KINGSTON, Jamaica— National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCBJ) customers can now instantly block or unblock their debit cards through the bank’s mobile app in case of loss, theft, suspicious activity, or simply to manage their spending.

In a new release on Wednesday, NCBJ said the feature was recently added, giving customers greater control over their finances by helping them pause their card temporarily when needed and adding an extra layer of security and convenience.

The bank added that with concerns rising over ‘friendly fraud’— where individuals knowingly or unknowingly share their card or card details with friends or family members who then complete unauthorised transactions— the new feature empowers customers to act swiftly to block/unblock in the mobile app, ensuring peace of mind and protection against unauthorised use of their cards.

Danielle Cameron Duncan, NCBJ’s vice president of Payments and Digital Channels, highlighted the importance of this tool.

“Our new block or unblock feature allows customers to protect their cards immediately, whether it’s a misplaced card or unauthorised transactions from someone close,” said Cameron Duncan.

The block or unblock feature is integrated into the NCB mobile app’s user-friendly interface. To activate, customers simply log in to the NCB mobile app, go to the ‘Bank Accounts’ section, select the account linked to their Visa debit card, and choose the ‘block’ or ‘unblock’ option. Customers will need their RSA token to unblock their card, ensuring an additional layer of security, NCBJ said.

Cameron Duncan also encouraged customers to keep their contact details up to date to benefit from email transaction alerts.

“NCBJ customers can receive instant email alerts for every card transaction, and this helps in staying vigilant and provides an ability to act quickly if they notice any unauthorised use,” she noted.

NCBJ said that with this added feature to the mobile app services, debit card users now have the same level of convenience and security available to credit cardholders, and are empowered to manage and protect their finances with ease.