By: Money Navigator Research Team
Last Reviewed: 03/02/2026
FACT CHECKED
Quick Summary
For UK Tide business accounts, replacement of a physical Tide card is typically treated as a no-fee action inside the app, with standard delivery included, rather than a separate “replacement card charge” appearing as a line item.
Tide’s help centre describes receiving physical cards within a few working days and ordering a new one free of charge when the delivery address changes or a replacement is needed, which frames “replacement fees” as the exception rather than the default. See Tide’s delivery and replacement notes in When will I receive my Tide card?.
Where costs can still appear is around the replacement event: ongoing paid-plan fees, ATM operator surcharges, foreign exchange mark-ups, or card-use charges that are unrelated to the replacement itself. For those non-replacement charges, our separate guide on Tide card fees when card use triggers charges is the better reference point.
Replacement can also change how subscriptions behave. Card networks run “account updater” programmes that can pass updated credentials to participating merchants when a card is renewed or expires, which is why a replacement doesn’t always stop recurring billing (even when the card number changes). Mastercard describes this concept in its Automatic Billing Updater Privacy Notice.
This article is educational and not financial advice.
What “card replacement” means with Tide
A replacement is a new physical card issued to replace an existing one. The key practical point is that replacement is a card lifecycle event (new card details), not the same thing as a card transaction fee.
In Tide’s app flow, replacement is commonly initiated under “Replace this card”, selecting a reason such as lost, stolen, damaged/faulty, or needing delivery to a different address.
Tide’s help content also notes that most members receive cards within a few working days and refers to ordering a new one free of charge after address updates. (See When will I receive my Tide card?.)
What usually changes after replacement
Even when no fee is charged for the replacement itself, the operational impact is real:
Card credentials change (card number, expiry date, security code), so any “card-on-file” relationships can be affected.
The old physical card stops being usable once it is cancelled/replaced in the app flow.
Digital wallet tokens and merchant subscription records may behave differently depending on how the replacement was categorised and whether the merchant participates in updater programmes.
Are there Tide card replacement fees for lost, stolen, damaged, or expired cards?
Tide’s published help guidance for UK accounts describes ordering a new card in-app at no cost, and also refers to ordering a new card free of charge after correcting delivery details.
That strongly suggests Tide is not positioning replacement as a standard billable event. (See How do I order a new card? and When will I receive my Tide card?.)
That said, it’s important to separate replacement fees from everything else that can still cost money:
Ongoing membership fees (if applicable) continue on their normal billing cycle.
Card-use fees (ATM withdrawals, foreign currency spend, certain overseas use) are charged because of the transaction type, not because the card was replaced. Our guide to these is Tide card fees when card use triggers charges.
The “expired card” nuance
Expired cards stop working because the expiry date is part of the credential itself. Replacement for expiry is usually operationally similar to any other “renewal”: the result is a new card with a new expiry date.
Where it can get confusing is recurring billing: some merchants continue charging because they receive updated credentials through account updater programmes when cards renew or expire.
Mastercard explains the general mechanism (updated credentials shared to participating merchants) in its Automatic Billing Updater Privacy Notice.
Delivery costs and timelines for replacement cards
Tide’s help centre indicates most members receive physical cards within 3–5 working days and discusses re-ordering free of charge after correcting address details. (See When will I receive my Tide card?.)
In other words:
Standard delivery is treated as part of the replacement process, not as an extra “shipping fee” line item in the typical flow described.
Address accuracy matters operationally: if a delivery address is updated after ordering, the same help guidance references ordering a new card free of charge.
When replacement can still create costs (even if the card itself is free)
Even when replacement is “free”, businesses can still see costs because replacement often happens alongside other fee-triggering events.
1) Card-use charges while waiting for the new card
If a business switches to using the physical card more heavily (e.g. ATM withdrawals or overseas spend) while waiting for the replacement, any applicable transaction fees can still apply. That’s why it’s useful to separate this article from the wider fee guide: Tide card fees when card use triggers charges.
2) Third-party ATM operator surcharges
Even if a provider’s own fee is fixed or “free”, some ATMs charge their own access fee. These fees are set by the ATM operator, not the card issuer, and are typically disclosed on-screen before completion.
3) Subscription continuity (replacement doesn’t always stop billing)
Replacement can cause two different outcomes:
Some subscriptions fail and require manual updating.
Others continue because the merchant is participating in a card-network updater programme (particularly around renewal/expiry events). Mastercard sets out the concept in its Automatic Billing Updater Privacy Notice.
Tide also publishes an explanation of how it applies updater behaviour in different scenarios, including exceptions, in What is ‘Automatic Billing Updater’ or ‘ABU’?.
4) Account status exceptions (restriction/closure)
If an account is in the process of being closed or access is changing, card access and replacement availability can be affected as part of the wider closure process. For that broader operational picture, see Tide account closure notice: cards, direct debits, access.
Summary Table
| Scenario | Outcome | Practical impact |
|---|---|---|
| Lost card (reported and replaced) | Replacement card issued; old card unusable | Card details change; subscriptions may need updates depending on scenario |
| Stolen card (reported and replaced) | Replacement card issued; old card unusable | Same operational impact as lost; business may need to reconcile any attempted card use |
| Expired card | Card no longer works; renewal/replacement required | Some recurring payments may continue via updater programmes; others may fail |
| Damaged/faulty card | Replacement card issued | Business payments resume on the new physical card once received/activated |
| Address correction after ordering | Re-order possible with updated address | Delivery delay possible; replacement flow may be used to correct logistics |
| Upgrading to paid plan and requesting a black card | New physical card issued | Card credentials change; may affect recurring billing records and expense workflows |
Scenario Table
| Scenario-level | Process-level | Outcome-level |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement requested in-app | “Replace this card” flow creates a new credential set | New card details issued; old credential retired |
| Replacement categorised as lost/stolen | Security-led cancellation and reissue | Higher chance subscriptions won’t carry over automatically |
| Replacement due to expiry/renewal | Credential refresh at end of lifecycle | Merchants in updater programmes may receive updated credentials |
| Delivery problem or address mismatch | Address update followed by re-order | Extra time without the physical card; replacement process used to correct |
| Account closure/restriction context | Access controls can limit card actions | Replacement may be unavailable or irrelevant if the account is exiting |
Tide Business Bank Account
Tide positions its business account offering around app-based administration and card controls, including freezing, cancellation and replacement features, alongside plan-based pricing.
For an overview of Tide’s business account proposition (separate from replacement mechanics), see our main hub: Tide business account overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tide’s UK help content describes ordering a new card in the app at no cost, and also describes a replacement flow for when a card is missing. That indicates replacement is not generally treated as a billable “replacement fee” event for UK accounts. See How do I order a new card?.
The key exception is not usually a Tide replacement fee, but knock-on costs: any card-use fees (ATM/FX) are separate from replacement, and subscription outcomes can differ depending on whether the replacement was processed as lost/stolen versus a standard reissue. Tide describes updater behaviour and exceptions in What is ‘Automatic Billing Updater’ or ‘ABU’?.
Tide’s help guidance explains that most members receive their cards within 3–5 working days and refers to ordering a new one free of charge after correcting delivery address details. That implies standard delivery is not presented as a separate paid add-on in the typical replacement flow. See When will I receive my Tide card?.
In practice, “delivery cost” issues are more often operational than fee-based: if a business has to re-order due to an address problem, the main impact is usually time without the physical card, rather than a delivery charge line item.
An expired card stops working because the expiry date is part of the payment credential. Replacement/renewal is therefore a normal card lifecycle step, even if the account itself is unchanged.
Mastercard describes the broader concept of merchants receiving updated credentials via updater programmes when cards expire or renew in its Automatic Billing Updater Privacy Notice.
The practical implication is that expiry replacement is not just about having a working card again. It can also affect subscriptions: some merchants will keep billing using updated credentials; others won’t, and payments may fail until the merchant’s record is updated.
From a fees perspective, a damaged card replacement is generally still a “replacement event” rather than a special “fault fee”. Tide’s help content describes replacement ordering in-app at no cost, which aligns with a standardised replacement approach. See How do I order a new card?.
Operationally, a damaged-card replacement can be less disruptive than lost/stolen because it may not trigger the same security and subscription edge cases. However, the business still faces a credential change, which can affect stored card details.
Card replacement changes the card credential (and sometimes the visible details merchants store), but refunds and disputes often track through the underlying payment rails and transaction references rather than relying only on the physical piece of plastic. That means a replacement does not automatically prevent a merchant from issuing a refund for a prior transaction.
Where businesses can still see friction is timing and reconciliation. A replacement may coincide with other account events (like operational reviews or closures), and that wider context can affect how easily transactions are tracked and settled. For closure-related card access implications, see Tide account closure notice: cards, direct debits, access.
Sometimes, yes. Card networks operate updater programmes that can pass updated credentials to participating merchants when a card expires or renews, allowing recurring payments to continue without manual intervention. Mastercard describes this concept in its Automatic Billing Updater Privacy Notice.
Tide also sets out how it applies updater behaviour and highlights exceptions (for example, not all replacement types are treated the same, and some card types may be excluded) in What is ‘Automatic Billing Updater’ or ‘ABU’?. The practical impact is that “replacing a card” is not a reliable method to stop a subscription.
The most common reason is that businesses confuse replacement with card-use charges. ATM withdrawals, foreign currency spend, or certain overseas card usage can trigger fees that would have happened regardless of whether the card was replaced. Our separate explainer focuses on those transaction-driven charges: Tide card fees when card use triggers charges.
A second reason is third-party fees. For example, some ATM operators add their own access charge, which is not controlled by the card issuer. Those surcharges can create the impression that “replacement caused fees” when the cost actually came from the ATM operator or the transaction type.
Upgrading plan tiers is a separate pricing decision from card replacement mechanics. Where a new physical card is issued as part of a plan upgrade (for example, requesting a different card type), the replacement element is about issuing a new credential rather than charging a standalone “replacement card fee”.
The practical implication is that any cost is more likely to be the plan’s membership pricing, not the act of reissuing plastic. For how Tide plan upgrades start, billing timing, and proration mechanics, see Upgrading your Tide plan: when pricing starts and what’s pro-rated.
Replacement is an account feature, so it can be constrained by the account’s status. If the account is in an exit/closure process, card access and card actions (including replacement) can be affected as part of the broader closure workflow.
The practical impact is that a replacement request may not resolve the underlying operational issue if the account is exiting. For what typically happens to cards and access during closure notice, see Tide account closure notice: cards, direct debits, access.
In the UK, the baseline legal framework for unauthorised payment transactions sits within the Payment Services Regulations. The detail matters (timing of notification, evidence, and whether a transaction is considered “authorised”), and the rules are set out in the statutory instrument itself: The Payment Services Regulations 2017 (UKSI 2017/752) (PDF).
Real-world outcomes also depend on how disputes are handled in practice and what is considered reasonable in the circumstances. The Financial Ombudsman Service explains how complaints about unauthorised transactions and identity theft are approached in Unauthorised transactions and identity theft.
“Replacement card fees” are often treated as a simple yes/no question, but the more useful way to think about replacement is as a credential lifecycle change with multiple knock-on effects.
Even when the issuer doesn’t charge for replacement, the business impact can still be measurable: subscription continuity, reconciliation complexity, and short-term reliance on different payment methods can all change during the replacement window.
The hidden mechanism behind many “surprising” outcomes is account updater behaviour. Network-level programmes exist specifically to reduce payment failures when cards expire or renew, which can make replacement feel like it “did nothing” to stop recurring payments.
In other words, card replacement is frequently cheap (or free) for the issuer to provide, but it’s not a clean reset button for billing relationships.
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