Hey bunqers 🌈,
Seeing a card payment you don't recognize can be unsettling. There are a few reasons why it can happen and we’re here to explain what you can do in each case.
For example, your card may have been lost or stolen, your card details could have been copied at a payment terminal or leaked from a merchant's online store, or the charge may come from a merchant you actually do have an agreement with.
The right next step depends on which situation you're in, so find yours below.
What should I do if my card was lost or stolen?
An unrecognized payment can show up when someone has your physical card and is using it to pay without your permission. It usually shows up as several smaller contactless payments in a row. To limit what anyone can spend, we ask for your PIN after the total contactless payments add up to €150 since the last time you entered your pin when spending within the EU, or €250 when spending outside the EU.
If you see payments you don't recognize and your card is missing, act quickly by:
Blocking your card in the app: This is the most important step, because it stops anyone from using the card again
Report the theft to the police: You'll get an official report, which supports the chargeback investigation
Request a chargeback for each payment you don't recognize. You can do this in the app by following these steps:
Go to your Home tab
Select the Bank Account you paid from
Select the payment
Tap More, then Request a Chargeback
Choose the reason and submit the details
Once your card is blocked and your chargeback request is through, we start our investigation within 24 hours. We'll always keep you updated on the chargeback process in your secure bunq app.
What should I do if I still have my card?
An unrecognized payment can happen, even if your card is safely in your wallet. This could be if your card details were compromised, not the card itself. There are 2 common ways this can happen:
Skimming. This can happen if your card details are secretly copied by a payment terminal that's been tampered with.
A data breach. This can happen if a merchant you shopped with online had their customer data leaked.
In these cases the payment is made with your details, often without asking you for a PIN or any other approval.
What should I do?
Block your card in the app. This stops any further payments with those details.
Request a chargeback in the app for every payment you don't recognize.
Before you report it, it's worth a quick check. Some payments look unfamiliar but are genuine, for example a subscription you signed up for and forgot about, or a merchant you've paid before under a different trading name. It's an easy thing to miss. If either sounds possible, read What should I do if I recognize the merchant but not the payment? instead, because that situation follows a different process.
What should I do if I recognize the merchant but not the payment?
This is a charge from a company you know or are subscribed to, where the payment itself looks wrong or unexpected. It isn't fraud, it's a dispute between you and the merchant, and it's resolved through a process called a cardholder dispute.
It usually starts with a payment you did authorize at some point.
You approved an earlier payment. If you approved a payment with 3D Secure, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, that can create a payment agreement with the merchant for future charges.
A subscription is still running. You may have an active subscription you forgot about, or the merchant kept charging you after you canceled.
The charge is wrong. A merchant may charge the wrong amount, or charge you for something you never received.
What should I do in this case?
Contact the merchant first. This is usually the fastest route, because most billing errors can be corrected by the company directly.
Gather your evidence. If the merchant won't help, you'll need proof to support your claim, such as a cancellation email or your conversation history with their customer support.
Submit a chargeback in the app and add all the details from step 2.
When will I get my money back? Once your dispute is in, we act on your behalf and present your case through the card scheme's official process. Because the outcome rests on the strength of our case and the merchant’s cooperation, the full process can take up to 60 working days to get a resolution.
Why did a payment go through without approval?
A payment going through even though it shouldn’t have is very rare. For example, a payment goes through even though your card is frozen, the merchant is blocked, or your balance goes negative as a result.
Normally a merchant asks us for authorization before taking your money. With some payment types they can take the money first and tell us afterwards. Because we don't hear about it in advance, there's no approval step for us to stop, even when your card is already frozen.
What should I do?
Contact the merchant. Ask them to explain the charge. They can often resolve it and refund you straight away, which is the fastest way to get your money back.
Gather your documents. If the merchant won't help, save your communication with them and any other relevant evidence.
Submit a chargeback in the app. Use the steps in "What should I do if my card was lost or stolen?" and include all your evidence.
When will I get my money back? After your chargeback request and evidence come in, we review the case and represent you. We aim to close the case and get your money back within 3 months, but in more complicated cases, this process can take longer. We know that's a long wait, so we'll always keep you updated on our progress through your secure bunq app.
How do I stop it happening again?
A few things can help:
Order a replacement card if your card was lost, stolen, or its details were compromised. Read more about what happens to your old cards here.
Block the merchant if a specific company keeps charging you. Learn more about blocking merchants here.
Cancel the subscription with the merchant. Blocking a merchant stops their payments, but your agreement with them stays active until you cancel it.
Whatever happened, you don't have to work it out on your own. Freeze your card, report the payment in the app, and our Support team takes it from there. If it's urgent and you can't open the app, call our Automated Emergency Line on +31 20 808 3666 to freeze your card in about a minute.