Commerce Bank Re-Issues Cards Throughout Schnucks Territory

Customers of Commerce Bank should keep an eye on the mail. You're likely getting new debit cards, even if you didn't ask for one.

Clayton-based Commerce Bancshares confirms that customers throughout the region are getting new cards as a precaution following a security breach at Schnucks grocery stores around the area that compromised customer financial data.

Carl Bradbury, Commerce's Director of Consumer Products, wouldn't identify Schnucks by name in an interview Thursday but did acknowledge "a large event" where cards were considered compromised, prompting the move. The decision to re-issue does not mean that a customer's card was necessarily compromised, but that it was used during a time period where others were.

Bradbury also said that just because a card was compromised doesn't mean it will have fraudulent expenses charged to it.

He called the "event" one of the largest in the area this year but said it was "nowhere near the biggest."

While some banks have gone public with the amount of money lost in absorbing the fraudulent purchases, Commerce declined to do so, but did say the cost of re-issuing thousands of cards has been significant.

"No financial institution likes to re-issue thousands of cards," he said. 

Bradbury reminded customers to keep an eye on their accounts. Common industry standards generally ensure that banks will absorb the losses brought on by fraudulent expenses if they're flagged within 60 days.

"Attempted fraud is a non-stop thing," Bradbury said. "This is just another event."