What to do if Your Credit Card is Damaged or Not Working?

Everything comes with a life of its own and so does the credit card. These tiny little yet powerful cards are always on the move wherever we go and constantly get in and out of our wallets, purses or pockets quite a few times during the day. If your credit card keeps dropping from your pocket, it can get damaged, and it also leads to a lost credit card. Though naturally these cards tend to wear off over time until one day they stop working when you need them the most. Does that sound scary to you? Worry not! We have got you covered through this blog.

With a damaged credit card, you can neither swipe it at the point of sale (POS) counter to make the payment nor can you withdraw cash using the same from an ATM. In such a situation, you should not panic. Rather follow the steps mentioned below and try to figure out what exactly has happened to your credit card.

It is important to note that, once the card becomes permanently unusable, it is essential to discard the damaged credit card correctly to avoid misuse. Even though your credit card stops functioning, it still has your information which could possibly be misused someday.

• Damaged magnetic stripe:

A magnetic stripe of a credit card is said to be damaged if it is demagnetized. It simply means that when a credit card comes in close contact with a magnet, the iron particles on the card stripe shuffle, causing permanent loss of information that was held on the card. Exposure to the magnet could be a reason why your credit card chip is not working.

• Expired card:

It could be possible that your credit card has expired. All cards come with a specific date until which they are valid to make transactions. Post that date, the card just stops working even if there is no sign of physical damage.

• Accidentally went into washing machine:

If you forget to remove the card from your pocket and it accidentally gets washed out in the washing machine, the heat in the dryer can damage the card and make the magnetic stripe of your card unusable. 

• Give your card a good clean up:

If your credit card chip is not working due to the accumulation of some dirt on it, or in case of other similar minor reasons like stains blocking your credit card from being readable, then your card needs a cleanup. To clean your credit card, swipe it with a wet and soft piece of cloth. After that, you can use a dry cloth to remove excess water from the surface of the card. Make sure the magnetic stripe is clean and does not get smudged.

• Change your wallet or purpose that has a magnet in it:

As we discussed, close contact with a magnet can damage the credit card’s magnetic stripe, which holds information and is used to communicate with the scanner. The wallets and purses with a magnet on them should not be used to store credit cards in them. If you have one, you must consider replacing it with a non-magnetic one.

• Input details manually while transacting:

If you are at a counter making a purchase and while paying the bill, you realise that the credit card is not working and cannot be used for making payment. At such times, you can ask the cashier to input card details manually in the system and use it for payment. This way, you can save yourself in a situation of stress.

• Get a new credit card issued:

The last resort is to contact your bank and request for damaged credit card replacement. If your credit card has expired, then you have no other choice but to request for issuance of a new valid credit card. In case of physical damage like demagnetisation of a credit card, you again have no choice but to request a new card.

Only when you face a situation of difficulty, you realise, like many other things in life, that a credit card also needs to be kept in reserve. Problems related to damaged credit cards are very common amongst users. But the good news is that nowadays, the cost of credit cards is either zero or very minimal and considering the consequences it could have if it gets damaged, you can consider keeping another credit card in reserve. At Bajaj Markets, you can apply from banks like SBI credit card, RBL Bank credit card, Citi credit card, Axis credit card, and many more.

Applying for a credit card at Bajaj Markets gives you the flexibility to convert the balance cash limit into a personal loan and lump sum payments in EMIs. Apart from that, credit cards come with a strong layer of encryption for security. You can also withdraw cash without attracting any interest and enjoy annual discounts and rewards. What better place than Bajaj Markets to get your second credit card?