It might have happened or might happen to some of us; our wallet is stolen or lost when we are overseas. It is a dreaded moment and could ruin a holiday; but it needn’t.

So what happens? In order to protect your money, you should report the emergency immediately so your account will be blocked and your card can be reissued. The following tips outline the procedure you should follow in different card emergency situations:

If your card is lost or stolen in your country of residence:

• If you know the number, contact your bank immediately
• Your bank will immediately block your account and arrange for a replacement card
• If you are not able to reach your bank, then you can call your card’s global assistance centre. If you have a Visa card, the global number that you should programme into your cell-phone is +1-410-5819994 and it’s a collect number which means you can call it from anywhere around the world at no cost to you..
If your card is lost or stolen while you are travelling:
• Call your bank’s global assistance hotline which will be listed on your card. Most banks have representatives available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year who can offer assistance
• If you cannot reach your bank, then call your card company’s global assistance centre (see above). In the case of Visa the global directory for Visa assistance numbers can also be found under the ‘I lost my Visa card’ section of the website www.visa.com
• If you make these steps, you can request for your card to be replaced
When calling these assistance centres you may be asked for the following information. It depends on the bank that issued you your card, but in general, it’s good to know these details when you make the call:
• The name of your bank
• The type of card
• The country where the bank that issued your card is located
• Your 16-digit credit card number or bank account number if it’s a debit card
Your name as it is printed on the card (if you are the secondary cardholder, you should confirm the identity of the primary cardholder)
• The address where your statement is sent
• Your home telephone number
• How the card went missing
• Other personal details, as a security check that will confirm your identity

These steps indicate that it would be wise to keep a copy of your card’s global assistance hotline and your account number in a safe place. A little caution beforehand can really help when the unexpected happens.