Managing your debit card
Control your card on the go
Find out how to set limits for various payment types, and view your PIN. You can also temporarily freeze a mislaid card, or report it lost or stolen.
Debit cards
Make payments where and when you want
Use contactless for convenience and the Barclays app to securely control how your card is used.
What is a debit card?
A debit card lets you spend and withdraw money straight from your current account. You can use it to pay in shops and online. You’ll normally need to enter a PIN to authorise payments, but many cards now let you make contactless payments of up to £100 in shops that offer this payment method.
What’s the difference between debit and credit cards?
A debit card lets you spend the money that’s available in your account. It helps you stay in control because your account balance is updated almost instantly with every payment you make. A credit card lets you borrow money to spend, up to an agreed limit, and pay it back later. You can either pay back the whole amount you’ve borrowed at the end of the month, or repay the money over a longer time by making a minimum payment each month. Credit cards also give you protection for goods or services that cost between £100 and £30,000.
Debit card FAQs
Quick answers to the most common debit card questions.
Damaged, lost or stolen cards
How to report your card damaged, lost or stolen – or freeze it if you’re just not sure where it is.
PIN reminder
All the ways you can get a reminder of what your PIN is.
View card details
Need your card details but don’t have your card handy? You can see them securely in the app.
Debit card not working
Find out why your debit card isn’t working and what you need to do next.
Bring your debit card to life
Want to add a little of your personality to your card?
Make your debit card a little more you
Personalise your debit card for free with your favourite photo, or choose one from our gallery.
Using your debit card
You can pay for goods and services with your Barclays debit card wherever you see the Visa sign – online, in-store and over the phone.
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Cards
When you get a new card, you’ll need to use it with your PIN in a shop, or at a cash machine, to enable contactless payments.
You can use your debit card to make contactless payments of up to £100 wherever you see the contactless symbol, both in the UK and abroad1. If you’d prefer a lower limit, you can set your own in the Barclays app2. You can also use your app to turn off contactless payments altogether. It’s quickest to change your settings in the app, but if you don’t have it, you can contact us to change them.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay lets you use your Apple device3 to pay with your Barclays debit card wherever you see the Apple Pay or contactless logo.
Google Pay
With Google Pay you can link your Barclays debit card to your Android device and use it to pay wherever you see the Google Pay or contactless logo.
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The amount of cash you can withdraw depends on the type of account you have with us and whether you have enough money available in your account, or an arranged overdraft, to cover the cash withdrawal.
You can withdraw cash free of charge at our cash machines, and at other cash machines where you see the Visa or Plus signs. Some other companies may charge a fee. You can also withdraw cash from our self-service machines or counters in a branch, and at a Post Office Counter. Many shops and supermarkets also offer cash withdrawals at checkouts, with or without a purchase.
If you’d like to change your daily cash withdrawal limit, head to the ‘Your cards’ section of our app – you can stop all cash withdrawals here, too.
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Creating a travel wallet in your Barclays app lets you buy US dollars and euros that you can spend using your debit card when you’re abroad. It also lets you track your spending, get spending alerts and convert any remaining currency back to sterling.
To create a travel wallet
• Download and open the Barclays app, then register
• Select ‘Your cards’ on the home screen
• Select ‘Create a travel wallet’
Find out more about using a travel wallet . View T&Cs. You need to be 16 or over to access this product or service using the app. T&Cs apply.
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You can use your card for shopping and withdrawing cash wherever you see the Visa sign, just like you would at home. You don’t have to tell us when you’re going abroad – if we have any concerns about a card transaction, we’ll get in touch to check it’s genuine.
If you use your debit card to make a payment abroad or withdraw cash, you’ll be charged a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee.
If you have our app, you can control how your debit card is used abroad through ‘In-store international spending’ in the ‘Your cards’ section. You can find out more about this feature in Cards management.
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As soon as you receive your Barclays Visa debit card you’re automatically registered for Verified by Visa. We’ll occasionally ask you for some extra security information to verify your purchases when you checkout online, to protect your card against unauthorised use.
And if our security team see any suspicious activity on your card, we’ll be in touch. Remember, you’ll get back any money that’s stolen if you’re a victim of fraud through no fault of your own.
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Things you buy with your debit card could be covered by the chargeback service.
You can make a claim through this service if something goes wrong with a purchase – for example, if you order something that never arrives or you’re charged the wrong amount by mistake.
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When you pay by debit card, it'll usually be authorised immediately (as long as you have enough in your account to cover it). We'll reduce your available balance by the amount you paid straight away. The payment will show as 'pending' until we transfer it to the person or business you paid, which is usually within seven days, but can occasionally take longer.