How to Survive a Lost Credit Card

If you believe Karl Malden’s ads for American Express, you might be convinced that the only reason people carry credit cards or buy traveler’s checks is so they can lose them.

Certainly the speed at which lost traveler’s checks can be replaced is an integral part of American Express marketing for its traveler’s checks.

Quick traveler’s check replacements are also boasted by MasterCard and Visa.

But what happens if you lose your credit card overseas? Not surprisingly, American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Citicorp (owner of Diners Club and Carte Blanche) all make similar boasts about quick replacement.

Do the ads live up to their promises?

75 Offices to Contact

Diners Club, for example, claims that American travelers abroad who need a card replacement can contact any one of 75 Diners Club offices in major international cities. “That office will file a report and the cardholder will receive a replacement card the same day or by the next business day,” says a Citicorp Diners Club spokesman.

On a recent trip to Asia, I decided to test the Citicorp folks. I intentionally did not take my Diners Club card with me.

Immediately upon arrival in Hong Kong I called the Diners Club office and explained that I had “lost” my card. I gave them my account number, correct billing address and local hotel location. When, I asked them, could I come in and get a replacement to use on my trip?

“Oh,” said the apologetic woman. “I am very sorry. First we must telex Denver (Diners Club headquarters) and get approvals.”

That’s when I discovered that Diners Club doesn’t maintain a 24-hour service back in Colorado. Because of the time difference, the Denver office could not respond to the telex until the following day. I was instructed to call the Hong Kong office the next morning.

I did. “I’m very sorry,” said the clerk when I rang up. “We have not yet heard from Denver. Perhaps you could ring us tomorrow.”

Leaving for Thailand

The scene repeated itself the next day. I told the clerk that I would be leaving for Thailand that afternoon. “That will be no problem,” she soothed. “We will telex Denver that you will be there and will be contacting them. You should call our office there.”

I did. You’ll never guess what happened next--the same thing. I gave up, and continued my trip throughout Asia without my Diners Club card.

Three weeks later, when I returned from my trip, I still had not received a replacement card. I called Diners Club again.

The agent on the other end of the line could not have been less helpful.

After verifying my account number three times, he responded, “Well, I’m sorry sir, but that card’s been reported lost.”

What a surprise.

“I know,” I countered. “I’m the person who reported it lost.”

“Oh,” he sighed. “Hold on.”

I held.

Five minutes later he returned to the phone. After grilling me with a series of questions that I had already answered in both Hong Kong and Bangkok, he informed me that my replacement card would not be mailed out for at least two weeks.

So much for Diners Club claims of easy and fast replacement cards.

The next thing that happened was not planned. Returning from a trip to Sacramento, I discovered I had truly lost my American Express card. What was worse, it was a Monday and I was leaving for Europe three days later.

Not to Worry

I frantically called the American Express toll-free number. A nice woman from American Express member services division took my call. She asked a number of expected questions: my account number, the billing address of the card and my Social Security number.

“Please don’t worry,” she said. “We will send your replacement card to you today, and you will have it no later than Wednesday.”

On Wednesday morning it arrived, by Express Mail from the post office.

Had I lost my American Express card overseas, the card would have been replaced at any of 1,500 American Express offices worldwide within 24 hours.

In 1985, American Express replaced 100,000 cards that were reported lost or stolen.

No figures are available for how many cards Visa replaced last year. But Visa is starting a card replacement program for its cardholders May 1. (Until now, only Premier Visa Card members could get their cards replaced overseas.) “Cardholders who lose their Visa cards will be able to get an emergency replacement card for up to $1,000 in emergency cash virtually anywhere in the world within two business days,” says Dan Brigham, Visa spokesman. Visa claims 180,000 member offices worldwide.

But so far, Visa only has “travel service” centers in London and San Mateo, Calif., to process the reports of lost cards. For the time being, unless you lose your card in central London, you should count on more than two business days to receive your replacement card.

More Cards Lost

“Master the possibilities,” says the advertising campaign for MasterCard. To be sure, more people are using their MasterCards overseas than ever before. And more are also losing them abroad.

Until recently, if someone lost his MasterCard all he could do was call the issuing bank, report the card lost and survive the rest of the journey without the card until his return home.

“But now, if someone loses his MasterCard overseas,” says a spokesman for MasterCard International, “he or she just calls the issuing bank in the United States. We can then arrange to get them an embossed emergency card within 48 hours.” It’s part of MasterCard’s Emergency Card Replacement program, available through 107 card replacement centers in 42 countries.

Sounds great, right? Not exactly. Just because you have a MasterCard doesn’t mean the program works. According to MasterCard officials, the bank that issues you your card first has to make a decision whether it wants to participate in the new replacement program. And so far, the response has not been overwhelming.

There are 117 million MasterCard holders. Only 6.7 million of them are covered by the card replacement program. (Be sure to check with your bank before you travel to determine if it is a replacement program participant.)

As a result, chances are still good that if you lose your MasterCard overseas you may have to master other possibilities.