Is there a charge on your credit card statement or bank statement that you did not make? Calm, quick action helps. This article summarises the key steps.
Act immediately
- Have the card blocked, either with your bank or via the blocking hotline 116 116. According to the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) it does not cover every bank, so also check how your own bank lets you block a card (1).
- Report the matter to the police, ideally through the online police station of your federal state, and give your bank the case number (1).
- If a debit card is lost, only the police can arrange a KUNO block, which stops direct-debit payments (2).
Ask for a refund
In principle, the bank must refund unauthorised payments without delay (§ 675u BGB), unless it proves gross negligence or intent (1). The Verbraucherzentrale advises asking for the refund in writing or by email, listing the charges precisely and setting the bank a deadline of three weeks (1). The bank has to prove that the payment was authenticated; according to the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), entering the correct PIN alone is not enough (1). By law, after a loss or theft the bank can claim at most 50 euros in damages; in cases of fraud, intent or gross negligence the payer is fully liable. After you have reported the block, you are not liable for later use (3).
Mind the deadlines
Report unauthorised payments to your bank without delay once you notice them. Claims and objections generally expire if you do not inform the bank within 13 months of the debit (4). That is why you should check your statements regularly (2).
If the bank refuses
You can contact the arbitration body (the competent one is named in the bank’s legal notice), inform BaFin, ask the Verbraucherzentrale for individual advice, or consult a lawyer specialising in banking law (1).
For general information about credit cards, see our guide: Credit cards: types and comparing offers
Warning! Borrowing money costs money.
We do not give advice and do not recommend any particular bank or card. The decision is yours. This article is not legal advice.