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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How to destroy a metal credit card
Whether your credit card has expired or you've decided to cancel to avoid paying an annual fee, you need to know the proper way to get rid of it. You don't want that credit card information (even if outdated) falling into the wrong hands. The best practice is to destroy that old card. But what if you have one of those fancy travel credit cards, the type that's made out of metal? A standard paper shredder won't get the job done. Thankfully, you've got a few options that are nearly as effortless for destroying metal credit credit cards are becoming more ubiquitous. Some of the best credit cards on the market, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express, are garbed in shiny armor impervious to the likes of a common pair of scissors. You don't need a circular saw or an induction furnace to dispose of your metal credit cards. Here are a few easy ways to do it. Issuers know that destroying a metal credit card isn't as straightforward as plastic credit cards. When your metal card expires, you'll likely receive a prepaid envelope with your new credit card. Just insert your old or expired card into the envelope and drop it in the mail. If you're canceling your credit card, you probably won't receive a prepaid envelope, but you can still call the phone number on the back of your card to request one. Note that there's always a risk of fraud when mailing any sensitive information, including an old credit card. Replacement cards can arrive before your old card expires, which means someone could steal your old card in the mail and use it fraudulently. This could also damage your credit score if it goes unnoticed and increases your credit utilization or causes you to miss you have a rewards credit card that's issued by a bank with physical branches, you can swing by and drop it off at a nearby location: Chase locations (metal cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®) Capital One locations (metal cards include Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card) Citi locations (metal cards include Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®) In many cases, the bank will take necessary measures to safely dispose of your card with no further action required from you. Note that American Express (Amex) doesn't have physical banking locations, but you can send metal Amex cards, such as The Platinum Card from American Express and American Express® Gold Card, back to American Express for proper you'd rather handle the matter yourself, you can quite easily slice through a metal credit card with a pair of metal shears, such as tin snips or steel-cutting pliers. You can find these at hardware or home improvement stores. Just remember that a simple halving of your credit card isn't good enough; you should make ribbons out of it, deliberately cutting through the EMV chip and the metal stripe multiple times. For further protection, sprinkle the metal confetti into multiple trash bags. Beyond dulling scissors and jamming paper shredders, there's one absolute "do not" when unloading your metal credit card. Throwing away your inactive credit card without any effort to prevent fraud is tempting the universe. Again, it's not likely that something may happen, but who knows? When you're mailed a new credit card to replace an expired one, your credit card account number stays the same — only the expiration date and security code change. In other words, someone experienced in identity theft could pick up your active card number. Of course, you can always choose to keep your old card. If you're not worried about the real estate it occupies in your home, there's no harm in storing your metal credit card somewhere about destroying metal credit cards These are typically the three safest ways to dispose of a metal credit card: Return to issuer: Many credit card companies provide ways to send them your old metal cards, so they can dispose of them safely and securely. Visit a branch: You can visit one of your card issuer's local branches to have them destroy your metal card. Use a DIY method: You can dispose of the card yourself if you have tin snips or another tool that can effectively destroy your metal card's magnetic stripe and EMV chip, as well as all identifiable information. If you've requested a replacement card, Capital One will send you a return envelope with prepaid postage to return your old metal credit card. Capital One will then dispose of it for you. Strong magnets could affect the magnetic strip on your credit card, damaging it or making it not function properly. However, most credit card companies issue cards with EMV chips as well, which aren't affected by magnets. You typically have to apply for metal credit cards, but you may be able to request one as a replacement in certain situations. For example, your card issuer may now offer a credit card you have in a metal format, but yours is still plastic, so you can request a replacement as an existing cardholder to receive the new metal version. If your old metal credit card is worn and close to becoming unusable, you might also want to request a new can destroy old plastic credit cards by cutting them into small pieces with scissors, using cross-cut shredders, or destroying magnetic strips and EMV chips with any number of other various tools, such as hammers and magnets. You can destroy metal credit cards by sending them back to your credit card company, dropping them off at a local branch, or using tools like tin strips or heavy-duty metal shredders. Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Want the 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus? Make sure you meet these requirements first. (expired)
The current Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card welcome bonus is among the best the card has ever offered. For a limited time, you can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points — worth as much as $1,250 toward future travel — after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening. But before enjoying those big rewards, every new cardholder must meet some eligibility requirements. We checked the fine print to help you figure out whether you qualify. Read more: All about the limited-time 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred offerYou must get approved for the card and spend $5,000 within the first three months to earn the limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus. However, you could be ineligible if you meet either of these criteria: You currently have aChase Sapphire credit card You're a previous Chase Sapphire cardholder who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months The good news is that you're not automatically excluded if you've had a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or earned a Chase Sapphire bonus in the past. Here's more info about the limitations: Chase only allows cardholders to own one Chase Sapphire card at a time. You cannot have multiples of the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and you cannot hold both cards simultaneously. If you do have a Chase Sapphire card and apply for a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to get the limited-time bonus, your application won't be approved. Asking for a product change won't suffice either. If you currently have a Sapphire Reserve card, you may be eligible to switch to the Sapphire Preferred, but that swap won't qualify for the 100,000-point bonus. Related: Best rewards credit cards The 48-month rule applies whether you currently have a Chase Sapphire card or did in the past. You can check your past statements to find out exactly how long ago you earned a welcome bonus with Chase. For example, I opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred and earned the 100,000-point bonus the last time it was offered in 2021. I didn't apply for the card until June, and the bonus was awarded on my August statement. Because that was less than 48 months ago, I'm not currently eligible — and wouldn't be eligible to earn a new Chase Sapphire bonus until August 2025. Remember, you can only earn a Chase Sapphire welcome bonus if you haven't earned another new cardmember bonus from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve within the past 48 months. That means 48 months since you received the bonus, which could be weeks or months after you actually applied for the card, depending on when you meet the spending requirement. Related: The best credit card sign-up bonuses To have the opportunity to earn the 100,000-point welcome offer, you'll first have to get approved as a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder. This travel rewards card generally requires a solid credit history, and you're most likely to get approved if you have a good-to-excellent credit score. But for Chase card applications, you should also watch out for the issuer's unofficial (yet broadly discussed) 5/24 rule. This guideline prevents you from opening a new Chase credit card account if you have opened five or more new credit cards within the past 24 months. That includes credit cards from any issuer, not just Chase. Even if you would otherwise qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you'll likely get denied if you've surpassed the 5/24 threshold. Related: How to apply for a credit card Couples and families can benefit from combining points from different Chase accounts within the same household. This can be a good option if you don't qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus but a loved one is interested in the card. Say, for example, you already have a Chase Sapphire Reserve account you opened a year ago — making you ineligible for the limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offer. But your spouse does not have a Chase Sapphire account and is eligible. They could open a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and earn the 100,000-point bonus. As members of the same household, you can combine your points under the same account when you're ready to redeem for future travel — just call the number on the back of your card to request the transfer between accounts and confirm you have the same home address (you can only share points with one designated person). Before your other household member applies, you should make sure the card makes sense for their overall spending and budget. If they don't get enough value to justify the ongoing annual fee, for example, or can't afford to pay off balances before accruing interest, this tactic could cost more in the long run than the benefits are worth. This embedded content is not available in your region. This article was edited by Alicia Hahn. Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Last call: Get 100,000 points with a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card welcome offer
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card's 100,000-point welcome bonus is coming to an end: The limited-time offer will expire at 9 a.m. EST on May 15, 2025. The current 100k offer is one of the Sapphire Preferred card's best-ever welcome bonuses. After you apply, you will need to spend $5,000 on your new card within the first three months of account opening to earn it. In exchange, you can unlock as much as $1,250 toward future travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our favorite travel credit cards, and it's even more valuable with this welcome offer. If you've been considering a new rewards card for an upcoming vacation, now is a great time to compare how your spending and travel habits match up with the Sapphire the past few weeks, we've analyzed all the details you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100k bonus offer. Below, find our tips for deciding if this offer is right for you and making sure you qualify. And, of course, how to maximize your bonus points for the greatest redemption value. 100,000-point welcome bonus for new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers How to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000-point bonus Who is eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000-point bonus? Learn more about the long-term value of your new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card worth it? The best benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Business Insider
29-04-2025
- Business Insider
I have one of the best travel credit cards, but I still buy travel insurance for international trips
As a travel rewards and credit card junkie who has used points and miles to travel to more than 50 countries around the world, many people ask me what I do when it comes to protecting myself from all the "what ifs" travel can bring. The answer to that question may be more complex than you think. It's true that I like having credit card travel insurance in a wide variety of circumstances, especially when I'm traveling domestically or renting a car in a new place. However, my family also has an annual travel insurance policy through Allianz Travel Insurance, which covers us for every trip we take each year, no matter what. Why do I have travel insurance when credit cards offer perks like trip cancellation and interruption coverage, travel delay insurance, and primary auto rental coverage? There are several important reasons I opt for an annual travel insurance plan for extra protection. Credit cards offer insufficient (or zero) coverage for emergency medical expenses While my own health insurance plan (from Anthem) should theoretically cover any emergency medical expenses I incur while traveling in the United States, the vast majority of trips I take are overseas. Unfortunately, my Anthem plan doesn't work overseas, and emergency medical coverage is one area where travel credit cards come up dramatically short. The only major travel credit card that offers coverage for medical expenses is the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It's one of the best travel credit cards you can get, but this card offers just $2,500 in coverage for emergency medical and dental bills incurred on a covered trip, subject to a $50 deductible. Another $75 per day is available for up to five days of hotel stays due to a covered injury as well, but these coverage amounts aren't even close to what someone might need if they find themselves seriously sick or injured on vacation. This is ultimately why I have an annual travel insurance plan for my family. Our plan from Allianz comes with up to $50,000 in medical expense coverage per traveler and per trip, so I never have to worry about going without. Coverage from credit cards rarely covers emergency medical evacuation On top of emergency medical expense coverage, I also want to make sure I have emergency medical evacuation coverage for international trips. This kind of insurance can be essential if you need to pay for long-distance ambulance transfers to another hospital in a new country for medical care or if you need medical evacuation by helicopter. This coverage can even pay for international transportation to your home country if your medical condition warrants it. This is another area where credit card coverage comes up short. Again the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the only major travel credit cards that offers this coverage, and its benefit is limited to $100,000 per traveler. That's better coverage than the medical expense protection that comes with this card. However, my annual travel insurance plan comes with $500,000 in emergency medical transportation coverage per traveler and per trip. Get Travel Insurance Quotes Online Protect your trip with the best travel insurance. Compare travel insurance quotes from multiple providers with SquareMouth. You have to pay for your trip with a credit card for coverage to work Finally, a lot of people don't realize that you often have to pay for the main components of a trip with your credit card for travel insurance benefits to apply. In other words, just having a credit card with travel insurance isn't enough. Note: Some credit cards, including Chase credit cards that offer travel insurance, let you pay for your trip with your rewards points or a combination of credit card charges and rewards for coverage to kick in. Regardless, I sometimes use different rewards or credit cards to pay for different trips, thus my credit card travel insurance may not always apply. For example, I recently used a stash of Delta SkyMiles to pay for an international flight to Mexico for a vacation with my husband. This helped me score almost-free flights that would otherwise cost over $500 each, and all I had to pay was airline taxes and fees. If I had to use a credit card to make sure I had travel insurance, I would have probably paid for the trip with my Chase Sapphire Reserve® instead. I also occasionally travel for work, in which case another company often pays for my flight and hotel stays. This is another scenario where I wouldn't have international coverage for medical expenses or emergency medical evacuation if I didn't pay for it myself. Since my family's annual travel insurance plan costs less than $500 per year, having this additional coverage is an absolute no-brainer. I sleep great at night knowing I am covered if I, my husband, or one of our kids becomes seriously injured or ill while we're traveling in another country. Credit card travel insurance is a nice perk, too, but there are areas where it's just not enough. Don't know where to start? Consider a financial advisor. Finding a financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors who serve your area in minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Start your search now.
