Barclays US Consumer Bank has added a series of features, dubbed "Control Your Card," to its mobile app to help customers manage their card spending, according to a company press release.

The new features allow customers to set custom spending limits and locations — for example, limiting spending to certain merchant types — and turn off a Barclays card if it is stolen or lost.

"Barclay is committed to giving our cardmembers innovations that take advantage of new technology to improve their financial health and simplify their lives, and these features deliver on that promise," said Sagar Dalal, head of digital payments and innovation, Barclays US Consumer Bank. "From parents of college students who want to limit spending in particular categories, to the consumer who wants to exert more control over their spending at the supermarket or local watering hole, this mobile feature acts as a remote control for cards within the Barclays mobile app."

The new options include the following:

• SecurHold — Puts a temporary hold on lost or stolen cards.
• Spend alerts — Sends a real-time alert every time a card purchase is made.
• Control merchant categories — Allows users to limit card use to certain types of merchants — for example restaurants, department stores and entertainment.
• Spend limits — Sets per-transaction caps on spending by cardholders and authorized users.