Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Safely Replace a Damaged Credit Card Without Disruption
A damaged credit card should be replaced through your bank.
Contact the bank using its official app, website, phone number or branch.
Ask whether the old card must be blocked before a new one is issued.
The replacement may have a new number, expiry date or security code.
Update subscriptions and other regular payments with the new details.
Keep paying any existing bill because replacing the card does not erase your balance.
Activate the new card only through the bank’s official process.
Never give your PIN, OTP or CVV to someone claiming to help.
Check your transactions and quickly tell the bank about anything you do not recognise.
Contact your card issuer through its official app, website, helpline or branch to report the damage.
Ask whether the damaged card must be blocked, whether a fee applies and how to request a replacement.
Confirm the delivery timeline, account continuity and whether recurring payments need updated card details.
Activate the replacement only through official channels, and never share your OTP, PIN or CVV.
Review recent transactions, report unauthorised activity immediately and keep the replacement confirmation until completion.
- Who
- Credit-card holders and their card issuers, under procedures required by the Reserve Bank of India.
- What
- Replacing a damaged, worn-out or malfunctioning credit card securely.
- When
- As soon as the card is damaged or before it is needed for an urgent payment.
- Where
- Through the issuer’s official mobile app, website, customer-care helpline or branch.
- Why
- To maintain account security and prevent interruptions to payments and transactions.
- Regulator
- The Reserve Bank of India requires issuers to provide clear mechanisms for reporting lost, stolen or misused cards.
- Replacement consent
- When a card is blocked at a customer’s request, a replacement should be issued only after the cardholder’s explicit consent.
- Possible changes
- A replacement card may have a different card number, expiry date or CVV.
- Recurring payments
- Subscriptions, insurance premiums and other recurring payments may need the new card details.
- Outstanding balance
- Replacing the physical card does not cancel the existing credit-card balance or change the payment due date.
- Unauthorised transactions
- Issuers must provide round-the-clock channels for reporting unauthorised transactions and blocking cards.
- Sensitive information
- Cardholders should never disclose their OTP, PIN or CVV during the replacement process.