5 Min Read | September 15, 2022
If My Credit Card Expires This Month, Can I Still Use It?
Wondering if your credit card expires at the beginning or end of the designated month? Learn what happens at expiration and what to do when a new card arrives.
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
At-A-Glance
When a credit card expires, the card account remains open and active.
Purchases charged to an expired credit card usually get declined.
After activating a new credit card, be sure to update automated bill payments charged to that card to prevent declined payments.
You’re out to dinner with friends and you offer up your credit card to cover the bill. You look at your card and realize that it expires this month. Uh-oh. Now what?
Take a breath and relax. The credit card expires on the last day of the month, not the first. No need to worry about your card getting declined and having to sit through that ignominy, even if you are surrounded by friends.
That credit cards even include expiration dates may seem a bit strange, but there are solid reasons for it, including managing wear and tear and upgrading outdated security technology. As your credit card expiration date nears, there are some actionable steps to take and some things you should know.
What Happens When Your Credit Card Expires?
When your credit card eclipses its expiration date, any charges you attempt to make will be declined because all the data points don’t match up properly. Your name and card number may be accurate, for example, but the expiration date no longer is.
However, well before the expiration date on your credit card arrives on the calendar, a new card with a new expiration date will likely have already arrived in your mailbox.
This new card will have the same account number, of course, but it will bear a new expiration date – usually about three to five years down the road – and a new card verification value, or CVV. (That’s the three- or four-digit security code found on the back or front of the card, depending on the issuer.)
When you receive the new card with the updated expiration date, you’ll want to activate the new card by following the instructions provided by your card issuer. After activation, update any autopay bills that are charged to this particular card. Otherwise, your payments might be declined.
Then destroy the old credit card, so no one else can access the card number. Assuming it’s a plastic card, you can cut it up with scissors or a shredder and discard the pieces – in separate trash bags for extra security.
How to Get Rid of a Metal Credit Card
Part of the allure of metal credit cards is the cachet they carry and the feeling of exclusivity they evoke. But destroying such cards when they expire takes a little more work than scissors and shredders. Scissors won’t cut a metal credit card, and shredders could get ruined. Instead, your card issuer might offer you a return or recycling option by sending you a prepaid envelope to securely mail your metal card back.
Alternatively, you can use tin snips or similar handheld tool designed to cut sheet metal. If your card issuer has a brick-and-mortar branch nearby, they may be able to securely take it off your hands.
What If I Try to Use an Expired Credit Card?
An expired credit card is exactly that – expired. Or, as the dictionary says, “ceases to be valid.”
Even though the account number on the new card is the same as the one on the old card, charges to an expired card likely will get declined. Credit card expiration dates and CVV numbers serve as additional data points and security checkmarks. When they don’t match up, charges won’t go through.
This is another reason why updating any autopay bills on the account is important. Forgetting to do so could cause you to miss a payment, which can lead to late fees. Missed payments might also cause you to lose any promotional benefits based on autopay. For example, some cellphone and cable/internet providers offer small discounts on monthly bills if you set up autopay. If that automatic payment doesn’t go automatically, you risk losing that discount for that month and perhaps longer.
The Takeaway
In short, you can’t use an expired credit card. 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. Once the new card is active, discard the old card properly – and be sure to update any automated bill payments that rely on that card account. Otherwise, your payments might be declined.
Michael Grace is a personal finance and technology freelance writer based in New York.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
Related Articles
How and When to Pay Your Credit Card Bill
It’s important to pay your credit card bill in full—and on time—each month. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is a Credit Card Balance?
Believe it or not, there are at least 5 different kinds of credit card balances. Learn what they are and how they all relate to each other.
How Does Credit Card Processing Work?
Credit card processing is much more intricate than it may seem. Learn everything that happens in the seconds it takes for you to swipe your credit card and be on your way.
The material made available for you on this website, Credit Intel, is for informational purposes only and intended for U.S. residents and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
