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What to do if…
your card details are compromised and you keep seeing small test charges

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Freeze or lock the card immediately, then contact your bank or card provider using a trusted route and say you are seeing small test charges you do not recognise. Ask them to cancel and replace the card, stop further payments where possible, and record the transactions as unauthorised.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t ignore small charges; they may be used to check whether the card still works.
  • Don’t assume an unknown merchant is only a harmless verification hold until your provider confirms it.
  • Don’t click links or call numbers from unexpected texts, emails, or calls about fraud.
  • Don’t share one-time passcodes, PINs, card security codes, or online banking passwords with anyone.
  • Don’t approve a banking-app request unless you are sure you started it.
  • Don’t hand your card to a courier, caller, or anyone who says they have come to collect it.

What to do now

  1. Freeze or lock the card and stop using it.
    Use your banking app if you can. If you cannot freeze it in the app, contact the provider straight away using the number on the back of the card, your statement, or the official app or website.

  2. Contact your card provider’s fraud team using a trusted route only.
    Say: “I am seeing repeated small test charges I do not recognise.” Ask for:

    • the card to be cancelled and replaced with a new card number
    • the suspicious transactions to be recorded as unauthorised
    • any pending authorisations to be checked
    • advice on which pending items may drop off and which have been taken

  3. Ask about digital wallet and stored-card tokens.
    Ask whether the compromised card has been added to any digital wallet or device you do not recognise. Ask the provider to revoke or suspend any wallet tokens or stored-card tokens linked to the compromised card where they can.

  4. Ask what will be refunded now and what is still pending.
    For unauthorised payments from an account, providers are generally expected to refund by the end of the next business day after you tell them, unless one of the limited refusal grounds applies. Credit-card or overdrawn-account cases can differ, so ask them to confirm what they will refund, temporarily credit, or review.

  5. If the charge looks recurring, withdraw consent through the card provider.
    Tell them clearly: “I withdraw consent for this recurring card payment and want future payments to stop.” Ask them to:

    • cancel the continuous payment authority or recurring card payment
    • tell you whether they can block future attempts from that merchant
    • note your instruction on the account
    • give you a reference number or confirm who you spoke to
    • tell you what to do if the merchant tries again

  6. Secure the accounts most likely to hold the card details.
    After the card is frozen and the provider has been contacted:

    • check your banking app and email for “card added”, “new device”, or “new login” alerts
    • change the password on your email account if you think someone else may have access
    • change passwords on shopping, delivery, travel, or subscription accounts that stored this card
    • turn on two-step verification where it is available

  7. Save a short record.
    Note or screenshot the date, amount, merchant descriptor, and whether each item is pending or completed. Keep any texts, emails, or call details connected to the suspicious charges, including the date and time of your call to the provider.

  8. Use the right fraud reporting route if you want a police report reference.
    If you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, report fraud through Report Fraud. If you live in Scotland, report to Police Scotland by calling 101 or using Police Scotland’s reporting routes. If someone is at your door, you feel threatened, or a crime is happening now, call 999.

What can wait

  • Updating genuine subscriptions with the new card details can wait until the replacement card arrives and the fraud has stopped.
  • Checking your credit file for wider identity fraud can wait until the card is blocked and the provider has recorded the case.
  • A formal complaint can wait unless the provider refuses to act or you disagree with the outcome.
  • Deciding whether to switch banks does not need to be decided now.

Important reassurance

Small test charges are alarming, but freezing the card and contacting the provider quickly usually stops the card number being used again. You do not need to solve the whole fraud pattern in one sitting; the urgent part is blocking the card, reporting the unauthorised activity, and keeping a record.

Scope note

These are first steps to stop further card payments and start the refund or dispute process. If this turns into wider identity fraud, such as new accounts, credit searches, or letters you did not request, later steps may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information for urgent first steps, not legal, financial, or professional advice. Processes can vary by provider, so follow your card issuer’s fraud-team instructions and keep your notes.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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