An alert for large charges
Have your bank text you when a big charge goes through.
Alerts are the single most useful setting in a bank app.
You choose a dollar amount, say one hundred. Any charge above that sends you a text or a notification within minutes. You do not have to check anything.
Most major banks offer this, and it works whether the charge was yours or not. If it was not yours, you find out the same day instead of next month.
Key points
- Alerts live under Settings in your bank app.
- You pick the dollar amount yourself.
- The bank texts you within minutes of a big charge.
- Set it just above your normal spending.
- You only have to do this once.
What to remember
- One setting, done once, watches your account for you.
- The best safety habit is one you only have to set up once.
- A good alert is rare enough that you read it every time.
Try this
Open your bank app today, find Alerts under Settings, and turn on a text alert for charges above one hundred dollars.
Practice: An alert for large charges. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.