A card freeze, also called a card lock or temporary block, is a setting that suspends a payment card without cancelling it. While the card is frozen, the card issuer declines new requests for payment authorization; when the holder unfreezes it, the same card, number and PIN work again. Most banks and card programmes offer the switch in their mobile apps, and it is one of the basic card controls.
The feature suits a card that is misplaced but may turn up, since it avoids the wait for a new one. What a freeze stops varies by issuer. Many allow refunds, previously authorized transactions and some recurring payments to post. A freeze does not report the card lost or stolen, so a holder who knows the card is compromised should request a card replacement, which issues a new number. Issuers also freeze cards themselves when they suspect card fraud.