Activate Your BMO Credit Card in Just a Few Clicks: Here’s How
After opening a new bank account, whether for personal or business reasons, the next important step is to fully activate all areas of your bank account, such as setting up auto-deposit, opening savings accounts, and activating your cards.
Once you’ve received your new credit card, you’ll need to activate it before you can use it. If you’re a new account holder with the Bank of Montreal, you may be curious about the method for activating new credit cards.
To learn how to activate a BMO credit card online, keep reading below for the step-by-step instructions and other FAQs related to BMO credit cards!
How to activate BMO credit cards
You can activate your BMO credit card online or over the phone; it only takes a couple of minutes to complete!
If you would like to activate your BMO credit card online, follow the steps below:
- Log in to your BMO Online Banking account from your computer
- On the screen titled Account Summary, choose your credit card
- Click Manage Card and then click Activate Your Card
To activate your credit card through customer service, call 1-855-825-9237. This allows you to activate your Platinum, Platinum Rewards, and Cash Back card in addition to your regular credit card.
BMO – How to activate a credit card: Related FAQs
Now that you know of how to activate BMO credit cards, you may have a few other questions regarding your new BMO bank account.
To learn more about how to activate your BMO debit card, how to activate a new card PIN, and other related FAQs, keep reading below:
How can I activate my BMO debit card online?
To activate your BMO debit card, follow the steps below:
- On your internet browser, log in to your account on BMO.com.
- From the Home page, select Your Account and Manage debit/ATM cards.
- Next, select Activate Card.
To activate your debit card over the phone, call BMO at 1-877-547-7994. If you’re trying to activate a replacement debit card, you can do so by making a transaction on the new card. This can be done at a store or an ATM machine.
How can I activate my BMO PIN?
If you would like to change the PIN on any BMO card, you can do so by following the steps below:
- Log in to your BMO account online.
- Select My Profile and choose the eDocuments option.
- Select the Change my PIN option.
- Click on Credit Card and enter your new PIN number.
Note that in order to complete your PIN change, you will have to activate the PIN by making a purchase in a store or withdrawing funds from a BMO ATM machine.
What credit score do BMO account holders need to obtain a credit card?
If you would like to apply for a credit card through BMO, you need to have a credit score of at least 650. Fortunately, account holders are not required to make a certain amount of money income-wise to qualify for a credit card.
How long does it take to increase your credit limit on BMO?
To change the credit limit on your BMO account, Log in to your Online Banking account and click the credit card attached to your account.
Afterward, the prompts will guide you to click Credit Limit Change.
If you’ve received a credit limit increase on your BMO account, note that it will take up to three business days for the changes to appear on your account.
Why wasn’t I approved for a credit limit increase on BMO?
If you weren’t approved for a higher credit limit on BMO, this decision was determined based on your current income, your credit history, and your current debt.
If you currently owe a substantial outstanding balance, you’ll have to slowly improve your credit limit over time by maintaining regular payments on your balance owed. If you remain consistent with your payments and don’t incur a larger debt, your credit limit will rise over time.
If I received a replacement BMO credit card, what do I do with my old card?
After you receive a replacement credit card from BMO, make sure to destroy your old card. This is commonly done by cutting the card into pieces or running it through a shredder.
If you don’t destroy your old card and it gets misplaced, you may risk an unauthorized individual gaining access to your bank account. Therefore, make sure to dispose of it thoroughly.
There are multiple cardholders in my bank account. Which card should I activate?
If you have multiple cardholders on your personal bank account, such as you and a spouse or close family member, and you both use credit cards, you’ll have to activate them separately.
If you are the primary cardholder, you can activate your card on bmo.com/activate. You can also activate your card through the BMO Mobile Banking app.
What is the BMO Prepaid Travel Mastercard?
The BMO Prepaid Travel Mastercard is not a traditional credit card that can be applied to your personal bank account.
Rather, this card acts like a gift card, where you preload it with a certain amount of money. However, unlike a gift card, a prepaid Mastercard can be used on debit machines and to make any type of purchase where Mastercard payments are accepted.
How can you access your BMO credit card through online banking?
To access your credit card through the BMO Online Banking function, sign in to your account by entering your credit card number or debit number into the login section. Once you’ve signed in, simply click on your credit card account.
What if I lose my BMO credit or debit card?
If you lose your BMO debit/credit card or your card is stolen, phone the bank at 1-888-340-2265. After reporting the incident, the bank will send you a replacement card.
However, until you receive your new card, make sure to monitor your bank account for any fraudulent activity, such as unfamiliar transactions.
Is my BMO credit card number safe?
BMO credit card numbers are considered safe. According to its privacy practices, BMO keeps all the personal information of its account holders private.
However, if you notice any suspicious activity on your BMO account, report it to the bank by contacting their customer service.
Conclusion: How to activate a BMO credit card
Learning how to activate your BMO credit card is simple and only requires a few steps. To activate your BMO credit card, log in to your bank account online, go to the Account Summary page, select Manage Card, and then choose Activate Card.
You can also activate your BMO debit card online by following the same steps or phoning BMO at 1-877-547-7994 to activate your debit card through customer service.
If you’re activating a replacement BMO credit or debit card, make sure to destroy the old card to ensure your account information doesn’t fall into the hands of an unauthorized individual. If you’ve lost your card, report the incident to BMO.
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