Guides / Wallet and Apple Pay on a stolen iPhone

Wallet, Apple Pay and transit cards on a stolen iPhone

Updated 4 November 2026 · By the FirstHour team

Short answerMark your iPhone as lost. Apple says that suspends the payment cards and passes you use with Apple Pay. Then call your bank or card issuer, who can also suspend the cards. If the iPhone is gone for good, you can remove the cards from your Apple Account page. Transit cards are the exception: they can't be changed while the iPhone is offline.

This page covers what Apple says, in plain words. Banks and transit systems differ, so treat it as a guide to what to ask. It isn't financial advice.

Does a thief need your Face ID or passcode to pay?

Apple says that to send payment details, you must use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The one exception is Express Mode with a payment or transit card. Apple also says you need a passcode set on your device to use Apple Pay at all.

Express Transit is a transit card you have chosen for fast tap-and-go travel. Apple says that with one, you can pay and ride without Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode first. If you use one, it's worth asking whoever issued that card to suspend it quickly. That part is our advice, not Apple's.

Step 1: mark the iPhone as lost

Apple says to put a stolen iPhone in Lost Mode as quickly as possible. You can do it at icloud.com/find, from another phone or a computer. Apple says this locks the iPhone with its passcode, and that payment cards and passes you use with Apple Pay are suspended. Apple also says that suspending this way means you don't have to cancel your cards straight away.

Apple says the iPhone only shows as online and in Lost Mode once it has been turned on and has Wi-Fi or mobile data. This only works if Find My was on before the theft. Here's the full first-hour plan.

Step 2: call your bank or card issuer

Apple says you can also call your bank or issuer to suspend your cards from Apple Pay. Apple says that when cards are suspended or removed, the card issuer or payment network suspends or revokes payment ability even if the iPhone is offline and not connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. Apple says this for credit, debit and prepaid cards.

Use the number on your card or in your bank's own app. To find who to call where you live, pick your country. Our guide to a bank app on a stolen phone has more to ask.

Step 3: remove the cards, if the iPhone isn't coming back

Apple says you can go to your Apple Account page and remove the ability to make payments with the credit, debit and prepaid cards you used with Apple Pay. Apple also says that erasing the iPhone remotely with Find My removes the ability to pay with those cards. Think hard before you erase. Here's why it's a last resort.

Apple's Platform Security guide also lists removing the device in Find My on icloud.com as a way to make cards unusable. We suggest not doing that: Apple says removing a device from Find My removes Activation Lock. Use the Apple Account page for the cards, or your bank, and keep the iPhone in Find My.

If you find the iPhone, Apple says you can turn Apple Pay back on. After Lost Mode, Apple says suspended cards can be used again once you turn off Lost Mode and sign back in to your Apple Account. After an erase, Apple says you can add the cards again in Wallet.

Transit cards, passes and rewards cards

Car keys, digital IDs and other passes aren't covered on the Apple pages we read, so we haven't written about them. Ask the company or agency that issued them what to do.

How FirstHour helps

Plan B builds a first-hour plan ahead of time, with the banks you tick and their checked numbers. FirstHour can't remove cards from Wallet, suspend them or lock your bank accounts. Apple and your bank do that.

Questions

Do I still need to call my bank if I used Lost Mode?

It's wise to. Apple says you can call your bank or issuer to suspend your cards from Apple Pay. It's also worth asking them to check for charges and to replace the physical card.

What if my iPhone is switched off?

Apple says the card issuer or payment network can suspend your credit, debit and prepaid cards even if the iPhone is offline. Lost Mode itself only takes effect once the iPhone is online. Transit cards and rewards cards are different, as above.

Sources

All guides