American Express Now Allows You to Temporarily Freeze Your Card
In an email sent out to American Express cardholders this morning, the issuer has announced a series of customer friendly improvements including the option to freeze your card.
This new tool will come in handy if you've temporarily misplaced your card — maybe you left if behind at a restaurant or are positive it's in your apartment, but you just can't seem to find it. Now you can freeze your card until you find it instead of calling the bank, canceling your card and waiting a few days for a new one to come in the mail.
If you believe there's been fraudulent activity on your account you should still notify Amex immediately.
You won't be totally debilitated when you freeze a card — Amex says that your card will be prevented from being used for new purchases but will still work for recurring bills. Additionally, you'll be able to use your card for digital wallet transactions and some online purchases where your card is already on file.
Card freezes take effect immediately and can be removed with the click of a button. Note that seven days after freezing your card, it will automatically be unfrozen. You can check here to see the "Freeze Card" page.
Bank of America, Capital One, Citi and Discover all have a similar tools that let you temporarily freeze your account.
Amex also announced improvements to the account activity page, the ability to enroll in real-time alerts and a streamlined help center.
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