With each of us, it happens to lose something: sometimes the keys to the house, sometimes glasses, sometimes an umbrella. They can be solved relatively easily. But what to do if you are on vacation and lost the card with all the money? Are you stuck in there without a fan? HotNews spoke to representatives of some banks to find out what solutions are available to you.

​The first thing you should do after looking everywhere for your card to make sure you really lost it is to tell your bank to block it. But know that once you block it, it stays blocked forever.

As a rule, the bank offers alternatives for this situation, which can surprise you while you are calmly sitting on the beach and serving your favorite cocktail.

If, in addition to the lost card, you have another “plastic” card from another bank, you are saved – you have something to pay for the rest of the vacation. But what if it was your only card?

“In such cases, the customer immediately renews his card through George, in a digital version, a card that he can add to a digital wallet (Apple, Google) and with which he can subsequently immediately carry out transactions either at merchants or at ATMs (where available contactless functionality)”, BCR representatives sent to HotNews.ro.

BCR encourages the use of a digital card, recovery in the George app is immediate, wherever you are, representatives of the credit institution also told us.

Ask if there is an agreement with any foreign bank so that if I lose a card in Italy, for example, I can go to an Italian branch of a partner bank to get a new card, officials from the banking system with whom HotNews. ro said that they denied this possibility.

Also, CEC Bank has a procedure similar to BCR. “To avoid card loss, we recommend registering the card/cards in Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit, Garmin digital wallets for card transactions via a mobile, contactless method. If the card has not been registered in the digital wallet, the customer can access special emergency services for replacing the card in an emergency mode and/or cash payment in emergency cases provided by the bank through the organization’s card assistance service.

According to CEC Bank employees, the necessary information is contained both in the card user’s manual, located on the bank’s website in the section “Cards”, “International Assistance Services”, and on the websites of card organizations (depending on the card: https :/ /www.mastercard. ro/ro-ro/consumatori/asistenta.html or https://www.visa.ro/support/consumer/lost-stolen-card.html#2)

There is a section on the website of Banca Transilvania dedicated to this unpleasant event. “If you have BT Pay, BT24 Internet Banking or Mobile Banking, you can transfer money to another account or to another card. If you have an authorized person on the account (who is located in Romania), he can withdraw money from your account and put it in another account or transfer it to you via Western Union. You can also submit a request by e-mail to [email protected] reissuing and sending abroad the card and PIN code (via SMS or on paper). And if you manage to get to our office in Rome, you can submit a request to reissue the card,” BT representatives say.

That’s right, there is also the “classic” option – to call a relative or friend to send you the money to be returned when you return to the country. But it’s even better, to avoid being truly without financial resources, always have at least 100 euros in cash, if possible in the local currency. Because you might realize you’ve lost your card right when the waiter reaches for your POS to take your cocktail money.

Photo: Anton Samsonov, Dreamstime.com