Do Magnetic Phone Cases Damage Credit Cards?
Magnetic phone cases do not only protect phones from external damage. You can use them to store credit cards too. That means you do not need to store phone cases and credit cards separately in your bag or pocket. However, there are some credit cards that are adversely affected by magnetism from magnetic phone cases. That is because they contain magnetic strips, which get easily ruined by magnetism.
According to The Best Wallet For You, when they get ruined, readers will be unable to read the credit cards due to data loss. That means the credit card will not have any information about your name or account number. If you must store the items together, ensure you do not store them for prolonged periods. Storing them for a short time is one way to curb damage to credit cards. Here are other ways of ensuring that your credit card does not get damaged.
Your Credit Card Will Remain Unaffected If You Use a Credit Card With an EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) Chip
These days, banks are adopting credit cards with EMV chips rather than those with magnetic strips. That is because EMV chips are unaffected by magnetism. According to EMVCO, 91.94% of transactions involve credit cards with EMV chips. Therefore, the odds of owning a credit card with magnetic strips are few.
Before you purchase a credit card, insist on one with an EMV chip. Even though they are unaffected by magnetism, they can get damaged by scratches from coins or keys. The scratches make it difficult for card readers to decipher information on the card. That means you shouldn’t store the card with keys or coins. Besides being antimagnetic, EMV chips are safer than magnetic strips in terms of encryption.
Magnetic strips retain static information, while EMV chips store a digital code that changes information after every purchase. Moreover, the chips use a one-time digital signature that is hard to replicate.
You Can Use Phone Cases That Aren’t Magnetic
Giving up magnetic phone cases can be challenging for some due to their aesthetic appearance. Since the aim is to keep your credit card safe, you are better off with a non-magnetic phone case. Examples of magnetic phone cases to consider include hard plastic, silicone and polycarbonate. Non-magnetic phone cases are generally cheaper than magnetic ones.
As a result, you will keep your credit card safe with a cheap phone case. Moreover, removing your credit card from magnetic phone cases is usually quite difficult. That is because the cases lack a cutout in their designs. Without the cutout, you have to shake them to release the credit cards.
Avoid Wirelessly Charging Your Phone With Your Magnetic-Stripe Card Still Attached
Rarely do we remove our credit card from the phone cases unless we want to use it. As a result, you are likely to charge your phone with the credit card in it. Before wirelessly charging your phone, please make an effort to remember to remove the card from it. After removing the credit card, keep it in a place you will remember.
Wirelessly charging the phone increases its magnetism, which can affect the credit card. The magnetism occurs due to an interaction between the transmitter coil in the charger and receiver coil in the phone. However, if you are charging your phone with a cable charger, you do not need to remove the credit card.
You Could Also Keep Your Credit Card in a Wallet
Not everyone fancies keeping a wallet in their pocket. Some people own bulky wallets and hence find them burdensome to carry around. Despite some being bulky, they will keep your credit card safe since they are non-magnetic. However, you do not need to own a massive wallet. You can opt for a small one. It especially makes sense to own a small one if you do not carry much cash with you.
Another reason some people detest wallets is that some are unappealing. That is understandable since many come in one color scheme. However, did you know you can get a wallet in different colors?
What Should You Do If Your Credit Card is Damaged Due to Magnetism?
We rely on credit cards for everyday transactions like grocery shopping. It is thus difficult to imagine owning a spoilt one. That will be evident when you swipe and get the message that it has been declined. First, do not panic. Try swiping it a few more times to see whether it will still work. Also, you can try swiping it elsewhere. If it still doesn’t work, you can now take other drastic steps.
The alternative is to replace the credit card. You can do this by contacting your credit card company via a phone call. Once the agents receive your phone call, you can explain how your credit card got damaged. After doing that, the bank will hotlist the damaged card. You can then request for a new credit card. Since credit cards with EMV chips are popular these days, you will likely get one with an EMV chip.
However, you cannot assume that the bank will give you such a card. So to be on the safe side, insist on a credit card with an EMV chip. One thing to bear in mind is that replacing the damaged credit card costs money. That means you must ensure there is some money in your account. The replacement costs lies between $5-15, depending on the institution. Some financial institutions may be kind enough to replace the card at least once for free as a courtesy.
Conclusion
If you own a credit card with an EMV chip, you can freely store it in the magnetic phone case. However, if you own one with a magnetic strip, it would be best to keep it elsewhere to avoid damaging it. Having a damaged credit card can be inconvenient when you visit certain stores. Some stores reject cash and insist on credit card payments. Since the stores are personal businesses, you cannot mandate them to accept cash.
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Written by Lily Wordsmith
Read more posts by Lily Wordsmith
