Block a Lost Card in Pakistan: Your Bank Must Answer Within 1 Minute
SBP rules say your bank must answer a card block call within one minute and offer card block first on its menu. See the steps, your rights and how to complain.
Short answer: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rules say a bank must answer a lost, stolen or block card call within one minute, and "card block" must be the first option on its phone menu. Call the number printed on your card, press the block option, and ask for a reference number by SMS.
A card goes missing at a bus stop. The next few minutes decide who pays for what comes after. Most people spend those minutes on hold or pressing through menus. The rule below exists to stop that.
We read the SBP's business conduct framework and its 2023 digital banking security circular on 11 October 2026. This guide sets out what your bank's call centre must do, how to use it in a hurry, and where to complain if it does not.
SBP sets a one minute limit for card block calls
SBP's framework says the call wait time for a lost, stolen or block card request "shall not be more than one minute". That is a hard limit, unlike the general wait time, which each bank sets for itself. The rule sits in section 5.3.2 of the framework.
The framework is called the Business Conduct and Fair Treatment of Consumers Regulatory Framework. SBP issued it on 17 October 2025 through BPRD Circular No. 04. It replaced the older call centre circular (BC&CPD Circular No. 03 of 2021) and the 2015 business conduct guidelines. The one minute rule was carried over, not dropped.
| What the rule covers | What the bank must do | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
| Wait time for card lost, stolen or block | Not more than one minute | Framework section 5.3.2, point 2 |
| Phone menu order | Card lost, stolen or block is the first option | Framework section 5.3.2, point 3 |
| Self-service blocking | An automated option to block cards, accounts and digital channels | Framework section 5.3.2, point 3 |
| Complaint lodging | Agents must not refuse to lodge a complaint | Framework section 5.3.2, point 4 |
| Call recording | Customer is told the call is recorded | Framework section 5.3.2, point 6 |
| Blocking digital channels | Same one minute wait as card block, with one option to block all channels | BPRD Circular No. 04 of 2023, Annexure A, section F |
The one minute rule also covers your banking app and wallet
The 2023 security circular extends the one minute wait to requests that block digital channels. That includes mobile banking, internet banking and branchless banking accounts or wallets. Staff must also be able to block all digital channels with a single option, once you agree.
This matters if your phone is stolen with the banking app on it. You can ask the agent to block the card and every digital channel in one request. The 2023 circular applies to banks and microfinance banks. The framework's call centre section says it is not applicable to e-money institutions, so we could not confirm the same rule for wallets run by them. Ask your wallet provider what its limit is.
How to block a lost card in five steps
Call the helpline printed on the back of your card or listed on your bank's website, choose the first menu option, and ask the agent to block the card and your digital channels. Ask for a reference number by SMS, then check your app.
- Call the number on the back of your card, or the helpline shown on your bank's official website. Do not search for a number in a social media comment.
- Press the first option on the menu. It should be card lost, stolen or block. Many banks also have an automated option that works with your transaction PIN.
- Say clearly that you want the card blocked and, if the phone is lost, all digital channels blocked too.
- Ask for a reference or complaint number. SBP says a tracking number must reach you by SMS or email, not on the call alone.
- Note the time you called and how long you waited. Then check your app or statement for any payment made after that time.
Bank by bank steps differ, and blocking an ATM card in Pakistan can also be done through the app or at a branch.
Your bank pays if it is slow to block
SBP's 2023 circular says banks must compensate customers in full for losses caused by their own delay in blocking digital channels or raising a dispute. If you called and the line was not answered in a minute, keep the time and the call log. It supports your claim.
The same circular sets a liability table for fraud, with 30 minute, 10 day and 3 day clocks that decide how a digital fraud refund is claimed. The call you make to block your card is where those clocks start, so make it early.
Never read out your OTP to a call centre agent
SBP's 2023 circular says banks shall not require customers to give one time passwords (OTPs) verbally to their officers, including call centre agents. A real agent has other ways to verify you. If a caller asks for your OTP, hang up and call the number on your card.
Fraudsters pose as bank staff and use the panic of a lost card to ask for codes. Treat any request for an SMS code, PIN or app password as a scam, even if the caller knows your name or the last four digits of your card.
If the bank misses the one minute limit, complain in writing
Write to your bank's complaint unit and say the call was not answered within one minute. Quote section 5.3.2 of the SBP framework and give the date, time and number you called. If the bank does not answer, take the case to SBP's Sunwai portal.
The bank must give you a tracking number and acknowledge the complaint. You can file it free on the SBP Sunwai complaint portal. If the bank stays silent, the next step is a Banking Mohtasib complaint.
Common questions
Can my bank keep me on hold for more than one minute to block a card?
No. SBP's framework says the call wait time for a lost, stolen or block card request must not be more than one minute. Other calls, such as general queries, have no fixed limit and each bank sets its own target.
Is card block really the first option on the phone menu?
It should be. The framework says card lost, stolen or block must be the first option on the menu once the call connects. If your bank puts it later, you can include that in a complaint.
Can I block my card without talking to an agent?
Banks must offer an automated option to block cards, accounts and digital channels, preferably with a transaction PIN. Many banks also let you disable a card in the mobile app, which the framework requires them to offer.
Does the rule apply to JazzCash, Easypaisa and other wallets?
The 2023 circular applies the one minute wait to blocking branchless banking accounts and wallets run by banks and microfinance banks. The framework's call centre section does not apply to e-money institutions, so check with your provider.
Will the bank refund money taken after I called?
SBP says banks are liable for losses caused by their own delay in blocking. Money taken after a valid block request is the bank's loss. Keep your reference number and the time of your call as proof.
Is my call recorded?
Yes. The framework says all inbound and outbound calls are recorded and kept for at least one year, and customers must be told the call is being recorded.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read SBP's BPRD Circular No. 04 of 2025 and its Business Conduct and Fair Treatment of Consumers Regulatory Framework, and BPRD Circular No. 04 of 2023 with Annexure A, all on sbp.org.pk, on 11 October 2026. Bank helpline numbers differ by bank, so we do not list them. Check the number printed on your own card. Details can change, so confirm with your bank.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
