Do you check the validity of your credit card?
Before your credit card expires, the issuer should send a new one to your address about 1 or 2 months before.
After activating the new card, uncertainty arises about what to do with the expired one.
Discarding your unused card in the trash is not recommended, as someone could use it for fraud.
The details of the new card, namely the number and PIN, will be the same as your old card, which could lead to problems if someone finds it.
In this post, we will cover what to do with expired credit cards, including the ideal way for you to dispose of or destroy them.
Steps to take before discarding your credit card
If you are canceling or the card has expired, do not destroy it immediately. Take the following actions to avoid problems with your account:
Make sure to activate the new card before discarding the old one.
Pay off all outstanding debts before closing the unused card account to avoid future issues.
If you have accumulated reward points or other benefits using the old card, redeem or transfer them before closing the account, as they will be lost after cancellation.
Contact the card issuer to close your account.
Some may require you to call customer service, while others allow online closure.
Inform any supplementary cardholders about the expiration and closure of the card so they can destroy their cards since they will no longer be valid.
If you have scheduled or automatic payments linked to the card, transfer them to a new payment method.
After completing these steps, it is safe to discard or destroy your unused card.
What is the ideal way to safely destroy a plastic credit card?
When it’s time to close your account or get rid of your expired credit card, it’s important to ensure that it becomes completely unusable, protecting your personal and financial information from potential fraud.
The first thing to do when destroying your credit card is to render the magnetic stripe, which contains sensitive data, completely useless.
Use a powerful magnet to completely demagnetize the magnetic stripe located on the back of the card.
Note that chips are more challenging to destroy than magnetic stripes. You can choose to cut the card’s chip using scissors or a hammer.
Next, cut the expired credit card into at least three different pieces so that it is impossible to reassemble if someone tries.
If you have difficulty cutting it, fold it repeatedly to weaken the plastic and then use scissors to cut it.
After that, throw each piece in different locations when disposing of them, preventing someone from putting them back together.
For those who prefer not to manually destroy the card, it is plausible to use a paper shredder.
Some shredders now have specific openings for destroying payment cards.
Opt for a shredder with a cross-cut, as it is even more efficient.
Regardless of the chosen method to destroy the expired card, remember to discard the pieces in different locations to ensure your complete safety.
With the rise of metal credit cards, known for their durability and protection, the question arises of how to properly destroy them.
Regular scissors are not effective, and even conventional paper shredders struggle to cut these cards.
To destroy a metal credit card into small pieces, you will need to buy metal scissors at a hardware store.
If you do not want to go through this process manually, contact your card issuer, as some of them take care of disposing of expired cards.
You can send the expired credit card to the issuer by mail, and they will handle the process.
You can also deliver the card personally to a physical branch of the issuer, where an employee will properly render it useless and notify you when it is done.
Never try to burn your expired credit card. Burning the plastic releases toxic substances, harming respiratory health and potentially causing damage to vision.
Use safe methods to destroy your expired card, avoiding burning or melting.
With the increase in credit card fraud cases, it is important to properly dispose of or destroy your card to protect your personal information.
The right choice when getting a new credit card is to properly destroy the old one. Although it may take some time, it is an important step to take.
Follow the mentioned methods to safely destroy plastic or metal credit cards, ensuring your security against identity theft and protecting your credit card number.