Stainless steel credit cards !!!

[Muse]

I had Amazon Prime for a year around 3 (?) years ago, but cancelled after one year.

My m.o. (when not on Prime, which is pretty much all the time) is to get $25+ in my cart at Amazon to get free shipping on items shipped by Amazon.

I'm now often offered a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime (happens a lot but I don't usually bite). Around 2 months ago I accept, and cancel at the end of the 30 day period. I've had Amazon's Chase Prime credit card for years. IIRC I get 3% off at Amazon (Whole Foods too, I think) when I use that CC. If I AM on Prime, I get 5% off.

After I cancel, when I make an Amazon purchase I get offers to get Prime for one week for $1.99. I ignore those, but about 3 weeks ago I made an order for an item at Amazon for $12.99 that I wanted quickly. To avoid the $6.99 shipping fee I accepted the $1.99 for Prime for one week.

Well, I just received in the mail an envelope with a replacement of that Amazon credit card. I have no idea why. Figured maybe the trial Prime offer(s) triggered that. The expiration date on the one I had is in 2026. The one they just sent me is same CC#, but expires in 2029.

IIRC, they advise you when you get a replacement credit card to cut up and discard your old card. So, per usual when I get a replacement CC, I go and get my sheet metal snips and start to cut my old Prime card into N pieces but can't. After a while I realize that's because the card is plastic laminated onto stainless steel, pretty tough stuff. After failing to cut it into pieces and finding that trying to break it by bending it accomplishes nothing, I resort to filing off my CC# from the old card. The new card is also SS, it appears. They are both attracted to a strong magnet (mildly).

Comments?

 

[Roger Wilco]

When they send you a new card, they typically provide return envelope to return your old card for recycling.

You could maybe request a return envelop if they didn’t send you one.

Otherwise, only the fires of Mount Doom may be sufficient.

 

[lxskllr]

When you validate the new card, it should void the old one, and I'm guessing the CVV code on the back is different. I'd mangle it to the best of my ability, and throw it out. If it bothers you, bury it in the backyard. By the time anyone finds it, it won't be your problem.

 

[Muse]

When they send you a new card, they typically provide return envelope to return your old card for recycling.

You could maybe request a return envelop if they didn’t send you one.

Otherwise, only the fires of Mount Doom may be sufficient.

I don't recall ever getting a return envelope to return an old credit card.

 

[Brainonska511]

For Chase's Amazon card, when I did have the metal version, I had to send them a request to send me a return envelope for the old card because I could shred or cut it. Just did it via the online platform - easy peasy

 

[Muse]

For Chase's Amazon card, when I did have the metal version, I had to send them a request to send me a return envelope for the old card because I could shred or cut it. Just did it via the online platform - easy peasy

Sending a CC in the mail isn't the most secure way of disposing it. I did manage to remove the chip, then I filed off the last 1/2 of the CC# using a metal file. I figure that pretty much makes the card "secured" and can toss it in the trash.

 

[Brainonska511]

Sending a CC in the mail isn't the most secure way of disposing it. I did manage to remove the chip, then I filed off the last 1/2 of the CC# using a metal file. I figure that pretty much makes the card "secured" and can toss it in the trash.

Don't be so paranoid. The number should already be inactivated if you have a new card activated, and you aren't responsible for fraudulent charges anyway.

If you're concerned about safety of mail, just bring it to the post office to drop it off instead of a blue box on the street.

 

[RPD]

My comments are they send you a little envelope with the new card to mail back the old one, never to think about it again until said thread.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Nobody has propane torches any more?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Nobody has propane torches any more?

Why do that when you can cast it into the fires of Mt. Doom?

 

[Pohemi]

They did the same to me just a few months ago. Already had the Prime Visa, which didn't expire for several years yet.

Signed up for the 1 week trial for $1.99, cancelled it within 4 or 5 days...a few WEEKS later, I get a new CC in the mail with the same number but a different exp date and CVV. I called (Chase) to ask why the new card, and they told me it was because I signed up for Prime.

I told the rep that I will often sign up for it every so often and only keep it for a month or two at time. Are they going to send me a new card everytime I sign up and/or cancel the Prime membership? She couldn't give a definitive answer. What the hell, I don't want a new card if I don't request it.

 

[DigDog]

the CC information is on the plastic layer, right? ...

 

[Exterous]

I don't recall ever getting a return envelope to return an old credit card.

Chase does for the metallic cards but they tend to be much smaller envelopes so likely easy to miss. At least all the card readers can take them now. Back when they were first really getting popular I'd frequently run into card readers they wouldn't fit into

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

" At least all the card readers can take them now. Back ... "

I misread that as: " At least all the card readers can take them back now."
Which would be a decent idea. Let ATMs take them back at a few user prompts, just like they retain problem cards. 'I want to return my expired card.' Let the banks ship them between each other securely.

 

[Muse]

Nobody has propane torches any more?

My ? is WTF do they make a CC using SS?

 

[Muse]

Don't be so paranoid. The number should already be inactivated if you have a new card activated, and you aren't responsible for fraudulent charges anyway.

If you're concerned about safety of mail, just bring it to the post office to drop it off instead of a blue box on the street.

Yeah, that question looms when a replacement card comes. But IIRC there's that admonition to cut the old card into pieces. Then the idea comes don't toss the pieces in one trash can, use more than one.

A couple days ago I get an email that looks legit from CVS pharmacies saying it was a confirmation of purchase. I haven't done any business with them for a while. I look at it and it indicates 3 purchases in a town about 40 miles from me, total >$15, on Saturday evening. I'm thinking, shit, somebody has my CC info. Their info doesn't give a hint which CC it was. I call CVS and they shuffle me a bit, I get a woman finally who looks up the transactions (the store number and transaction number was there) and I'm told it was a cash transaction. They had a phone number of the buyer and it looked a LOT like mine (same last 4 characters), the area code was the same but the first 3 characters of the phone number were different from mine. I look at that, am talking to the woman, and wonder WTF was going on. She figures that my email came up regardless of the variation. That's kind of bonkers. The woman suggests they have an algorithm that figures a telephone number could have been entered wrong so they will give the likely email address for their communique. That's some crazy shit. I told them to cancel my membership in their system. I didn't remember I was enrolled, it's from ~15 years ago. It's some kind of system to give you discounts on some stuff. But it didn't do anything for me but waste maybe 30 minutes of my time.

 

[Muse]

Chase does for the metallic cards but they tend to be much smaller envelopes so likely easy to miss. At least all the card readers can take them now. Back when they were first really getting popular I'd frequently run into card readers they wouldn't fit into

Seems like at least 1/2 the time I use a CC in a B&M store there's issues with my CCs and the card reader. Chip not recognized, at least the first time I insert it. Or the tap feature doesn't work. And, of course, sometimes the card readers have issues. Then there's the cell phone payment apps, I am pretty green about them. I have a couple of those on my Samsung S9 Galaxy that were fighting it out for supremacy. I don't remember who won.

 

[Pohemi]

My ? is WTF do they make a CC using SS?

To keep them from cracking/snapping, though I'm not sure that was really such a common issue. They (the plastic variety) can get brittle if left in the cold (like in your car overnight in a cold winter state).

When this new card had come, I noticed it was thicker and stiffer than any CC/debit I've had in the past, but I figured it was just heavy duty plastic and never crossed my mind that it was plastic-coated SS.

I've not had any issues so far with it not working with readers, though I'm not sure the chip readers ever failed. Interesting though that they won't fit in some narrower card (magnetic) strip readers.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The SS ones make it easier to slit the throat of someone trying to take it from you.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The CC focused Reddit has posters that crave the metal cards as some sort of status symbol. They somehow feel special and important if they have one they can tap on tables to make that certain sound among friends.

Dink, dink, dink .... yeah, that's them.

 

[JEDI]

I don't recall ever getting a return envelope to return an old credit card.

i got one.
like the OP i felt the amazon card being more hefty than a regular credit card.
and when i got the envelope a month before card expiration, i realized that it would be bad try to cut it up in my paper shredder like i do my other expired cards.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The stainless steal credit cards are baller. I don't keep a balance on mine since I make over 100k but mine has a built in key to unlock my M3, and also your mom's bedroom door.

 

[Pohemi]

Use a tin snips if you want to cut it up yourself instead of mailing it back to them. With how thin the SS core is, it should be no problem.

 

[JEDI]

The stainless steal credit cards are baller. I don't keep a balance on mine since I make over 100k

who let the peasant into this thread?

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I made 100 Ks once.

I only have about 10 left, see

KKKKKKKKKK