Debit cards

If it’s a replacement debit card, simply make a transaction using your existing PIN at any ATM or in store and your card will be activated. To activate a new card,
call 1-877-547-7994.

Yes, you can easily link your savings account to your debit card. Visit your nearest branch or call 1-888-340-2265 and we’ll be happy to help.

Call us immediately at 1-888-340-2265. Also, review your account for suspicious activity and report any transactions you don’t recognize.

Chip cards have an embedded microchip, which gives you increased protection against fraud every time you use your card at a chip-enabled terminal. Learn more about chip cards.

Your debit card has no annual fee and no fee for purchases. The only exception is if you use your card while traveling in another country, or to make a remote purchase from the United States with a foreign merchant, in which case a foreign transaction fee will apply, regardless of whether a currency conversion is required. If you use your debit card at another financial institution’s ATM, a fee may apply. Please see your Deposit Account Agreement for more information on fees.

Remember, BMO Harris debit card customers get unlimited fee-free transactions at over 40,000 BMO Harris and Allpoint^® ATMs nationwide.²

You can use a debit card just like a credit card wherever Mastercard^® is accepted. The difference is, when you use a debit card the money is deducted directly from your BMO Harris checking account, so you don’t owe anything after. It’s a great way to manage your money and avoid building up credit card debt.

When you use your debit card to make a purchase, the merchant will request an authorization — in other words, an approval — for the transaction to confirm that your account is open and has enough money in it to cover the amount. A merchant hold or authorization hold simply means that the amount of the purchase has been set aside in your account — it is, ‘on hold’ as a pending transaction. It will stay on hold for up to 3 Business Days if you made the purchase in person, or up to 5 Business Days for online, phone or mail order purchases. Once the transaction goes through, the actual purchase amount will be deducted from your account. It may take several Business Days for the final purchase amount to replace the pending transaction amount on your account.

If you have an issue with a purchase you made, please contact the merchant. If you need further help, please call us at 1-888-340-2265.

If you know your PIN and want to change it, go to a BMO Harris ATM and select a new PIN. If you don’t know your PIN, forgot it, or don’t have a PIN, visit your nearest branch or call us at 1-888-340-2265 to request a new PIN.

When traveling domestically or internationally, you can use your debit card to make purchases anywhere that accepts Mastercard^®. To avoid any purchase issues while traveling, we recommend you call us at 1-888-340-2265 and let us know your travel plans and dates of your trip.