What you need to know about credit card expiration dates (2024)

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Ever wonder why credit cards expire?

It’s not like a credit card is a bunch of bananas that will eventually go bad, so why can’t you keep using the card forever?

Credit card expiration dates give the card issuer a chance to send you a new card with updated tech, and it can help keep your account secure and your card usable. Plus your card’s expiration can provide you with a good chance to review what you use your card for.

Approval Odds compares your credit profile to the profiles of already-approved applicants or to lender criteria.Explore Cards Now

  • What is a credit card expiration date?
  • What happens when a card expires?
  • What should I do when my card expires?
  • Why do credit cards expire?

What is a credit card expiration date?

A credit card expiration date tells you when the card is no longer valid. After your card expires, you shouldn’t be able to use it, because the issuers should deactivate the credit card when it reaches the expiration date.

Card expiration dates generally come in a two-number format, with the first number representing the month and the second showing the year. For example, 09/26 would be September of 2026. Generally, cards expire on the final day of the month a few years after being issued, so this won’t be an everyday concern (but contact your issuer to confirm the specifics).

What happens when a card expires?

If you’re worried about your credit card expiring, you don’t have to be. Your card issuer is probably handling the process in the background.

Shortly before your card’s expiration date, the issuer should automatically send you a new card in the mail. This card will usually come in a plain envelope to help protect against theft. Make sure you’re on the lookout so that you don’t accidentally throw away your new card!

When you receive the new card, you’ll typically be free to activate it and start using it right away — you don’t usually have to wait for the old card to expire.

If you’re only getting a replacement card and aren’t otherwise making changes to your account you shouldn’t need to worry about a hard inquiry.

Approval Odds compares your credit profile to the profiles of already-approved applicants or to lender criteria.Explore Cards Now

What should I do when my card expires?

Your credit card’s expiration may be a good opportunity to think about all the ways you use your card.

Go over your card statements to look at recurring charges. If you still want to use a service that’s automatically charged to your card, you’ll need to update the payment info with each vendor individually. Since you’re already evaluating your recurring payments, it’s also a good time to cancel any services you no longer use.

As for your old card, you should take care to destroy it to help protect against someone using it to commit financial fraud. Shredding or cutting up the card should be sufficient. If you want to be extra safe, bag the pieces of the card in separate trash bags.

Why do credit cards expire?

So why do banks go through the trouble of having their cards expire and reissuing them?

One reason is that it gives banks a chance to upgrade their cards’ technology. Card-security technology is always changing, and card expiration dates help issuers keep all their cards up to date with similar technology. For example, think about the rollout of EMV chip cards.

Another reason that cards expire is that they simply degrade over time and become less reliable. Replacing them regularly helps ensure that yours is in working condition.

Bottom line

Credit cards generally expire a few years after they’re issued, but that doesn’t mean that the account will close. Safely dispose of your old card after activating your new one, and take the time to update recurring payment information so that you can keep using your card without missing a step.

Approval Odds compares your credit profile to the profiles of already-approved applicants or to lender criteria.Explore Cards Now

Want to learn more about cards?

See data insights about the following credit cards:

  • Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
  • AvantCard
  • Citi Custom Cash® Card
  • Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
  • Indigo® Mastercard®
  • Milestone® Mastercard®
  • Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card
  • OpenSky® Secured Credit Visa® Card
  • Mercury® Rewards Visa® Card
  • Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
  • Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
  • United℠ Explorer Card
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
  • Cerulean® Platinum Mastercard®

About the author: TJ Porter is a Boston-based freelance writer who specializes in bank accounts, credit, and credit cards. He’s written for Bankrate, CardCruncher, DollarSprout and My Bank Tracker, among others. In his spare time, TJ e… Read more.

What you need to know about credit card expiration dates (2024)

FAQs

What you need to know about credit card expiration dates? ›

What day of the month does a credit card expire? Credit card expiration dates are usually listed numerically on a card as a two-digit month and two-digit year. For example, 12/27 means the credit card has an expiration date of December 31st, 2027. Credit cards expire on the last day of the month listed on the card.

How do credit card expiration dates work? ›

Expiration dates typically appear on the front or bank of credit cards. Card issuers list expiration dates using a two-digit month/year format. If your card's expiration date reads as 05/26, the card is active through the last day of May 2026.

What happens when your credit card is about to expire? ›

Credit cards usually don't work after their expiration date, but the account they're attached to is still active. Your credit card issuer will typically mail your new credit card ahead of the old card's expiration date, so it's a good idea to make sure the address on your account is up to date.

How to know credit card expiry date? ›

Generally, all credit cards come with an expiration date, just like a debit card. This date is printed on the front side of the credit card and is an important piece of information that is used for verification purposes. Therefore, it adds up to also act as a security feature.

What is the pattern of credit card expiration date? ›

The expiration date will appear on your credit card in month/year format. For example, a credit card expiring in July 2025 would show “07/25.” The card remains active until the last day of the month listed. So, in this case, the card would be active through July 31, 2025.

Does card expiration date matter? ›

The expiration date of your debit and credit cards helps keep your accounts secure and allows banks to replace your card with the newest technology. While it may be a hassle to update your card information for automatic payments, consider it a small price to pay for protecting your accounts.

What are the two important dates for credit cards? ›

The due date is usually about three weeks after the statement date. Failure to pay at least the minimum by the due date will result in a late fee. The reporting date. This the date on which the card issuer reports your balance to the credit bureaus.

Can a credit card be charged with the wrong expiration date? ›

Human error: In some cases, a human error during data entry or processing could result in a wrong expiry date being entered for a credit card transaction. This could happen if the person entering the information mistypes or misreads the expiry date [1].

When my credit card expires, do I get a new number? ›

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.

Is it good to let a credit card expire? ›

Credit card expiration dates give the card issuer a chance to send you a new card with updated tech, and it can help keep your account secure and your card usable. Plus your card's expiration can provide you with a good chance to review what you use your card for.

How to enter card expiration date? ›

“MM / YY”: This is the most common formatting for the expiration date printed on credit cards, resulting in a 1:1 mapping between the physical card and the virtual fields, and which is good for understanding the input, minimizing deciphering issues, and also for supporting keyboard entries.

Does CVV change when card expires? ›

As a matter of security, generally, no two cards have the same CVV. If you sign up for a new credit card or replace an existing one, you'll end up with a new code; the same applies if your current card expires and you receive a replacement.

What's the reason for an expiration date? ›

Dates on food indicate how long they will retain their freshness and best quality. Most perishable foods are good well beyond the "sell by" or "use by" date.

What is the longest expiration date on a credit card? ›

The longest expiration date for a credit card is typically five years after it is issued. To know when your credit card will expire, look at the front of the card for the date, usually shown in MM/YY format. The expiration date marks the end of that month.

Is my credit card valid the month it expires? ›

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.

When a credit card expires, is it the end of the month? ›

The Takeaway

The good news is that cards expire at the end of the expiration month, not the beginning. When a credit card expires, you'll get a replacement in the mail, but you'll have to activate it before you can use it.

Do credit card expiration dates automatically update? ›

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.

What does exp 01 23 mean? ›

However, it's important to understand that "expiration" or "best before" dates on food and other products are not exact science and are often conservative estimates. They are intended to guide consumers on the period during. The label "EXP 01/23" indicates that the product is expected to expire in January 2023.

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