You want to know how to find your debit card number without the card if you lost/misplaced it or it’s stolen (and you don’t need a replacement yet). You can’t also place your order without the number, as it is required alongside the CVV, date of birth, and card name.
The debit card number is different from the account number. An account number is an ID unique to your account while a debit card number is unique to a card you can use to withdraw money from your account. A debit card also uses a 16-digit number on the front—HDFC Bank.
Usually, when you misplace your debit card, you refer to your bank for a copy of the number. You will need to prove that the account belongs to you, but this can be a little challenging procedure, even tougher than requesting a debit card replacement. In this event, you want to find out the number without going to your bank.
You can’t tell debit card number from account number
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Your account number does not reveal your debit card number. Besides, while the bank issues your account number, the debit card number is issued by a different provider like Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.
You may come across websites claiming to be able to tell your debit card number when you insert your account number. These are fake websites that end up compromising your account security if they succeed in obtaining other banking information such as logins from you.
In essence, your debit card is only linked to your account and not created from your account number. Thus, no specific arithmetic cracking will generate a debit card number from account number.
How to find your debit card number without the card
There are only a few surefire ways to know your debit card number if you left yours at home but already know other details like CVV and expiry date. Below are the ways you can find your debit card number without the card:
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Check the previous merchant’s website
If you’ve recently used a merchant website to buy stuff online, you may be able to see the debit card number via the billing page. Just navigate to your billing account and copy out the debit card number.
Merchants usually keep your card for billing or auto-renewals. Some merchants do not display the complete debit card number though. However, some allow you to view the credit card information after authenticating your account ownership by entering your PIN.
In some cases, you need to edit the payment option to access the card number. Hit the edit option next to the debit card information to edit the information. Since you only need the number, just copy it out for the needed purpose. You may also be able to see additional details such as CVV and expiry date using this method.
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Find debit card number on your banking app
Your bank’s mobile app is another place you can find your debit card number without the card. If you don’t already have the mobile app, you’d have to create an account. When done, log into it to access your debit card information.
Here, you can also lock or unlock your debit card, set your spending limit, disable web spending, etc. But the most important thing here is that you’ll be able to see your debit card number. Depending on your bank, you may have to enter your PIN to enter the debit card information field.
Usually, this option is available in the card settings. If you have multiple accounts, just select the specific account the debit card is linked. Click the debit card icon or the edit button next to it to view your number. The user interface is different in many banks, so the process, although similar, will be different.
If you believe that your debit card has been compromised, you can go ahead and block it to prevent someone from using it to shop online without your permission. Besides, it’s even possible to shop even without OTP, so it’s advisable to disable a lost card.
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Use your mobile payment app
If you have a mobile payment service, you want to check your debit card number via the website. Some mobile payment apps will allow you to check your debit card details. Just log into your account and navigate to billing information where you can check your debit card number.
Some of the platforms may only allow you to see some of the debit card numbers. If you can only see some of the card numbers, then this is not helpful.
Just make sure to go through other mobile payment platforms you’ve probably added your debit card to and see if you can view your existing card details. From this point, you can even modify and add a new card if you need to.
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Call the issuing bank
Consider calling the issuing bank. In many cases, however, debit card number is not provided via the phone. Your bank’s customer care usually needs to verify account ownership for sensitive information like this. Since this is not always possible over the phone, you can only expect the bank to recommend other secure ways you can follow up and find your debit card number without the card.
The bank will never ask for your PIN or any sensitive information, even if you want them to help you get your debit number. At most, you’ll be asked to visit the bank branch nearest to you to physically verify that the account belongs to you.
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Request a replacement card
If none of the above works and you won’t be returning to the place where you forgot your card in a long while, you can request a replacement card. In threatening cases, you can block the card and obtain the virtual card from your bank to use for online purchases.
Unfortunately, you can’t cash at the ATM with your virtual card but there are other cardless alternatives banks provide that allow you to make money withdrawals without a physical card.
Final thoughts
Other than these methods, there are not many things you can do to know your debit card number if you don’t have the card with you. Just make sure not to do anything that will compromise your banking security under desperation to find the number of your debit card.
