What's the silliest way you've ruined a credit/debit card?

MSE_Laura_F

Today I learnt from another member of the Forum team that wireless phone charging pads can ruin debit/credit cards. If you're someone who keeps their card tucked into their mobile phone case, make sure to take it out before charging your phone on a wireless pad.

Have you ever ruined a payment card? How?

Sandtree

I've found them to make good scrapers for removing ice/frost from a windscreen but never ruined a card doing so

guesswho2000

Back when the Amex Platinum was plastic, I used it to get into an airport lounge, then stuck it quickly into my pocket instead of taking the extra five seconds to put it in my wallet. Somehow I folded it in half (obviously sat on it or leaned against something), which left a big crease in the card.

I bent it back into shape and it still worked, didn't bother replacing it until they introduced the metal ones, at which point I just requested the metal one for the novelty value rather than needing it specifically!

Don't think I've done anything else interesting with one, as Sandtree says some of them make good ice scrapers, especially the aforementioned metal cards. I've had several which have started delaminating in various ways, or the plastic has started peeling off.

Not a credit/debit card, but my old Medicare card (Australian health service) the back plastic layer, including the mag stripe, almost peeled off completely - was entirely intact and if held together could be swiped, but most Doctors etc. just type the details in, can't remember the last time I swiped it for anything.

tacpot12

Had my wallet incorrectly stowed in a bag on the back of my motorbike and my wallet fell out on the ride home from work. I found all the cards badly mangled in the gutter when I retraced my route.

Very strong magnets can also destroy the data on the magetic stripe on the back of cards, so I am careful to keep such magnets away from debit & credit cards, although cards with a chip in them should still be usable for Chip and Pin and Contact-less Transactions even if the magnetic data stripe is wiped.   

TimSynths

I used to have a gold Amex card- free for 1st year but wasn't worth the £86 fee so as my little status symbol I have it in a pot of grout and its great for covering over holes in walls etc and I feel wealthy doing it!

Sandtree

guesswho2000 said:

Not a credit/debit card, but my old Medicare card (Australian health service) the back plastic layer, including the mag stripe, almost peeled off completely - was entirely intact and if held together could be swiped, but most Doctors etc. just type the details in, can't remember the last time I swiped it for anything.

The front of my nectar card came off years ago so its now a mottled white colour with no branding etc... the back side with the barcode for scanning is still perfectly fine though... cashiers are always confused when I hand it over... some have a laugh about it others insist that I should replace it but it works fine so no need

Rocketeer

I ruined a card trying to break into my neighbour's house. He lost the key and I said there is this thing on the CSI tv show using a credit card to get passed a locked door. After 15 minutes of forcing it into the door frame I pulled out a mangled card. Oh well and then left him to look for a locksmith.

PRAISETHESUN

Had my wallet in my pocket and stood next to a superconducting magnet when I was at uni. Took me longer than it should've to figure out why my building access and bank cards weren't working later that day...

[Deleted User]

Rocketeer said:

I ruined a card trying to break into my neighbour's house. He lost the key and I said there is this thing on the CSI tv show using a credit card to get passed a locked door. After 15 minutes of forcing it into the door frame I pulled out a mangled card. Oh well and then left him to look for a locksmith.

Only way you can do that with a card is to try and slip it between the door and the lock of a yale style lock, it's highly unlikely to work these days

denow

Rocketeer said:

I ruined a card trying to break into my neighbour's house. He lost the key and I said there is this thing on the CSI tv show using a credit card to get passed a locked door. After 15 minutes of forcing it into the door frame I pulled out a mangled card. Oh well and then left him to look for a locksmith.

haha.

You should have used 2 hairclips. It's dead easy, put them together, jiggle them in the lock and hey presto, you're IN!

I've seen Jim Rockford do that loads of times, it's failsafe :-)

[Deleted User]

denow said:

Rocketeer said:

I ruined a card trying to break into my neighbour's house. He lost the key and I said there is this thing on the CSI tv show using a credit card to get passed a locked door. After 15 minutes of forcing it into the door frame I pulled out a mangled card. Oh well and then left him to look for a locksmith.

haha.

You should have used 2 hairclips. It's dead easy, put them together, jiggle them in the lock and hey presto, you're IN!

I've seen Jim Rockford do that loads of times, it's failsafe :-)

Watch Lock Picking Lawyer on youtube for this sort of thing, some modern locks are an absolute joke, you can pick them with a basic tool just by raking it in and out, but decent locks you absolutely need skill and the right tools