Can You Track a Credit Card?

5 Min Read | Published: August 5, 2024

A person tracking a credit card at a card reader

This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.

You can’t track the physical location of a credit card. However, you may be able to monitor your purchase history online or with your card issuer’s app.

At-A-Glance

You can’t track the physical location of a credit card or debit card.
However, you can monitor your transaction history using an app through your online account.
If you can’t find your credit card, it’s important to contact your credit card issuer promptly to report the missing card.

If you’ve lost your credit card or debit card, you may be wondering if there’s a way to track your card, perhaps by using the chip. However, you can’t track your card this way. In this article, we’ll look at why you can’t track a credit card, and what you should do if your card is missing.

Can Credit Cards be Tracked?

The short answer is no, your card’s physical location can’t be tracked, and the chip in your card doesn’t contain a tracking system.

Many credit cards today contain EMV chips (which stands for Europay, Mastercard & Visa). While your card’s chip offers security features that can help to protect your credit card account and identity, it’s not trackable.¹

However, you can monitor your transaction history using your credit card issuer’s app or through your online account. This could help you to remember the most recent location where your card was used.

Additionally, banks and other financial institutions can monitor purchases to help prevent fraud. For example, they can track the activity of credit cards and can see locations where a card was used. Some credit cards also offer mobile verification confirmation, which allows them to monitor for signs of fraud by tracking your cell phone location (not your card’s chip). This allows them to confirm whether you are in the same location as your credit card when a transaction is taking place.²

However, despite these measures, credit card issuers cannot track the exact location of a missing card.

Can Debit Cards be Tracked?

Just like credit cards, debit cards can’t be tracked, even if they have a chip. Debit card chips feature the same EMV payment technology as credit cards. They do not contain a tracking system.³

How Does the EMV Chip Work?

An EMV chip is another name for a smart chip. While the EMV acronym stands for Europay, Mastercard & Visa, EMV chips are currently supported by many credit card issuers today. If you use a chip credit card, you’ll find that the EMV chip is embedded on the front of it. When you insert your card into a credit card machine or tap to pay, the chip will come into play and allow you to complete a transaction.

The main goal of the EMV chip is to help credit card companies and consumers reduce the risk of fraud. Since only special readers can authenticate chips, chip cards are more secure than magnetic strip cards.⁴

What to Do If You Can’t Find Your Credit Card

If you can’t find your credit card, don’t fret, it happens! You’ll want to start by retracing your steps. Think about where you had your credit card last. You may find that you simply forgot it at this location. If you need to jog your memory, you may be able to log onto your online account or use your credit card issuer’s app to view your transaction history. It’s also important to contact your bank or card issuer right away to report the missing card. Learn more about what you should do if you have a lost credit card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Replacing a lost or stolen credit card won’t damage your credit score. However, if a stolen card is used and the cardholder doesn’t report the fraud, and then fails to pay the charges, it may impact their credit. Note that even if your new card has a different number, the age of your account will stay the same for credit reporting purposes.⁵

Apps are available that can help cardholders to manage their rewards. However, these apps can’t track the physical location of a credit card.

To reduce the risk of lost or stolen cards, you should keep all your cards in one place. When you head out, it’s advisable to only carry the ones you use. You may also want to take advantage of multifactor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security to online purchases, and digital wallets, which allow you to pay using your phone.⁶

The Takeaway

You can’t track your credit card using its chip. Although you can view your recent transaction history to see where your card has been used. If you can’t find your credit card, it’s best to contact your credit card company promptly.

^1,2,3 “Can You Track a Debit Card?,” SuperMoney

⁴ “What is an EMV Chip?,” Experian

⁵ “Does a Lost or Stolen Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score?,” Investopedia

⁶ “5 Steps to Take if Your Credit Card Is Lost or Stolen,” Experian

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Anna Baluch is a personal finance writer from Cleveland, OH. She enjoys helping people from all walks of life make smart financial decisions. Her work can be seen on Credit Karma, Forbes, LendingTree, Insurify, and many other publications. Connect with Anna on LinkedIn.

All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.

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