How to Destroy a Credit Card the Right Way

Posted by Andrea Lewis | No Comments »

When you get right down to it, the surest way to destroy a credit card is probably to dissolve it in a vat of nitric or sulfuric acid. Sadly, most of us don’t have access to a chemistry lab, and strong acid tends to be both expensive and highly regulated.

Failing that, there are a number of other, simpler ways you can assure that your old credit cards are destroyed so thoroughly that dumpster divers and other clever identity thieves can’t get ahold of your personal information. A few snips just ain’t gonna cut it (to coin a phrase).

Well, duh

Let’s say you’re outraged by the 27.9% interest rate that your favorite credit card has suddenly acquired (that’s not supposed to happen anymore, but you never know). Well, clearly it’s time to get rid of it. But all most people do is snip their unwanted cards in half with a pair of scissors and toss ‘em in the trash.

Well, think about that. Oh, you’ve destroyed the data strip on the back…but you haven’t gotten rid of your name and card number on the front, have you? Not to mention that little code on the back that you always have to enter when you’re making online purchases. D’oh!

Doesn’t even matter if you cut it into smaller pieces, either. If you toss all the pieces in the trash together, obviously all someone has to do is piece together your little jigsaw puzzle, and they’re in business. That’s why merely cutting up a credit card isn’t good enough.

Wipe first, then snip

Still, destroying a credit card by cutting isn’t that bad an idea. First, though, take a strong magnet and swipe it across the data strip first to ruin the data. Then cut the card up into small pieces (as small as you can manage) and throw away the pieces in different places, ideally across several days.

Scissors will work, but if you’ve got a really tough crosscut shredder, run it through. Just make sure that the data strip gets thoroughly fragmented.

The one foolproof method left

Folks have come up with plenty of creative ways to destroy credit cards, from freezing them in liquid nitrogen and shattering them, to perforating them with a shotgun or mulching them with a lawnmower. But if you want to ensure that your card (and the info on it) goes the way of the dinosaur, burn it.

While I realize it’s stinky and nasty and not at all great for the planet, there’s no easier way than our old friend fire to destroy a credit card.

Credit Cards Guide