Consumer

Safely destroying old bank and credit cards: how to do it right at home

5 July 2026 · 12 min read · DeSnipperaar

An expired bank card, a replaced credit card, an old debit card from an account you closed long ago. Most people cut such a card in half once and throw it away. Yet that is riskier than it seems. A bank or credit card holds enough information to commit fraud, even when the card has expired. In this article you read what exactly is on a card, why cutting it once is not enough and how to destroy your old bank or credit card truly safely.

This is the consumer side of the story. If, as an organisation, you have a whole box of written-off cards, for example after a merger or the end of a lease, read destroying access passes, badges and debit cards for the business approach. Below it is all about the old cards that pile up in a drawer at home.

Why an old bank card does not belong in the bin

An expired card feels worthless. The payment function no longer works, so why would anyone be able to do anything with it? The problem is that a card is much more than just a means of payment. The card carries data that stays usable independently of the payment function. Anyone who fishes a discarded card out of the rubbish has your name, the card number and the expiry date in hand within seconds. Those are exactly the details needed for fraud where the card itself does not have to be present. Bins are not a safe place, certainly not at a shared collection point for a whole apartment block.

What is on a bank or credit card?

A modern payment card carries its data in several places at once. It helps to know which, because each part needs attention when destroying.

• The chip: the gold square with contact points. The security of your payments is stored here. An intact chip is the most valuable part.
• The magnetic stripe: the black band on the back. Cheap to read with equipment that costs only a few tens of euros.
• The card number: the sixteen digits on the front, embossed on older cards, often flat-printed or on the back of newer ones.
• The expiry date and your name: together with the number, enough for many online payments.
• The CVC code: the three digits on the back of a credit card, the key to online purchases.
• The contactless antenna: a thin wire inside the plastic that makes the NFC payment possible.

The danger of card-not-present fraud

For many online purchases the physical card does not have to be present at all. The seller only asks for the card number, the expiry date, the name and, for credit cards, the CVC code. That is called card-not-present fraud, paying without the card being there. That is precisely why a discarded card is such a gift for fraudsters. They do not have to crack your chip. The printed number and the date on the front are already enough to attempt misuse. With an expired card the number is often still linked to a successor, or it gives footholds for phishing in which someone poses as your bank. A card made illegible closes that door.

Why cutting it in half once is not enough

The classic reflex is scissors through the middle of the card. That is a start, but far from sufficient. In two half cards the most important data stays legible. The magnetic stripe is still largely intact in a half card and can be read. The card number sits neatly in two blocks that are easy to line up again. And if the cut falls just beside the chip, the chip is not damaged at all. Cutting once feels like tidying up, but it leaves too much whole. Safe destruction requires targeted cutting through the sensitive parts, into more than two pieces.

Destroying a bank card yourself: how to do it right

With sturdy scissors or kitchen shears you can get a long way at home. The trick is to cut deliberately, not just down the middle. Follow this approach for an ordinary plastic card:

1. Cut through the chip. Make the gold square unusable by cutting through it once or twice.
2. Cut the magnetic stripe into pieces. Slice the black band on the back into several parts.
3. Cut through the card number. Make sure the run of digits falls apart into loose bits, not two legible halves.
4. Make several pieces. Cut the card into six to eight bits instead of two.
5. Spread the pieces. Do not put them all in the same bin on the same day, but spread them across different waste collections.

The limits of cutting it yourself

Cutting well helps, but it has its limits. Anyone who gathers the pieces back together can sometimes partly reconstruct a roughly cut card. The contactless antenna runs through the whole plastic and may still work in a large piece. And most people cut neatly once and are then done. For a single old debit card, deliberate cutting is safe enough. For a larger quantity, for metal cards or if you want certainty with proof, kitchen scissors fall short. Then it is wiser to have the cards destroyed in a controlled way. The same trade-off applies to destroying confidential documents: a home shredder for a few sheets, a collection service for the rest.

You cannot cut metal credit cards

More and more premium credit cards are made of metal. They feel luxurious, but they create a practical problem when clearing out. You cannot cut a metal card with ordinary scissors and it does not belong in a paper shredder either, which it would damage. Forcing it with pliers leaves sharp edges and the data often stays plainly legible. For metal cards there are two safe routes. The bank often sends a return envelope, or you have the card professionally destroyed with equipment that can handle metal. Never throw a metal card away whole, because that is exactly the kind that stays intact in the rubbish for a long time.

Making contactless and NFC safe

The contactless function works through a chip with an antenna that runs through the plastic. As long as that antenna forms a closed loop, the card can in theory still respond at a short distance. With an expired card the payment channel is blocked, but you make it easy on yourself by breaking the loop. You do that by cutting through the card in several places, so the wire in the plastic no longer runs round. Once cut into pieces, nothing usable remains of a contactless antenna. No separate treatment is needed, deliberate cutting takes care of this along the way.

Your card number is stored elsewhere too

Physically destroying the card is an important step, but it is not the whole story. Your card number is often stored digitally as well. Think of old paper account statements, a confirmation email from an online purchase, a saved card in a web shop or a payment app. Anyone who neatly destroys their old card but leaves the number on a pile of statements solves only half of it. So also clear out the paper statements that show the full number and remove saved card details from accounts you no longer use. That way you prevent the data from leaking by another route after all.

Do you have to return the card to the bank?

For an ordinary plastic bank card, returning it is usually not necessary. You may destroy it yourself, as long as you do it carefully. With metal cards it is different. Many banks ask you to return those, precisely because a customer cannot safely break them at home. If you receive an instruction or a return envelope with a new card, follow it. Sometimes the bank wants the old card back for responsible processing. When in doubt a simple rule applies: if you cannot make the card illegible at home, return it or have it professionally destroyed. Never throw it away whole while awaiting an answer.

A drawer full of old cards or an estate

Sometimes it is not about a single card. While clearing out a drawer a whole collection surfaces: old bank cards, expired credit cards, loyalty cards, a couple of library cards. With an estate it is even more extensive, sometimes with dozens of cards belonging to a loved one. Cutting them one by one is then a lot of work and gives no certainty. For such a batch, having them professionally destroyed is the calmest solution. You gather all cards in a sealed bag or box, hand them over at a collection and receive proof that everything has been destroyed. That gives peace of mind, especially with an estate where you want to handle someone else's data carefully.

Having them professionally destroyed

If you have more than a few cards, metal cards or you want proof, having them destroyed is the safe route. We collect the cards at your address within 20 km of Amsterdam, with no call-out fee. Beyond that we work nationwide through pooled routes. You do not have to drive anywhere, because we come to you. The practical advantage for a household is that the cards can come in the same collection as other material. A box of old papers, a few USB sticks or an old phone can come in the same trip. So you combine everything in one go and pay a fixed price you know in advance.

Which DIN level fits a payment card?

Professional destruction works with the DIN 66399 standard. It sets out how finely a carrier must be shredded. For plastic cards with a chip the E scale for electronic carriers applies.

Level	Particle size	Suitable for
E-3	Coarser particles	Simple cards without sensitive data
E-4	Small particles	Bank cards, credit cards and payment cards
E-5	Very small particles	Cards with extra sensitive data

For an ordinary bank or credit card, E-4 is amply sufficient. The chip, the magnetic stripe and the number then fall apart into particles that can no longer be reconstructed. More on the levels is in DIN 66399 explained.

A certificate as proof

Professional destruction comes with a certificate of destruction. It states the date, the quantity and the level applied. For a private individual that is not an obligation, but it gives peace of mind. With an estate you can use it, for example, to show other heirs that the deceased's cards were destroyed carefully. The certificate turns a loose action into a finished whole. Anyone who wants to understand how destruction fits together more broadly can read the overview on data destruction, which brings paper and data carriers together.

What does it cost to have cards destroyed?

The price depends on what you have collected. For a household it is usually not about the cards alone, but about a combination with paper or other carriers. You pay a fixed price per box or container, from about 30 euro for the first box, with the certificate included. A handful of cards can come along free of charge in such a collection. Within 20 km of Amsterdam we charge no call-out fee. You know the price in advance, so there are no surprises afterwards. For a single expired debit card, by the way, a collection is not needed, then deliberate cutting at home is fine.

Common mistakes

• Throwing the card away whole. An intact card in the rubbish is a gift for fraudsters.
• Cutting it in half once. Two half cards keep the stripe and the number legible.
• Skipping the chip. Always cut through the gold square.
• Forcing a metal card. That belongs back at the bank or with professional destruction.
• Leaving the card number on old paper statements or in web shop accounts.

Safe in 4 steps

1. Assess the quantity. A single card you cut at home, a whole drawer you have collected.
2. Cut deliberately through chip, stripe and number, into several pieces.
3. Spread or have collected. Spread the bits or hand over a batch for destruction.
4. Clear the number digitally too in statements and saved accounts.

Frequently asked questions

Can an old bank card go in the bin?

Better not. The chip, the magnetic stripe and the printed card number with expiry date and name stay usable for fraud. Make the card illegible before you throw it away.

Is cutting a bank card in half once enough?

No. Cut through the chip, the magnetic stripe and the card number, into several pieces, and spread the pieces across different bins on different days.

How do I destroy a metal credit card?

You cannot cut a metal credit card with ordinary scissors. Return it to the bank or have a batch of cards professionally destroyed with a certificate.

Do I have to return my old bank card to the bank?

Ordinary plastic cards you may destroy yourself. Metal cards you often return to the bank. When in doubt, always follow the instruction you receive from the bank.

What do I do with a whole collection of cards from an estate?

Gather all cards in a sealed bag or box and have them destroyed in a collection. You receive a certificate with which you can show that everything was handled carefully.

Conclusion

An old bank or credit card is more than a piece of dead plastic. The chip, the magnetic stripe and above all the printed card number with expiry date and name stay usable for fraud, even after the expiry date. Cutting it in half once leaves too much whole. So cut deliberately through the chip, the stripe and the number, into several pieces, and spread them. For a metal card, a whole drawer or an estate, professional destruction with a certificate is the calmest choice. Finally, do not forget to clear out the card number digitally too. That way you close all the doors at once.

See also: this guide is part of our series on archive destruction for individuals. Read as well about keeping or destroying CDs and DVDs, how to go about safely wiping an old phone and how to arrange safely destroying passport and ID copies.

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Have them safely destroyed? Request a quote via desnipperaar.nl. We collect your old cards, destroy them to the right level and you receive a certificate as proof.