Credit Card Start/Expiry dates

At one time if a card expired in month N, the replacement card would arrive during month N with a start date of month N+1. The last couple of replacement cards I have received have been received in month N-1 and with a start date of month N-1 (eg if the existing card expires 05/08, the replacement arrives in April with a start date of 04/08). Is this practice not a little dangerous?

Reply to
Graham Murray
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Bitstring , from the wonderful person Graham Murray said

Possibly, but not nearly as annoying as Capital One's last two attempts where the replacement cards arrived (after much bitchin moaning and calls to idiots in India) in month N+1, by which time lots of recurring debits and open charge accounts (like Amazon) has wailed and expired. Not pleasing - give me 'early' every time.

Reply to
GSV Three Minds in a Can

At 08:44:53 on 31/05/2008, Graham Murray delighted uk.finance by announcing:

Why should it be? As soon as you start using the new card, the old card is normally cancelled.

Reply to
Alex

The problem is if the new card is intercepted in the post or otherwise does not reach the cardholder. When the new card starts immediately after the previous one expires, if the replacement has not be received in time the cardholder would contact the card issuer and the new card could be cancelled before it became valid and a new card issued. When the validity periods overlap, if the new card was stolen before the expiry of the old one, the first the legitimate card holder would know would be when their card was refused. This could be a few days or even weeks in the case of cards which are not used frequently.

Reply to
Graham Murray

You seem to assume that a card 'just works' as soon as you receive it. Typically you have to activate it, which requires a phone call, input of sundry security data, and sometimes even more hassle if you don't do it from your home phone.

Reply to
GSV Three Minds in a Can

At 20:43:43 on 07/06/2008, GSV Three Minds in a Can delighted uk.finance by announcing:

Nope. Mine just worked straight away. You do need the PIN, of course.

Reply to
Alex

At 17:25:28 on 07/06/2008, Graham Murray delighted uk.finance by announcing:

You're assuming the card thief knows the PIN.

Reply to
Alex

Not needed for cardholder not present transactions. So the thief could start using the card immediately for online transactions.

Reply to
Graham Murray

At 12:06:19 on 10/06/2008, Graham Murray delighted uk.finance by announcing:

Depends on the issuer. AIUI some will not accept a CNP transaction until the card has been used 'in person' or the cardholder has contacted the issuer. And anyway - the same applies to brand new accounts.

Reply to
Alex

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