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How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home

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Anonymous
Not applicable

How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home

"Your metal credit card—at least, the one I’ve been using—isn’t embossed. It’s just two layers of plastic that have been adhered to a thin piece of metal. Accordingly, you can peel off these plastic layers and shred or destroy them without having to worry about the metal itself."

 

It's a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

 

Metal is so 5 minutes ago. Bring on the glass cards already!

Message 1 of 10
9 REPLIES 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home

I'm used to Canadian (Chip + PIN) cards. If the card is compromised and cancelled by the issuer they're completely useless in Canada, even the cardholder wrote their PIN on the card and it's stolen.

 

When an American Chip and Signatured card is cancelled where/how could it be used?

Message 2 of 10
iv
Valued Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@Anonymous wrote:

I'm used to Canadian (Chip + PIN) cards. If the card is compromised and cancelled by the issuer they're completely useless in Canada, even the cardholder wrote their PIN on the card and it's stolen.

 

When an American Chip and Signatured card is cancelled where/how could it be used?


In addition to using the numbers on the card for a card-not-present transaction?

 

Anywhere that's still swipe-only (lots of places, sadly), assuming the account hasn't been issued a new number.

 

Also in most cases, failing a chip read three times (by, say, intentionally damaging the chip contacts) will allow a fallback to swipe.

 

Some issuers treat a fallback like that as an auto fraud-alert, some don't.

 

Some issuers (Amex and Discover, for instance) can distinguish different physical cards when swiped (so turning off individual cards actually works)... others have identical swipe data (even on AU cards).

 

(And a light-duty industrial or high-end office shedder handles metal cards just fine... also staples and large paperclips.  Just don't try binder/bulldog clips!)

 

EQ8:850 TU8:850 EX8:850
EQ9:847 TU9:847 EX9:839
EQ5:797 TU4:807 EX2:813 - 2021-06-06
Message 3 of 10
HighAchiever
Established Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@iv wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

I'm used to Canadian (Chip + PIN) cards. If the card is compromised and cancelled by the issuer they're completely useless in Canada, even the cardholder wrote their PIN on the card and it's stolen.

 

When an American Chip and Signatured card is cancelled where/how could it be used?


In addition to using the numbers on the card for a card-not-present transaction?

 

Anywhere that's still swipe-only (lots of places, sadly), assuming the account hasn't been issued a new number.

 

Also in most cases, failing a chip read three times (by, say, intentionally damaging the chip contacts) will allow a fallback to swipe.

 

Some issuers treat a fallback like that as an auto fraud-alert, some don't.

 

Some issuers (Amex and Discover, for instance) can distinguish different physical cards when swiped (so turning off individual cards actually works)... others have identical swipe data (even on AU cards).

 

(And a light-duty industrial or high-end office shedder handles metal cards just fine... also staples and large paperclips.  Just don't try binder/bulldog clips!)

 


It probably won't work on the Apple card to put it in the shredder. I watched that video of them shooting it with at .22 caliber bullet. It didn't go through it at all. The bullet just bounced off of the card. 😱

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Message 4 of 10
iv
Valued Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@HighAchiever wrote:

It probably won't work on the Apple card to put it in the shredder. I watched that video of them shooting it with at .22 caliber bullet. It didn't go through it at all. The bullet just bounced off of the card. 😱


Eh... It wasn't secured well, and the card bounced out of the holder.  Try it with the card firmly anchored in place, and it would look like the average rural road sign.

 

But yeah, all home shredders and almost all office shredders would fail on that card.  But even fairly small industrial shredders would handle it just fine.

EQ8:850 TU8:850 EX8:850
EQ9:847 TU9:847 EX9:839
EQ5:797 TU4:807 EX2:813 - 2021-06-06
Message 5 of 10
SouthJamaica
Mega Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@iv wrote:

@HighAchiever wrote:

It probably won't work on the Apple card to put it in the shredder. I watched that video of them shooting it with at .22 caliber bullet. It didn't go through it at all. The bullet just bounced off of the card. 😱


Eh... It wasn't secured well, and the card bounced out of the holder.  Try it with the card firmly anchored in place, and it would look like the average rural road sign.

 

But yeah, all home shredders and almost all office shredders would fail on that card.  But even fairly small industrial shredders would handle it just fine.


When I had to destroy my Amex Business Platinum card it was a nightmare. I had to bend it back and forth with a pliers approximately 30 or more times.

 

It was really solid.

 

There's no way I'd risk breaking a $500 shredder to destroy a closed credit card.

 

 


Total revolving limits 741200 (620700 reporting) FICO 8: EQ 701 TU 704 EX 685

Message 6 of 10
iv
Valued Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@SouthJamaica wrote:

There's no way I'd risk breaking a $500 shredder to destroy a closed credit card.


$500 is a mid-range office shredder...

 

...this is a small/midsize industrial shredder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MIE01E

 

Not something you'll have at home, no.  But if you have one in the office, go ahead and drop that card in - the shredder won't even notice.

 

EQ8:850 TU8:850 EX8:850
EQ9:847 TU9:847 EX9:839
EQ5:797 TU4:807 EX2:813 - 2021-06-06
Message 7 of 10
HighAchiever
Established Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@iv wrote:

@SouthJamaica wrote:

There's no way I'd risk breaking a $500 shredder to destroy a closed credit card.


$500 is a mid-range office shredder...

 

...this is a small/midsize industrial shredder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MIE01E

 

Not something you'll have at home, no.  But if you have one in the office, go ahead and drop that card in - the shredder won't even notice.

 


😱 $18,780.00 😱

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Message 8 of 10
M_Smart007
Legendary Contributor

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home

I have found a 12 gauge with 00 bucksot or #4 Turkey loads.. works real well to destroy metal cards.

(please do not try this within City limits)

Message 9 of 10
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: How to Destroy a Metal Credit Card at Home


@M_Smart007 wrote:

I have found a 12 gauge with 00 bucksot or #4 Turkey loads.. works real well to destroy metal cards.

(please do not try this within City limits)


I learned two things from this post:

 

  1. What a '#4 Turkey load' is, and what it looks like when shot into ballistic gelatin.
  2. It's probably a lot of fun destroying credit cards and other household items at @M_Smart007's house.
Message 10 of 10
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