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Why do credit cards (still) have expiration dates?


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What a pain in the ass.

I mean, I suppose maybe the expiration made at least some sense when the cards were used manually to make an impression if the embossed numbers.

At this point, though, why? If the card is no longer valid, decline the charge. As far as I can tell, this info isn’t even validated so I can tell them the expiration is whatever date I feel like using, anyway. 

I guess one upside is that forgotten subscriptions or whatever can’t go on forever in zombie mode, but that seems like a pretty niche case  

What am I missing?

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Good question.  I think it's just an additional verification feature at this point.  But hyperbole aside, every single credit/debit card we have never makes it to expiration.  Either it's invalidated due to online fraud or the cheap thing gives out.  

Perhaps the expiration date thing will make a comeback just like branch banking.  Oh, wait...

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9 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Good question.  I think it's just an additional verification feature at this point.  But hyperbole aside, every single credit/debit card we have never makes it to expiration.  Either it's invalidated due to online fraud or the cheap thing gives out.  

Perhaps the expiration date thing will make a comeback just like branch banking.  Oh, wait...

I was thinking that was a possibility, but I can use whatever future expiration date I want and everything still works. 

It’s not like it’s particularly onerous, but all my bills are on autopay and the only thing that can screw them up that would be on me is not to update the expiration date. 

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Yeah, I've noticed that online...even if you mistype it...it still pushes through so long as the 3 or 4 digit security code plays ("it's an older code my lord, but it checks out").  

But on the rare occasion you call it in, it has to be on the dot or they call you out.  Weird now that I think about it.  

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I figure it's like food expiration date.  They don't really care about the date until things obviously past expiration in which case they question the action.  It sets a don't care until we do point where they need you to check in with them - get a new card, tell use where to send it, etc.

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22 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

90% of Americans probably don't know that 04/24 is April 2024

That's why I sell 90% of Americans on my credit card line called "24/04"      Sure it means, in almost the entirety of the rest of the world, the 24th day of April.  But to our customers, it means their card won't expire until the 24th day of 3004.  We offer a longer-lasting product at no additional cost.  Please send your personal information and we'll get you a new card, stat . 

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