Unclaimed and invalid cards often lie idle and clutter desk drawers, while they could be properly disposed of. Throwing them in the trash is not worth it - you will harm the environment and may compromise confidential data.
Let's talk about how to get rid of plastic safely and how to dispose of bank cards after they have been handed in.
Why you should dispose of unnecessary bank cards
There are two main reasons why "plastic" should not be thrown away with household waste and stored at home for years. We will tell you why it is important to initiate recycling.
To prevent confidential information from falling into the hands of intruders
Disposal of the card will prevent the compromise of indonesia mobile database confidential data. Each "plastic" has a chip and a magnetic strip. They encrypt the client's personal data. Including full name and information about the bank that issued the payment instrument. The magnetic strip duplicates this data and also contains information about the card number and its expiration date.
Fraudsters may read this information and use it for illegal purposes later, so it is important to prevent the card from falling into their hands.
To avoid harming nature
Recycling plastic cards will also help take care of the environment. Remember that they are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can take up to 700 years to decompose in nature. Over time, it turns into microplastics that pollute the soil and water.
How to hand over a bank card for recycling
Experts recommend taking it to the nearest bank branch. The employee should accept the card and cut it with scissors along the magnetic strip. After that, the client's data cannot be compromised.
You can try to close an account previously linked to a payment instrument via a mobile application. Remember that the expiration of a card does not always mean the end of relations with the bank. Sometimes accounts of "expired plastic" continue to be active, so they need to be closed.