What Happens When Your Credit Card Expires?
Toni is a points and miles enthusiast who has been leveraging loyalty programs to travel around the world (for nearly free) with her husband and their four young children. She’s passionate about sharing travel tips so that others can not only feel in.
Toni Perkins-Southam Staff Editor
Toni is a points and miles enthusiast who has been leveraging loyalty programs to travel around the world (for nearly free) with her husband and their four young children. She’s passionate about sharing travel tips so that others can not only feel in.
Written By
Toni Perkins-Southam Staff Editor
Toni is a points and miles enthusiast who has been leveraging loyalty programs to travel around the world (for nearly free) with her husband and their four young children. She’s passionate about sharing travel tips so that others can not only feel in.
Toni Perkins-Southam Staff Editor
Toni is a points and miles enthusiast who has been leveraging loyalty programs to travel around the world (for nearly free) with her husband and their four young children. She’s passionate about sharing travel tips so that others can not only feel in.
Staff Editor
Fact Checked by
Caroline Lupini Staff Editor
Caroline Lupini has been traveling the world with the help of credit card rewards since 2011. She has visited over 110 countries and is able to utilize her knowledge of credit cards and to make travel both less expensive and more luxurious. Caroline.
Fact Checked by
Caroline Lupini Staff Editor
Caroline Lupini has been traveling the world with the help of credit card rewards since 2011. She has visited over 110 countries and is able to utilize her knowledge of credit cards and to make travel both less expensive and more luxurious. Caroline.
Fact Checked
Fact Checked by
Caroline Lupini Staff Editor
Caroline Lupini has been traveling the world with the help of credit card rewards since 2011. She has visited over 110 countries and is able to utilize her knowledge of credit cards and to make travel both less expensive and more luxurious. Caroline.
Fact Checked by
Caroline Lupini Staff Editor
Caroline Lupini has been traveling the world with the help of credit card rewards since 2011. She has visited over 110 countries and is able to utilize her knowledge of credit cards and to make travel both less expensive and more luxurious. Caroline.
Staff Editor
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
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You’ve had a lovely meal with that person you want to impress and you successfully wrangle the check to your side of the table. You slip your credit card in the little pocket—then you realize it is the first of July and your credit card expired at the end of June.
Why Credit Cards Expire
There are a few good reasons why credit cards have expiration dates and none are designed to be deliberately inconvenient. Be aware that the expiration date applies to the physical card, not the credit account itself.
Security
Cards expire to protect you, the consumer. Fraud prevention is key: The longer the credit card is out there, the greater the chance of fraudulent usage.
The issuing companies are constantly updating cards for security, sending out new cards with better chips and an updated Cash Verification Value code (CVV) . Frequent expiration dates and new CVV codes are a simple way to protect against fraudulent purchases.
Physical Toll on the Card
Even as we move from magnetic strips to chips and contactless payment methods , credit cards are still susceptible to wear and tear. Most cards are plastic but even the metallic cards eventually show signs of usage. Even if your card is hardly used, keeping it in a leather wallet or polyethylene cover for an extended period of time can wear it down.
Client or Company Reevaluation
Expiration dates give consumers a chance to review what they use a credit card for and to see if they want to upgrade to a card with different perks. Maybe it’s time to trade up for a card with higher cash back or better travel rewards .
Expiration offers the consumer an opportunity to reevaluate the terms and conditions of the card and make sure the annual percentage rate , the payment due dates and the penalties are the same as—or better than—the old card.
This is also a way the credit card companies can engage with customers, cycle through their inventory, allow for different card types and styles to be marketed and showcase new offers. In some cases, credit card companies may even issue a survey for client feedback to determine overall customer convenience and satisfaction.
When Do Credit Cards Expire?
Depending on the issuer, credit cards usually expire within three to five years. It is normally reflected on the front of the card in a MM/YY format. For example if a card lists 06/24 as the expiration date, that means the card can be used for the entire month of June 2024. Once it hits the first of July, however, the card is no longer valid and you would not be able to make any further purchases, either online or in-store. It’s a good idea to activate your replacement card as soon as possible.
What To Do When Your Card Expires
For your convenience, the credit card company will automatically send you a new card with the same number but a different expiration date. This will usually be sent via postal mail weeks before the old card’s expiration date. Included will be instructions to activate the new card. This information is also available by request if you accidentally damage or destroy your card and need a new one.
Generally, you are able to activate the new card before the old one expires. By following the instructions, either over the phone or online, you will be prompted to verify yourself and activate your replacement card. Once your new card is activated, it’s a good idea to shred or destroy your old one. Some companies even provide recycling services if you prefer.
If you are using your card for preauthorized automatic charges, like bills or subscription services, you should notify those providers with your updated expiration date and new CVV code. Otherwise, charges for those services could bounce back and the provider will pull the services. A card’s expiration also gives you a chance to review and cancel any services that no longer interest you.
As a reminder: Before you accept and activate your new card, be sure to review the terms and conditions of your credit card agreement. Sometimes the issuing company’s policies are updated and it’s important to be aware of any possible changes. These changes wouldn’t necessarily be substantial changes—those would require 45 days notice from your credit card provider.
You can conduct an audit for all your credit cards, review annual fees and decide which of your cards should be used for what. It may be time to see if there is a better rewards credit card for which you’d qualify. It goes without saying that you should get this done before you are faced with trying to use an expired card on an important date.
What Happens When Your New Card Is Activated
If you made that activation call, you are all set to use your new card.
Again, activating your replacement card will not close your account, change your account number or impact your credit. It also does not clear your balance; you will still be responsible for at least the minimum monthly payment amount. Keep in mind that the expiration date is just for the physical card.
What Happens If You Don’t Activate Your New Card
You will not be able to make additional purchases with your old card once it expires. If you are using your credit card for preauthorized automatic charges for billing or subscription services, you run the risk of incurring penalties or cancellation. It’s best to activate your card and submit the updated information to those providers.
If you reviewed your options and decided to cancel your card, update any automatic billing with a different card and know that you are still responsible for the remaining balance on the closed account. Also note that closing a credit card may impact your credit score .
Bottom Line
It is important to manage your credit cards and purchases responsibly. It’s always a good idea to periodically review your credit needs and reevaluate how your credit cards work for you. When your credit card expires and a new one is sent in the mail is a perfect reminder to do so.
There are always ways to optimize how you use your credit cards. The more credit cards you own, the more expiration dates you need to keep track of. Understanding your credit card’s expiration date is an essential (and easy) step in the successful management of your personal finances.
Credit Card Expiration Dates: Why They Exist, and What to Do When Your Card Expires
Expiration dates are a normal and necessary part of the credit card experience — even if they can be slightly inconvenient for cardholders.
Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Updated Jul 14, 2023 5:08 p.m. PDT · 2 min read
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NerdWallet’s content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.
Written by
Lindsay Konsko
- Credit cards
- rewards
- personal finance
Erin is a former writer and assigning editor on the NerdWallet Content team who now heads NerdWallet’s travel business. She’s a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has spent nearly two decades showing readers unique ways to maximize their investments and personal finances. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Erin worked on dozens of newsletters and magazines in the areas of investing, health, business and travel with Agora Publishing. Her love of travel led to a passion for credit card and loyalty rewards to subsidize trips, and she thrives on teaching others how to harness the power of credit card rewards. When she’s not helping NerdWallet readers find the best travel value, Erin is planning her next adventure for her family of four using points and miles.
Co-written by
Jae Bratton
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
- Credit cards
Jae Bratton has been writing about credit cards for NerdWallet since 2022. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press and the journal Studies in Popular Culture, among other outlets. Before joining NerdWallet, Jae taught English and journalism for 13 years.
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
Credit cards, just like a gallon of milk and a hairstyle from the ’80s, have expiration dates.
Generally, a card is valid through the month identified in its expiration date. If the expiration is 07/27, for example, then the card may be used through July 2027.
However, expiration dates apply only to the physical card, not the credit card account. That means the account remains open, and any credit card rewards you’ve accrued with that card are still valid. The 16-digit card number you’ve become so familiar with remains the same, too.
Here’s what you need to know about credit card expiration dates.
Why credit cards have expiration dates
Fraud protection
Expiration dates provide some protection against credit card fraud . For transactions where the card isn’t present, such as purchases online, by phone or through the mail, the expiration date provides an additional data point that can be checked to make sure the card information is valid. If your card number has been stolen but the thief doesn’t have the expiration date, they may not be able to make charges on the card.
Card longevity
Credit cards get heavy use. They go in and out of our wallets as well as in and out of chip readers. That takes a toll on a fairly flimsy piece of plastic. The magnetic strip can get dirty or scratched; the card can crack and split. Credit cards simply don’t last forever. Getting a fresh card from the issuer every few years prevents your card from being declined at checkout because of its old age.
Card upgrades
Credit card issuers make periodic updates to the technology that enables purchases and strengthens the card’s security. In the same way we update the software on our computers and phones, getting a new card gives us access to that new technology.
Credit card companies also occasionally change their branding. If a company has revamped its logo, branding, card design or even its name, expiration dates ensure those new elements eventually reach every card in the fleet.
A gentle reminder
Say you have a credit card that doesn’t get much use. Maybe you’ve relegated it to the junk drawer where everything goes to die. Around the expiration date, you’ll get a new card in the mail, which can remind you to use the card again. If more features or perks have been added to the card, the new card is the issuer’s chance to market them to you.
What to do when your credit card expires
Expect to receive a new card about a month before the old card’s expiration date. Contact your issuer if you haven’t received the replacement yet. It may have gotten lost or stolen, or you may have accidentally tossed it along with some junk mail.
Here’s what to do once you receive the new card.
Dispose of the expired card
Make sure to get rid of the card for good . Remember: The card number on the old and new cards is the same. Someone who finds your expired card could get access to a crucial piece of information about your account.
Activate the new card
Activating your card allows you to use it. The new card will come with a sticker that has activation instructions. It’s usually possible to activate a new card by logging in to your account online or calling the issuer.
Update credit card information for bills
Though the 16-digit card number remains the same from the old card, the new card has a different expiration date and card verification value (CVV) , the three- or four-digit number that may be on the front or back of your card. You may need to update this new information for any bills that are paid with your credit card. Payments can’t be processed with an expired card, and providers might cancel service or hit you with fees for missed or late payments. Some issuers and merchants use an account updater service that automatically sends merchants any new card information. It may not be necessary in every case to update your new card information, but it’s always a good idea to check on expected recurring charges.
About the authors
Lindsay Konsko is a former staff writer covering credit cards and consumer credit for NerdWallet. See full bio.
Jae is a writer for the credit cards team at NerdWallet. Her writing has been published in newspapers, blogs and an academic journal. See full bio.
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