Ever since the introduction of the cashless payment method, credit cards became the most widely used mode of payment all over the world. Almost all banks offer credit card services to their customers as they can help customers buy things they want and also help banks make extra revenue through the interest paid for the credit card usage. A debit card can be used when there’s enough balance in a card to make a transaction. On the other hand, a credit card allows the customer to use the use money up to a certain limit and pay the interest for it later on.
Founded in the year 1994, Capital bank is one of the leading banks that propagated credit card usage among the public in the 90s. Headquartered in America, Capital One bank has over 755 branches and extends its services to other countries such as Canada and United Kingdom. Some of the other banking services provided by Capital One are commercial banking services and consumer banking services.
With many people using Capital One’s credit card, there are some issues that the customers might face quite often. One among them is their account being restricted. None of us want to stand awkwardly silent in a crowded place when our credit card keeps declining despite many attempts. It is not a good situation to be in when our credit card account gets restricted. So, there are a few possibilities for that and let’s take a look at it.
Possible Reasons for Your Account Getting Restricted
When we say “restriction” it’s complete prevention of using any credit cards or updating your account for further transactions. The first reason for that could be, delayed payments.
Every bank gives a deadline to pay the due amount. Capital One is well-known for restricting credit cards with delayed payments. If you postpone or forgot to pay the amount on time, the bank would restrict the account immediately.
The second reason could be, exceeding the credit limit. The credit limit varies with each customer. Banks usually determine the limit based on your income and CIBIL score.
Some banks let their customers use their credit cards even if they exceed the credit limit, but charges extra fees for it later on. But that’s not always the case with Capital One bank, they will disable your account if you go over the provided credit limit.
The third reason could be, entering the wrong PIN. When you enter your pin wrong multiple times then your account might get restricted immediately.
Your account might also get restricted when you use your credit card on unknown online websites or when you make huge purchases or when you use it at a new place (i.e. a new country). Sometimes the bots detect these as “suspicious activities” and deem them as a threat to the safety of your account. It’s not your fault, they are programmed that way to keep your account safe and secure. The account may be restricted immediately.
Sometimes your account gets restricted even when you pay your dues on time. You may wonder what the problem could be. Well, have you seen the “server down” “error loading details” statements on bank apps? So, it is not your fault all the time. Sometimes banks also have technical difficulties that could restrict your account. It may take some time for them to sort out the problem and fix the issue. If the account is unrestricted immediately, you are good to go. Otherwise, we have solutions provided below for all the possible issues for account restriction.
Solutions If Your Account Got Restricted
For all your credit card, bank account, and loan queries, contact the customer care service number provided by the bank. You have to first find out why your account got restricted.
If it is related to paying your dues or exceeding the limit, then make sure that you pay your dues on time and then contact the bank to remove the restriction.
When contacting the bank, include your account number in the body. This would help the bank to fix your problem quickly. You should also make sure that the phone number and email-id used to contact the bank are right and are taken from the official website of the bank.
Also, you should not disclose your PIN number to anyone, as it can lead to unauthorized access to your account. If you still face issues, you can visit the branch directly to resolve the issue.
Precautionary Steps
In order to prevent your account from being restricted, you could follow the below steps.
- Always note the activities of your card’s transaction. The possible way to do it is to have an online banking account. You could also use the bank’s mobile application, this could help to keep you in the loop of all your transactions.
- If you have an online account, enable it to get notifications about the due payment. So once you are reminded about it, pay the due on time to avoid blocking of the account.
- It’s not advisable to store your sensitive information such as your PIN number on any electronic device. As there is a high possibility of the pin number getting stolen through online malwares. If you are someone who forgets your credit card PIN quite often, note it down in a notepad or diary and store it in a secured place.
- Change your PIN number every 6 months.
- Don’t exceed the credit limit, keep tab of your balance every now and then. Banks don’t take any chances in blocking your account if you exceed your credit limit
- If you are travelling to some other country for a business trip or for vacation, always inform your bank about it. You could also notify them in case you purchase bulk products.
Conclusion
Getting your account restricted might be a headache to you sometimes, so first check with the bank as to why your account was restricted. Remember to take the customer care number from the official website and it’s advisable not to take it anywhere else on the web. Once you know the cause, act accordingly and immediately to get your account fixed.