Freezing Your Credit Cards – The 3 Step Process
There are times when you feel the need to freeze your credit cards. And this is not just when it is stolen or lost, but also when you want to keep a check on yourself and not want to use it for any expenses. This will keep the card active and at the same time, you will be able to avoid credit card debt.
If you are already in debt, you can avoid increasing the debt further. So, how do you go about freezing your credit cards? Given below are 3 steps in which you can place a freeze on your credit cards –
Step 1 – Contact the Customer Service
The first step to placing a freeze is to contact the customer service via telephone. The customer service will ask a security question to which only you know the answer. It can be your Social security number, date of birth, or any other customized question. This will verify your identity. You will then be asked to provide your credit card number.
Step 2 – Provide Detailed Card Information
After your identity is verified, you will be asked to provide detailed information about your card. This will include, the last date and place where the card was used. This is in case of lost or stolen credit card. Providing such details help the credit card company to track your card and catch the thief.
Step 3 – Place a Freeze on High Interest Credit Cards
Finally, you can place your request for the freeze on your credit card. Start with the high interest card so that you can manage your debts. After giving a written declaration for the time till which you wish for your account to be frozen, you will be unable to use it. Remember that you cannot unfreeze it till the period of time given by you lapse.
After placing the freeze on your credit cards, try to pay off any outstanding balances so that you can restore your credit (in case you have credit card debts). Even if this does not improve your credit score, you will still be debt free. Remember that if you have high interest cards, it is always better to cancel them rather than freeze them.
The annual fees of such cards are high and when you use them, you will always have to worry about the rate of interest. Instead, keep only those cards active that are low interest cards. To know more about how you can use credit cards to your advantage, you can visit bankoftheinternet.com.
