Here’s What to Do With Your Old or Expired Credit Cards (Please Don’t Microwave Them)

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The average American has 3.9 credit cards — and each one expires every few years. That means most of us have a small graveyard of old, expired, or unused cards floating around a junk drawer somewhere.

Just tossing old cards into the trash isn’t the worst idea — they aren’t active or usable, after all. But there’s still a tiny chance some villain out there figures out how to use your old card info, so let’s do this right.

Here’s how to dispose (or recycle) them safely, whether they’re plastic or metal.

Should you shred, cut, or launch it into the sun?

The first question most people have is: how do I safely ditch an old card?

Should you cut it into 200 tiny pieces and bury them in separate locations across the continental United States to make absolutely certain no criminal mastermind could ever reassemble your card number? Tempting to think of extremes.

But here’s the real answer: cutting it up works great — with one important caveat. Always cut through the chip and the card number. The magnetic strip, the chip, and the card number are the three things that contain the info thieves might be interested in.

For standard plastic cards, a quick snip job works fine. Feel free to spread the remains across two or three trash cans if you’re really worried about dumpster divers.

Metal cards are a whole different animal

You can’t exactly slice through a titanium card with kitchen scissors. Well, you could try. But you’ll lose that battle embarrassingly fast.

Most metal cards are issued by premium travel and rewards programs, and the issuers know you can’t just snip them up. So a lot of them have started offering a better solution: a prepaid return envelope that comes right in the package when your new card arrives.

My wife and I used one of these a couple months back when we upgraded our metal cards. We just put the old cards in the prepaid envelope, sealed it, mailed it off.

If your issuer offers this — use it. It’s genuinely the easiest disposal option on this entire list.

About to upgrade your card? Browse top-rated travel credit cards with strong travel rewards here.

What about the credit account itself — should you close it?

This is where it gets a little nuanced. Canceling an old credit card account isn’t always the right move, even if you don’t plan on using the card anymore.

Here’s why: your credit score loves long account history. Closing an old card — especially one you’ve had for years — can shorten your average account age and bump up your credit utilization ratio. Both of those things can ding your credit score.

The smarter play for most people is to keep the account open (especially if there’s no annual fee), just put a small recurring charge on it — like a streaming subscription — and set it to autopay. The card stays active, the account stays open, and your credit profile stays happy.

If the card has an annual fee and you’re not getting value from it, that’s a different story. In that case, call your issuer first. Sometimes they’ll offer a retention bonus or a product change to a no-annual-fee version of the card. It never hurts to ask.

Fun ways to give old cards a second life

Okay, so we’ve covered the serious ways to get rid of your cards — cut them up thoroughly or mail them back for recycling.

But if you’ve got a weird and creative brain like me, maybe you want to try repurposing them into something else? Here are a few ideas:

• Make a guitar pick. Cut it down, sand the edges a tiny bit, and boom — you’ve got a pick with your name on it to use or give to a musician friend.
• Surfboard wax comb. Cut one of the edges into a jagged pattern and use it to rough up wax on your board. (I might actually try this one 🏄‍♂️)
• Drywall or tile spreader. Spreading wood filler, caulk, or grout in tight spots? An old card works surprisingly well as a makeshift carpenter tool.
• Bookmark. Works especially well for those personal finance and investing books you’re reading.
• Phone stand. With a couple of careful cuts, you can fold one into a surprisingly functional little phone prop. There are tutorials everywhere online.

Not everyone’s the crafty type. I just wanted to add some out-of-the-box thinking to the conversation. Just please — for the love of all things good — keep them away from the microwave or oven.

Compare today’s top rewards credit cards and find one that actually works for your wallet.

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