What Do I Do With My Old Expired Credit Card?

Do you have any old expired or cancelled credit cards laying around the home? I bet you do. Most of us actually carry them in our wallets, not realising that the card has actually expired until we get stuck on the checkout and look on in embarrassment as the card gets declined because it is no longer valid.

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Can I toss my expired credit card into the trash bin?

Since you ask, no – at least not as it is in its current state. An expired credit card should never be tossed out as a whole. Many people believe that because a credit card has actually expired they no longer need to treat it with caution, so they throw it into the trash only to become the next identity theft victim.

In order to be and stay safe, destroy your expired credit card first using safe methods to do so.

Credit card thieves and identity theft crooks only need to have your name, your credit card number and the card’s expiry date to make purchases or fake an identity and even if the card is no longer valid, a good liar can do more than you wish in order to get your private data.

If you dispose of your expired credit card in the right way you avoid further hassles in the future.

The best way to dispose of expired credit cards:

The most obvious is to dispose of them safely, regardless how. But the following ideas will take care of the worries of finding a safe method to get rid of expired credit cards for you.

• When I am faced with an expired credit card every once in a while I usually cut it up into lots of little pieces and then dispose of them in separate bins around the house. I might be a bit anal about this but I rather not take my chances. I also make sure that I cut through the signature, the credit card number and all other sensitive date just in case a thief gets hold of a few snippets and feels like becoming the world’s best puzzler.
• Another safe way to bin expired credit cards is by shredding them. The one problem I see with this is that some household shredders will probably die when faced with a credit card: they barely suck three pieces of paper through its fangs, let alone a card.
• If you are the hoarder type then you can certainly store your expired credit card in a safe place. Whether you freeze it, dig a a hole in the garden and bury it, sow it into your clothes or hang it up as a wall ornament is entirely up to you.
• Crafty people have yet another option to dispose of their expired credit cards, they can join the wicked world of credit card art and design their own crazy, sexy, cool piece of art, made of expired credit cards.

So what would you rather do with your expired credit card?

• Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers

Editor's Choice: Our Top Credit Cards

Credit Card	Card Details	Interest Rate (p.a.)	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Interest free days (up to)
HSBC Credit Card	Editor's Choice: 0% for 6 months Balance Transfer & No Annual Fee Featuring a $0 annual fee for life, and 0% p.a. balance transfer for 6 months, the HSBC Credit Card was voted the Best Transactor Credit Card for 2010.	16.99%	20.75%	0% for 6 months	$0	55
Suncorp Clear Options Standard Visa Card	A great 12 month balance transfer offer, combined with a low annual fee and a good interest rate on purchases.	12.24%	17.99%	1.9% for 12 months	$39	0