I hope it goes without saying that when your credit card expires, or when you close the cc account, you need to properly dispose of the credit card. You cannot let that card fall into the wrong hands. And most of the time, it’s easy! Simply throw the defunct plastic card into a shredder and you’re done. Or cut it up carefully with scissors and recycle it.
But some banks are fashioning their credit cards out of metal. You’ll know if you have a metal credit card, as it feels noticeably heavier, and you won’t be able to fold it in half or cut it with regular blades. And if you throw a metal card into an average household shredder, the shredder will be ruined.
So please know: to get rid of a metal payment card, contact the issuing bank. Ask your bank for a Disposal Envelope, so that you can mail the card back to them. they will destroy the card for you, at no cost.
Alternatively, you can break out the tin snips, but returning the card using the USPS is the safest method, I think!