Now You Can Temporarily Lock Your RBC Credit Card

I recall that morning so vividly, my house had been broken into and the only item taken was my purse. I stood assessing it’s absence with mouth agape, and instant stress hit me like a ton of bricks. I had to assume it was gone forever, and a list of contents flashed through my mind, each one sinking me deeper into worry.

My first call was to the police to report the theft, and I remember holding the phone knowing that my next call had to be the cancelling of my RBC credit card. I dreaded the call, knowing it’s permanency and the results thereafter. Not only did I have to be without a credit card until a new one was issued, I then had to spend tons of time changing pre-authorized payments.

To top it all off, because life is especially chaotic, I was travelling out of country the next morning. As I cancelled my card I then started to panic over travelling without a credit card at all, the one item that is my safety blanket when on-the-go. From baggage check to purchases, and in case of emergency – this missing key was the aspect that stressed me out the most.

Just two hours later I was making a list of my purse contents, and cursing life’s timing because of the extra cash I had in my purse due to my upcoming trip. I had just started another list of whom to contact about my credit card, when my doorbell rang. An officer stood on my front step, holding my purse. ‘I could have kissed him‘ is a phrase that would be most applicable to this moment in time.

As it turns out, the thieves just wanted a quick buck and their only interest was the gift cards and cash – tossing everything else into a neighbouring backyard. As thankful as I was to have everything back that mattered, I couldn’t shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had just cancelled my credit card. Yet there it was in my hand, now unusable.

Truth is, when we cancel our card, it’s a rushed decision based on worst case scenario. To beat the clock before someone else uses it, we jump to act as there is no time to simply sit and think. While my experience shared is my most memorable, there have been plenty of other times when I simply misplaced my card only to find it a short time later. Yet by then, it’s usually too late.

Once I cancelled my lost card and the very next day I turned to shoulder check while driving and in the rearview I spotted my toddler holding my card in her tiny hand. “I found this in my seat” she said proudly.

How many times have you been in this scenario, and could have been saved with the buying of time?
 

Now You Can Temporarily Lock Your RBC Credit Card

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, yet all opinions are my own.

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I was so excited to learn about RBC’s new credit card controls on their Mobile app, which enables RBC Mobile clients to place or remove a temporary lock on their credit card. Not only can you put your credit card on hold, you can do so with a simple action on your phone, without making a single phone call.

Locked RBC Card

Now when you’ve misplaced your credit card, you don’t need to act quickly and take that permanent plunge of cancelling right away. I love that you can buy time with temporarily locking your card, so that you can make an educated decision without pressure.

This feature is great for other reasons as well. Perhaps you just aren’t using the card for a time, and want peace of mind that no-one else is either. I was in Mexico a couple of weeks ago, and my credit card was tucked into the hotel safe for a week. That would have been a great time to put that temporary lock on the card.
 

How to Lock your RBC Credit Card

 
If you are an RBC customer, chances are you already have the RBC Mobile app – so open it up and see the new feature! Simply log into the app, and navigate to the account details page of the credit card you wish to place or remove a lock from. Click either the “lock” or “unlock” button to lock or unlock your card – and that’s it.

How to Lock your RBC Credit Card

Best of all, while the credit card is locked, purchases and cash advances are blocked yet payments, refunds and pre-authorized charges such as subscriptions and bill payments will be processed as usual. This gives clients that added peace of mind, and full control over their card at times when they feel most out of control.

 

The RBC Mobile app is available for free to download from the App Store on iPhone, iPad or at www.AppStore.com, and Google Play on Android devices, or at play.google.com.

For more information about the RBC Mobile app, visit www.rbc.com/mobile.

 

Disclosure – This is a sponsored post in partnership with RBC. As always, all opinions are our own.

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