How to Dispose of A Credit Card

In the past, getting rid of the credit card you don't use anymore was as simple as grabbing scissors or getting a few more uses from your handy shredder for your home. With increasing numbers of issuers moving to more durable metal credit cards - and this trend isn't slowing down, eliminating old credit cards is slightly more difficult. If your metal credit card expires or is otherwise inaccessible, cutting boards or box cutters and shredders for paper don't suffice to accomplish the task. So, what's the most efficient way to eliminate the metal card? Learn more about several options to get rid of the metal card.

Send It to the Issuer of Your Credit Card

The process of sending your expired or damaged metal credit card to the issuer is typically the most effective way to ensure the card is properly destroyed. If you get a new credit card, your issuer will probably include an envelope with prepaid postage for you to return the old card to recycle or dispose of. If you don't get an envelope with prepaid postage on the new card, or if you have lost the envelope you received with your previous card, just call the number listed on the back of the card to inquire about one or seek additional information assistance when disposing of your card.

Cut Up Plastic Cards

A sturdy pair of scissors and clever trimming are the best tools for this. "We suggest that customers cut their EMV chip, and then cut the card several times along the shorter side and then discard the pieces in multiple trash bags," Or feed plastic cards into a shredder specifically designed to handle the cards.

Remove the Chip

It is also necessary to remove the chip on your card if it has a PIN and chip. It is a tiny gold or silver square usually located on the left side of the card. The chip has all the same personal data that the magnetic strip contains. It's not easy to cut the chip using scissors, so you should use your hammer to crush the chip into tiny pieces.

You Can Destroy It Yourself

If you are certain that you'll never need the card in the future, you can eliminate it by decomposing it yourself. While ordinary kitchen scissors won't cause much harm to the metal of a credit card, it should be possible to cut it into pieces using the tin cutting snips. Tin snips, also known as shears, are designed in cutting sheets of metal and other tough materials, and they'll work for any metal credit card you may have. If you're looking for an easy solution and are fortunate enough to have these in your arsenal tools, here's a simple DIY way to dispose of them.

Suppose you don't have any tin scissors. In that case, there are numerous stories across the internet of innovative methods that cardholders have used to destroy their credit cards, ranging from blowtorches to fire pits and pliers. The majority of these techniques aren't the best method of destroying your credit card, but they are enjoyable, so you intend to protect the metal from the microwave as well as your shredder at home.

Do Not Trust a Service from a Third-Party

If you encounter an outside service offering to erase your credit card's metal to you, then it's likely a fraud. To protect your credit card details from getting in the wrong hands, you shouldn't give away your credit card with metal to anyone else than the employee of the bank you work at. Even the credit card you have invalid or canceled, you should not divulge your credit card information to a third party, particularly in uninvited email messages or when you enter it on a website that is not familiar to you. Also, you should safely destroy any documents with your credit card's number, like canceled checks or financial statements, and ensure that the card number is unrecognizable.

Conclusion

A credit card made of metal can be more difficult to dispose of than plastic; however, it's not difficult to do. Most of the time, the most secure and practical option is to contact the credit card company you have signed up with to inquire about their recommendations for the proper disposal of your credit card.