How Do I Turn On Bank and Card Alerts on My Phone?

What this helps with: Getting a text, email, or phone notice each time money leaves your account, so you can spot a charge you didn’t make right away.

The short answer: Open your bank’s own app (or website), find Alerts or Notifications, and turn on alerts for purchases, withdrawals, and a low balance. Then make sure your phone lets the bank app show notifications. Alerts don’t stop fraud, but they help you catch it fast.

Why alerts help

The FDIC says many banks let you get a text or email when your balance drops below an amount you pick, when a charge is over an amount you pick, or when your card is used outside the U.S. Some banks also text you when they see a charge that looks suspicious.

Speed matters. The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) says if your debit card is lost or stolen and you tell your bank within 2 business days of finding out, you usually can’t owe more than $50 for charges you didn’t make. Wait longer and you could owe up to $500. An alert on your phone helps you find out the same day.

Step 1: Open your bank’s real app

1. Use the bank app you already have, or type your bank’s web address yourself.
2. Don’t use a link in a text or email to get there. The CFPB says banks don’t ask for your account details by text or email.
3. Getting the app for the first time? Make sure it’s your bank’s real app. The FDIC warns that fake apps can look a lot like real ones. Your bank’s website or the back of your card can point you to the right one.

Step 2: Find the alerts settings

Every bank’s app looks a little different. Look for words like:

• Alerts
• Notifications (sometimes a bell icon)
• Settings, then Alerts
• Profile, then Notifications

Can’t find it? Call the number on the back of your card and ask, “How do I turn on account alerts?” A teller at your branch can help, too.

Step 3: Pick the alerts that matter most

Here are good ones to start with. Your bank may call them something a bit different.

• Purchases or withdrawals over an amount you choose. Pick a low number, like $1, if you want a notice for every charge.
• Low balance. A notice when your balance drops below an amount you choose.
• Card used without the card. For online or phone purchases.
• Card used outside the U.S.
• ATM withdrawals.
• Changes to your account. A notice when someone changes your password, phone number, email, or address. Many banks turn this one on for you.
• Declined purchases.
• Credit card payment due.

You can usually choose how each alert reaches you: a text, an email, or a push notification (a message from the app on your phone). If you’re not sure, pick text or push, since you’ll see them sooner.

Step 4: Let your phone show the bank’s notices

If you chose push notifications, your phone has to allow them.

On iPhone:

1. Open Settings, then tap Notifications.
2. Tap your bank’s app in the list.
3. Turn on Allow Notifications.
4. If you see Time Sensitive Notifications, turn it on.
5. If you use Scheduled Summary, choose Immediate Delivery for your bank app, so alerts don’t wait until later.

On Android: (steps can vary by phone)

1. Open Settings, then tap Notifications.
2. Tap App notifications, then find your bank’s app.
3. Turn its notifications on.
4. If you see Alerting or Silent, choose Alerting so your phone makes a sound.

What a real alert looks like

A real bank alert usually tells you about a charge and lets you check it in the bank’s own app. Be careful with any message that:

• Asks you to reply with a code or share a code it sent you
• Gives you a new phone number to call
• Asks you to tap a link and sign in
• Says to move your money to keep it safe

Those are signs of a scam. Your real bank will never ask for the code it texted you or tell you to move your money. When in doubt, don’t reply. Open your bank’s app yourself, or call the number on the back of your card. See Is My Bank Really Calling? for more.

You got an alert for a charge you didn’t make

1. Don’t tap anything in the message.
2. Open your bank’s app yourself and look at the charge. Or call the number on the back of your card.
3. Tell your bank right away if the charge isn’t yours. Many bank apps also let you lock or freeze your card with one tap while you sort it out.
4. Keep checking your statements. The CFPB says to tell your bank about a charge you didn’t make within 60 days after the statement showing it is sent to you.

Troubleshooting

• No alerts are coming in. Check that your phone number and email are correct in the bank’s app. Then check the phone’s notification settings above.
• Too many alerts. Raise the dollar amount for purchase alerts, and keep the account-change and low-balance alerts on.
• Alerts go to an old email. Update your email in the bank’s app or website, not through a link in a message.
• Do text alerts cost money? Ask your bank. Your phone plan’s normal text rates may also apply.

Make your account even safer

• Turn on two-step login. See How to Turn On Two-Step Login.
• Use a strong, different password for your bank. See How to Use a Password Manager.
• Block spam calls. See How to Block Spam Calls and Texts.

Official sources

• FDIC: Manage My Checking Account (set up email or text alerts)
• FDIC: Banking at the Speed of Technology (account alerts and fake apps)
• CFPB: How do I get my money back after I discover an unauthorized transaction?
• CFPB: A text from my bank asks me to “verify” my account. What should I do?
• FTC: Got a call about fraud activity on your bank account? It could be a scammer
• Apple: Change notification settings on iPhone
• Google: Control notifications on Android

Last checked: Oct 27, 2026

This is general help, not personalized tech support, and not legal or financial advice. It covers the U.S. If you think you’ve lost money, contact your bank or card company and the official sources above.