If you see a Wise card payment in your account that you didn't make, it's important to act quickly. Here are the steps to take:
1. Freeze your card first
This is the most important first step to stop any further payments from being taken.
How do I freeze or unfreeze my Wise card?
2. Check if the payment is definitely fraudulent
Sometimes, payments can look suspicious but are actually legitimate. Before reporting a payment as fraud, quickly check if it might be one of these common situations:
Is it still pending? Has the money actually left your account, or is the transaction status pending?
Pending means the merchant has reserved the funds, but hasn't claimed the final amount yet. Wise can't stop a pending payment or release the held funds faster — only the merchant can do this. Learn more about pending payments.
This often happens with petrol stations, hotels, or car rentals, which pre-authorise (hold) an estimated amount temporarily.
The correct amount is usually charged within a few days (sometimes longer depending on the merchant), and any extra held amount is automatically released.
Do you recognise the merchant's name? Sometimes the registered business name is different from the shop name you know. Try searching online for the name listed on the transaction. Check your email receipts for clues too.
Could it be a subscription? Check if it's a recurring payment for a service you signed up for, even if you forgot about it. If you want to cancel, contacting the merchant directly is usually the fastest way to stop future payments.
Was it an offline payment? Payments made during a flight, at underground ticket machines, or at food trucks might be processed with a delay and appear in your activity later than expected.
Did someone you know use your card? Could a friend, partner, or family member have used your card details, perhaps for a shared service?
If the payment isn't one of the above and you're sure you didn't authorise it, then it might be fraudulent. Please proceed to the next step.
3. Report the payment to Wise
If you've checked and are sure the payment is fraudulent, report it directly in the Wise app or on the web:
Go to Home to see your activity list
Find and select the transaction you want to report
Select Get help with this transaction
Choose the option I think this payment was fraudulent
Follow the on-screen instructions to submit your report. Provide as much detail as possible.
4. Cancel the affected card and order a replacement
After reporting the transaction, you must cancel the card that was used fraudulently to keep your account secure. You can then order a new card right away.
See How do I replace or cancel my Wise card?
What happens after I report the payment?
Investigation: Our specialist team will carefully investigate your case. This might involve checking technical information about the payment and potentially contacting the merchant
Updates: We'll keep you informed about the progress via email
Timeline: We aim to provide an outcome within 10 working days for most card fraud cases. However, complex situations involving merchant responses might take longer in specific regulated cases
Outcome: We'll email you the final result of our investigation. If we confirm the payment was fraudulent and unauthorised, we’ll process a refund back to your account according to card scheme rules (like Visa or Mastercard).
Learn more about what happens when you report a Wise card payment.
Important: This article is for reporting fraudulent Wise card payments only. If you suspect fraud related to your Wise account or Wise transfers (not card payments), check I may be the victim of fraud or a scam instead.
If you'd like to file a complaint in the US, you can find state contact information on Wise's licensing page.