Do I Really Want a Metal Credit Card?

[easysurfer]

Got a letter from Discover today, saying for a limited time, I can get a metal card to replace my current credit card.

Chase automatically sent a replacement metal card for my Amazon CC. But aside from adding extra weight in my wallet, is there any real advantage? Besides status symbol which I really don't care about.

 

[kgtest]

Makes it difficult to shred...I know because DW adamantly tried lol.

 

[REWahoo]

But aside from adding extra weight in my wallet, is there any real advantage?

Depends on what metal the card is made from...

 

[calmloki]

Ninja throwing card. Ballast. Gutting fish. Windshield ice scraper.

 

[Sunset]

Not if I had a choice.

I would not scrape my windshield with one, as the metal could possibly scratch the glass.

I had one.
Great for rapping on the counter to get attention of the clerk.
A real pain to discard, I have metal shears but it's thick for it's size, so didn't cut easily, and I like to cut up a CC into 1/4 inch squares, so it was a lot of work.

If I had a welding torch, I'd use that next time.

 

[kgtest]

I'll tell you what, it doesn't matter what meterial they make them out of, thieves and skimmers still manage to get hold of my info. I feel like some marketing guru said, hey I know how we can distrupt this market, let's make a heavy card from metal instead of plastic and people will feel "richer" with the extra weight. Problem is the guys that get approved for the metal one's probably don't have a spendthrift mentality, making the marketing guy look like he has egg on his face.

I would think the added cost of the material just gets passed onto the consumer. Soon we will all just use our "device" to pay. And with all the card re-issues this day in age with all the skimmers and account breaches, the cost is just multiplied.

 

[FIREd]

One of my Chase cards is made of metal (I don't remember being given the choice between metal or plastic). I see no advantage. When it expires, I send it back to Chase for destruction (they provide a return envelope when they send the new card).

 

[easysurfer]

Makes it difficult to shred...I know because DW adamantly tried lol.

That's my very first concern with metal.

 

[kgtest]

I forgot when my 2yr old temporarily misplaced my Sapphire Preferred they did send an envelope with the extra card for disposal. My wife on the other hand she tried to use our shredder. God bless her heart extremely intelligent women but i come home from work and she goes hey i can't shred this card. I look and say what do you mean and she says see as i walk in the door. Pretty sure she took out a few teeth out on the shredder. I actually don't dispose of mine i keep all the old cards in a safe. I have a lot of cards in that safe.

 

[kgtest]

I noticed its layered metal. I don't know if that has a different rf or overall footprint from the plastic ones. Would be interesting to know if there is a design or security reason behind it

 

[Sunset]

..... I actually don't dispose of mine i keep all the old cards in a safe. I have a lot of cards in that safe.

Why ?

 

[flyingaway]

If they send me a gold card, ...

 

[kgtest]

Why ?

Paranoia and laziness combined. I don't want to just toss them but i don't want to it them in half and toss then because I feel that's pointless. And cutting them in quarter squares is way too much work. Trash is public property once it hits the curb. When your family has been impacted greatly by lawyers, pi, bad people you take security serious. Bad apples running around town snooping basically.

 

[Amethyst]

Opening locked doors.

Ninja throwing card. Ballast. Gutting fish. Windshield ice scraper.

 

[Walt34]

I have a metal one from Chase too and can't think of any advantage to it. As far as the status thing goes, I have a plastic cc from Capital One that has nearly twice the credit limit so that's a flop too.

 

[easysurfer]

The only advantage I see with my metal Chase (Amazon) cc is that the numbers look less likely to fade and seem easier to read than raised faded out numbers on a plastic card.

 

[jonat]

The metal is really just a status symbol gimmick. That said, I like the metal cards - I have two. I have noticed that swipe readers seem to have a bit more trouble with them than with plastic cards, in that they often don't read the first or even second time.

 

[brett]

I prefer to scrape the ice off my windshield with a plastic card. A metal one may scratch the glass.

Big downer for me would be the difficulty in cutting the card up at the replacement time.

 

[braumeister]

Paranoia and laziness combined. I don't want to just toss them but i don't want to it them in half and toss then because I feel that's pointless. And cutting them in quarter squares is way too much work.

My shredder handles them as easily as a sheet of paper. There is a slot for CDs and I just run the old credit cards through there. Shreds them into tiny pieces just like the paper.

 

[audreyh1]

I only have metal from Chase. I'll get them to dispose.

 

[CoolRich59]

I had one of the first metal ones from Chase, and it was a novelty ... for a day or two.

Now, the other card issuers have jumped on the bandwagon and I have three of them (two Chase, one Amex) and the novelty wore off long ago.

They add weight to my wallet and have to be mailed back when they expire or get hacked.

I also made the mistake of thinking I could shred one and almost destroyed my shredding machine.

 

[bloom2708]

My Amazon Prime card is metal.

I had to whap it on some different materials to confirm. It isn't much heavier than the plastic card.

Can't say it is better or worse. It is a sharp looking car. Does that entice me to use it more? Nope.

 

[jetpack]

Sharpen in and use it as a defensive weapon.

 

[Sunset]

My shredder handles them as easily as a sheet of paper. There is a slot for CDs and I just run the old credit cards through there. Shreds them into tiny pieces just like the paper.

When we do this, I then put a few hand fulls of our shredded paper in the bottom of the kitchen garbage to soak up the juices.
By garbage collection time, in summer our garbage is a stinking rotten collection of bags that would make it really disgusting to snoop through.

It's easier than burning it all...

 

[splitwdw]

Haven't tried this but aviation shears can cut up to 18 gauge carbon steel. You can buy the shears at most hardware stores.