it, and to issue a replacement card or account number if it is appropriate for your situation.
  3. Ask whether any charges are still pending and whether the issuer will reverse them.
  4. Request the case number and the name or ID of the representative, and write both down with the date and time.
  5. Ask how the issuer will notify you of any further action, and confirm the mailing address and phone number it has on file.

Step 2: Review every recent transaction and save evidence

Suspicious charges do not always appear right away. A card number that was copied may be used for small test charges first, or for larger purchases weeks later. Check pending transactions, posted transactions, and every statement issued since the date the exposure might have happened.

  • Note the merchant name, date, amount, and whether the charge is pending or posted for each item you do not recognize.
  • Keep copies of the compromise letter, any emails or texts from the issuer, and the case number record from your call.
  • Save statement PDFs or printed copies before the issuer’s online portal changes or removes older documents.
  • Check again on your next statement date and in the following weeks, not only the day you call.

Step 3: Send the written billing-error notice within 60 days

A phone call starts the conversation, but the CFPB’s Ask CFPB answer on billing disputes, last reviewed April 15, 2024, says that to protect your rights you must also send a written billing-error notice to the card company within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement. Follow the instructions printed on your statement for the billing-error address, which is often different from the payment address. Keep a copy of the letter and proof of delivery.

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The dispute process runs on its own timetable, summarized below. The timing applies to the statement date when the charge appeared, so check the statement and not the day the card was used.

Stage What the CFPB says What you should do
Phone report to the issuer No fixed deadline is set for the call; the CFPB advises calling promptly. Call as soon as you see the problem and record the case number.
Written billing-error notice Must reach the issuer within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on the statement. Send it by a trackable method, keep a copy, and reference the case number.
Issuer acknowledgment The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days, unless it has already resolved it. Watch the mail and portal for the acknowledgment; follow up if it does not arrive.
Investigation outcome The issuer generally must finish within two billing cycles. Check each statement for corrections and new charges during this period.
While the dispute is open You do not have to pay the disputed amount, but you remain responsible for undisputed amounts. Pay all undisputed charges on time to avoid late fees and credit damage.

How much you can be liable for

Federal rules for credit cards limit consumer liability, and the CFPB explains that the outcome depends mainly on what happened to the physical card. The FTC’s credit-card guidance, accessed October 8, 2026 on an undated page, describes a $50 maximum federal liability for unauthorized charges. The three situations below are the ones that matter most.

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Situation General federal liability for credit cards Source and date
Physical card lost or stolen, and reported before it is used None. You cannot be held liable for unauthorized charges. CFPB clarification; FTC guidance (undated page accessed October 8, 2026)
Physical card lost or stolen, and used before you report it Up to $50 for unauthorized charges. FTC guidance (undated page accessed October 8, 2026); CFPB clarification
Only the account number was exposed, and the card stayed with you Generally none for unauthorized use of the number. CFPB clarification

These are general federal rules for credit cards. Debit cards follow different timelines and protections, and this guide does not apply them. Many issuers also offer protections beyond the federal minimum in their cardholder agreements, so read yours and ask the issuer what it covers in your case.

Step 4: Update recurring payments after you receive a replacement

A replacement card can stop an unauthorized merchant from charging your old number, but it will not stop legitimate subscriptions from failing. Make a list before the old card is shut off, then move each one to the new account.

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  1. Search your email for receipts and renewal notices from the past year, using terms like “subscription,” “renewal,” “receipt,” and “payment method.”
  2. Review your bank’s bill-pay list and any automatic transfers that draw from the card.
  3. Log in to each merchant, streaming service, utility, gym, and app store account, and replace the old card number with the new one.
  4. Check that each merchant has accepted the new details by watching the next scheduled billing date.
  5. Keep monitoring the replacement account for at least the next several statement cycles.
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When to widen the check to identity theft

A compromised card number does not by itself mean other identity details were stolen. Still, if the activity looks wider than one account, the picture changes. Signs that justify a broader review include accounts you do not recognize, debt collection notices for accounts you never opened, or evidence that someone else has used your personal information beyond the card.

  • Only the card number is affected: Keep the steps above, watch your statements, and stop there unless new problems appear.
  • Other financial accounts show unfamiliar activity: Review those statements in the same way and contact each institution using a verified number.
  • Signs point to broader identity theft: Report at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC site, which produces a report and a recovery plan you can follow step by step.
  • You want additional protection: Consider reviewing your credit reports for accounts you do not recognize, and ask a credit bureau about placing a fraud alert.

What this guidance does not settle

This is general U.S. consumer guidance from federal agencies, not advice on your account. The CFPB compromised-account answer was last reviewed in 2020, the liability and billing-dispute answers in 2024, and some FTC guidance is undated. Issuer procedures, notification channels, and cardholder-agreement terms vary, so confirm your deadlines and protections with your issuer, and check the current agency pages if your situation is complicated.

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