Here’s What To Expect If You’ve Lost a Debit Card Abroad

Count those blessings if you have Wells Fargo. Now about the other banks.

Despite common advice, it could be a good idea not to cancel a lost debit card right immediately (fraud is the exception, of course). Replacing debit cards overseas isn’t a straightforward process, and an active card can still be useful in obtaining cash and accessing funds. It really all depends: Some banks, like Wells Fargo, will bend over backwards to help a traveler in need, but Discover, despite their friendliness on foreign transaction fees, isn’t able to provide assistance of any kind.

Take it first-hand, no access to funds and running out of money is pretty much one of the worst things that can happen on a trip. (I’d put it right below getting robbed and kidnapped, but above missing a flight and losing a passport.)

To see if it was possible to get a replacement debit card abroad, we contacted all the major consumer banks for their policies (and asked how long it’d take to deliver to Ho Chi Minh City as a consistent example).

Please note that these timings are all estimates, since there’s often many different external factors at play, like customs. For instance, one Schwab user reported it took a week to deliver a non-expedited debit card to London, despite the time frame given by the company.

Only HSBC provided no response after repeated requests for more information.

Here’s a quick chart: